Tararua District councillors link up for meeting

Tararua District Council will today hold its first meeting via an audio-visual link.

Tararua District Council will hold its first meeting via Zoom this afternoon.

It is the first time a full council meeting has been held by audio-visual link.

Last month's meeting was to be held on March 26, but was cancelled when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern put the country into Covid-19 lockdown that day.

Tararua District Council governance manager Richard Taylor said the meeting would not be live-streamed but an audio recording of the open section of the meeting would be publicly available.

The minutes will also be posted on the council's website following the meeting when completed.

One of the items on the agenda is a recommendation for a council donation to the district's Returned Services Associations.

"As this year's Anzac Day poppy fundraising collections could not take place because of the lockdown, it is proposed to support each of the district's RSAs through a donation from council," it is stated in the agenda.

"These donations will be directed to the poppy fund to acknowledge and look after the welfare of their servicemen and families in the district.

"The funds can be provided from savings in budgets for costs that will not be incurred for Anzac Day services and community support assistance through the council's International Representative Scheme which was established to provide funding for amateur athletes when selected to represent New Zealand, through the national body and/or international body's qualifying criteria, for an international event where two or more countries are participating."

It is recommended that Dannevirke RSA receive a donation of $1000 and Norsewood, Woodville, Pahiatua and Eketahuna RSAs each receive $500.

In other agenda matters the council is to discuss a report on the appointment of an electoral officer.

The council had previously appointed risk manager Sandy Lowe to the position but she has resigned from that role.

The report said committee secretary Maria Brenssell had expressed an interest in taking on the role and recommended she be appointed.