Whangārei councillors picked for climate change, Civil Defence and transport regional leadership

Councillor Scott McKenzie talks to the council meeting after being selected as representative on Northland's major regional joint climate change adaptation committee. Photo / Susan Botting

Whangārei District Council yesterday selected its councillor representatives for key Northland regional local government leadership roles.

The key inter-council regional leadership roles included for climate change, Civil Defence and transport.

New councillor Scott McKenzie will be WDC's representative on Northland's regional joint climate change adaptation committee with Cr Nick Connop as alternate. WDC's two Whangārei District Māori Ward councillors will also be involved, with Cr Phoenix Ruka as WDC's Māori representative, Cr Deb Harding alternate.

Cr Ruka told yesterday's council meeting he was pleased to have been selected to be part of the regional committee as climate change affected Māori around Whangārei and Northland.

Cr Simon Reid is WDC's appointment to Northland's heavyweight regional transport committee with deputy mayor Phil Halse as alternate.

Councillor Phoenix Ruka is the council's new Whangārei District Māori Ward representative on Northland's regional joint climate change adaptation committee Photo / Susan Botting

Mayor Vince Cocurullo will be WDC's representative on the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group with Cr Connop alternate.

Councillors Connop and Marie Olsen are WDC representatives on the Northland Regional landfill Limited Partnership advisory committee. Cr Reid has been appointed as a Whangārei Waste Limited director.

WDC also set up its formal council committee structure for the new 2022-2025 term and selected councillors to head the 10 committees.

Its formal committee structure includes the return of the council's formal finance committee, after an absence of several years. Newcomer Cr Paul Yovich will be chair with Halse deputy chair.

Other formal WDC committees include heavyweight infrastructure committee chaired by Cr Reid with Halse as deputy chair; strategy planning and development committee chaired by Cr Ken Couper with Cr Scott McKenzie as deputy chair and community development committee chaired by Cr Gavin Benney with Cr Carol Peters as deputy chair.

Meanwhile, Cocurullo will step down from participation in WDC's airport noise management committee with councillors Connop and Marie Olsen council representatives on this group.

Cr Couper will be deputy chair of WDC's district licensing committee, to be chaired by a commissioner.

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