A Christmas message from Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer

Merry Christmas from Mayor James Denyer and the Western Bay team.

Kia ora,

I want to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Christmas and an enjoyable summer festive season.

Summer is a special time for us in the Bay of Plenty. It’s when we enjoy the sun, the sea, the sand and the great outdoors.

It’s also that special time when we spend quality time with our whānau and friends, reflect on the year that was, and look forward to the year ahead.

This year has been challenging.

Last summer was a bit of a write-off with the storms and cyclone that came through. I’m really hoping for better weather this year.

We also faced the rising cost of living and inflation putting pressure on our budgets and lifestyles.

Despite all this, we have shown incredible resilience, kindness and community spirit in the face of these challenges. We have supported each other, helped each other and lifted each other up.

I’m very proud of what we have achieved together as a district.

It’s also been a rewarding year, with many opportunities to connect with the people who make this district such a wonderful place to live, work and play.

I’ve enjoyed meeting people from all parts of our district from our young leaders and innovators, to our elders and kaumātua, our farmers and business owners, our volunteers and community groups. You’ve all shown me your passion, your resilience and your vision for the future of our district.

Together, we’ve worked on some exciting projects and initiatives to make this wonderful place we call home flourish.

We’ve invested in infrastructure and services to support our growing population and economy, celebrated culture and heritage, diversity and talent and protected our environment and natural resources.

We’ve strengthened our social fabric with programmes that foster inclusion, wellbeing and safety.

There’s still a lot more mahi to do, but I’m confident that we have the potential and the commitment to achieve great things in 2024.

I’m looking forward to working with you all to make our district an even better place for ourselves, our tamariki and our future generations.

At certain points, this will require some tough decisions to progress key issues and priorities identified by you. I’m not afraid to make these difficult decisions - to choose the right decision over the popular decision.

Priorities such as strengthening our climate change action plan, doing more to help address the nationwide housing shortage, and providing well-maintained, resilient and efficient infrastructure: infrastructure that responds to community needs, is fit for purpose and future-proofed.

This will involve several conversations with our communities. Your voice matters to me, and I hope you’ll continue to share your ideas and concerns with us in 2024.

But now it is time to rest and re-invigorate with family and friends. Let’s have fun, be safe, and look after each other.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and a safe and enjoyable holiday season.

James Denyer, Western Bay of Plenty Mayor