Mayoral Column October 2024
It has been nice this month to enjoy the longer sunlight hours and warmer weather and each year it feels like the time between now and Christmas gets faster and faster.
And this year there is a lot to get through in the coming months: we will sign off our Long Term Plan in the coming weeks and that will set the direction for the next three years and beyond. Thanks to everyone who got involved and engaged through that process to get us to this point. Just a reminder for those who haven’t taken action yet, we haven’t been able to send rates invoices until that LTP is signed off, so the first one will be in letterboxes next month. It will be for half a year (not the usual quarter year) so it will be big. Please talk to council to set up a direct debit or talk through your payment options sooner rather than later.
We are also working on another big document with our neighbouring councils – Our Spaces, the Eastern Bay Spatial Plan. Over the next 30 years, at least an extra 5,500 homes (for around 12,000 people) are likely to be needed in the Eastern Bay. So we need to carefully consider where we want these homes built, the services that they will need, how people will move around, what industries are growing and need space and workers and what support we might need for this growth.
Before we get to work writing this plan, I encourage you to add your thoughts to the mix- places you think need protecting, things you think we will need, where we should build and where we shouldn’t. You will see some events throughout October and November and I really encourage you to get along or have a look online if you can.
‘Writing’ of amazing spaces, it was sad to say farewell to the Motu Challenge held for the last time this month. It’s been an amazing event every year as the photos in the newspaper show. I also appreciate that it was a mammoth task for organisers, with an army of dedicated volunteers that chipped in to keep the competitors safe and heading in the right direction every year. I saw the hard work up close as I had a small part to play as part of a team last week. I would like to add my thanks to everyone else for such an incredible event that showcased Ōpōtiki so well.
Most people will have also read about the large-scale Police operation here and across many centres in the North Island with search warrants and arrests focussed on organised crime and drug distribution. I have spoken with the Police and I know that Police and community organisations are putting support around those whānau impacted by this and I am confident that they will continue to do their job well.
On a lighter note, if you haven’t had the opportunity to visit the eastern seawall (accessed at the end of Snell Road) I encourage you to do so. There is still work to do – dredging, signage, parking, and roading, but the size and scale of the groynes is beautiful and really inspiring for our future.
