Community board member and Deputy Mayor Erana Peeti-Webber caught on camera out at Herbertville's Friday get-together in the Herbertville Hall on August 11.
Community board member and Deputy Mayor Erana Peeti-Webber caught on camera out at Herbertville's Friday get-together in the Herbertville Hall on August 11.
With the current Long Term Plan due to end soon the Tararua District Council wants to know what people think should be the priorities for the next decade.
The first round of community engagement started when council representatives engaged with locals at Dannevirke Domain during the Family DayOut. Councillors Scott Gilmore and Peter Johns also chatted to parents at the Tararua Sevens Tournament on August 4.
At its August meeting the Dannevirke Community Board was asked to participate in their community to gauge interest as part of their major role to feed the opinions of the public back to council.
They were receptive to the idea, Ron Wallace having already received opinions about a multi-sport complex at Dannevirke’s Domain.
The process of the community board gauging opinions and feelings had already started when Mayor Tracey Collis, Deputy Mayor Erana Peeti-Webber and board members Pat Walshe, Ron Wallace and Terry Hynes journeyed to the Herbertville Hall on August 11 to chat with locals during their regular Friday get-together.
Community board member Terry Hynes and Mayor Tracey Collis chat with a local at Herbertville Hall.
While the purpose was to assess the post-cyclone mood and spirit, other matters pertaining to roading and other services popped up as the 30-plus locals the Sedcole family hosts shared food and talked. Community board members returned enthused and pleased their decision to help fund the roof repair of the Herbertville Hall was appreciated.
The board resolved at the monthly meeting to travel out to other settlements like Pongaroa, Weber and Akitio as well as visit events in Dannevirke and Norsewood, including the Dannevirke Market on August 26 and the kapa haka festival on September 14. The first round of consultation finishes on September 30.
Meanwhile, board members responded to requests for funding from the public through the General Assistance Grants Scheme. The board agreed to make a grant of $690 to the Ross Shield team for pins to swap with opposing teams, and to grant the Dannevirke Police $538 to treat the primary school traffic patrol members a well-deserved dip in the pool at Waisplash.
The request for $3500 for heating of the Dannevirke Regent Cinema was deferred until further information is available.
The board received nine applications for the Wackrow Memorial Award and has held interviews with all nine prospects. The presentation will be on September 4 at The Hub.
Coming to letterboxes will be the community board’s 2023 Spring Festival brochure which lists the events from September to November.
One of those is Dannevirke Day just before Labour weekend and the board is looking for ideas and help with its running. Local retailers usually do well out of the day as do stall holders from all around the region.
The board is investigating the issues around the Easton Fountain in the Domain - should it recycle its water given a possible upcoming drought, and how will it fit with the proposed skate park which is part of the multi-sport complex?
The board is also looking at signs to remind motorists to slow down on key routes like Rawhiti St and it wants some action on the sorry state of some of Tararua’s reserves.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist working for the Bush Telegraph and based at Dannevirke. He has covered any community story telling good news about the district for the last ten years.
