News

The Public Engagement Committee, where anyone from the public can talk directly to the people who vote on decisions at the Council, gives an opportunity for things to be put right.

This is an example of putting something right.

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Important reminder - feedback for the compulsory Amalgamation of our Taranaki Councils closes Sunday 28th June.

There are tick boxes to rank what is important to you.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

It seems that finding the documents to give feedback to the Board is not very easy, especially if you don’t have access to the internet. A lot of our older residents in New Plymouth, who bank with the TSB, do not have access to the internet.

We asked for hard copies of the Feedback Forms to be available in TSB branches.

The TOI Foundation's reply was not helpful for our older residents with no access to the internet.

Click on the blue heading above to see what happened, and how you can help our older residents give feedback to the TOI Foundation.

The TOI Foundation Board of Trustees told the audience on 17th June the only way they can accept any feedback about the TSB Bank merger is by sending a submission.

This is not as straight forward as it could be, so we have explained how to do that. And we've also explained how people without internet access can do a submission.

A number of older people in New Plymouth have money in the TSB Bank, but do not use the internet. If you know people in this situation, please help them to use a hard copy form to do a submission. A copy of the form, and where to send it, is attached

Click on the blue heading above to find out more about the TSB Bank merger and to send a submission.

There will be surveys happening over the next month or so to tell the NPDC what is important to you with the amalgamation of the 4 Taranaki Councils.

Central Government, as part of the new Resource Management Act requires all Councils in NZ to amalgamate with other Councils in their region. Local Councils do not have a choice.

If you don’t tell the NPDC what’s important they will put forward what they think is best, as they will have no choice if the community doesn’t participate.

Making sure Taranaki retains its local voice is a criteria that can be considered as important when Local Council Plans are assessed by Central Government. Make sure you have your say about what is important with YOUR local voice.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more, and to see the survey.

This is one of the types of stories we write that we know people are going to be very unhappy about. This is an absolute David and Goliath story, with multiple homeowners across New Plymouth (and NZ) as the David’s - and the NZ Government, The United Nations, and a Global Infrastructure Corporation as one huge massive Goliath.

Click on the blue heading above to read this story.

There has been a couple of versions of this information on social media over the last few days.

We understand privacy and overreach concerns in those posts, but we have pulled out the general background to the laws, added a bit of background of what has been happening overseas, and are letting you know you have a chance to express your view against this before submissions close with the government at the end of the week.

A number of changes (and new charges) are planned with how people will travel with their vehicles going forward.

Click on the blue heading above to read more about this, and how to send a submission.

A couple of things to update from a Water Company Meeting

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The Local Government Minister, Simon Watts, has intervened where Councils have introduced unelected people having voting rights with council decisions.

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An extremely large Cellphone Tower is proposed to be built on the berm on Ngamotu Road, which will cause visual and noise pollution for many residents.

• This proposed tower is 15 metres high – the height of a 4 to 5 story building. This tower will be higher than the 3 story buildings of either the Waterfront Hotel or the Novotel Hotel.
• This is not the usual Cellphone Towers we see on residential streets.
• Who may be in the next neighbourhood to have this on their fence line and in their view ?

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Was it a back room deal to appoint an Interim CEO for the NPDC this year ?

Gareth Green had resigned, and many in the community were happy to see him move to Tauranga.

Major reforms are happening from Central Government – Councils in all regions across NZ are merging. Regional Councils will not exist at the next election – people won’t be voting for people to represent them through a Regional Council in 2028.

Click on the blue heading above to find out what the Daily News had to say.

Who would be a Mayor – you’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. Or you’re damned as far as the editor of the Daily News is concerned.

The headline on the front page of the Daily News on Saturday 22nd May stated “Democracy degraded in mayor’s push to get things done”

Click on the blue heading above to find out what the Daily News had to say.

Exiting the United Nations Global Covenant of Mayors

The next Public Engagement Meeting

Feedback wanted for options you would prefer for new parking pricing

and,

A media release from the Taranaki Mayoral Forum about the merger of Taranaki Councils

Click on the blue heading above to find out more

On Wednesday 13th May we had our NPDC quarterly Senior Management meeting with the first update on how the NPDC is reducing rates, reducing debt and increasing efficiencies.

We also discussed improving the consultation process and the Alliance being a recognised Stakeholder.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

On 21st April the Ratepayers Alliance had our very first Stakeholder meeting with the NPDC – with the Bell Block Spatial Plan.

By the end of the following day we wrote to the Council with serious concerns about how the process of consulting with the community is being handled.

For a very long time many in the community have said the Council knows what they are going to do with plans and projects, and it’s pointless participating in the consultation process, as they are going to do what they want anyway.

What we have found with the Bell Block Spatial Plan process looks like there may be some truth to that.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

Yesterday we presented to the NPDC about a very important document. The Water Company Statement of Expectations (SOE) – the rules and focus of how this new company will operate.

We asked our elected officials to do something differently, and they did.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

We have attached a link to the video with our presentation to the NPDC about what is legally possible to provide for the New Plymouth District with how this new Water Company will operate.

Click on the blue heading above for the link to the video.

We’ve been busy working on a few things behind the scenes and haven’t had a chance to update on some bits and pieces of news from our First Management Meeting with the NPDC in March. A few items came up that people may be interested in, as well as Simon Watts on unelected people voting on Council decisions.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more

If you do not like surprises from your senior officials at the NPDC, and you prefer open and transparent communication, this week is your last chance to have your say in our Poll and Petition about the appointment for the Permanent CEO position for the Water CCO.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

It was interesting to read in a stuff article about the 16th April Water Company meeting that things seem to be on track.

Like any start up organisation it would be expected there will be challenges getting up and running, and our team who were at the meeting noted there were some issues, and what some of those issues are.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

The Te Huinga Taumatua Committee (the NPDC Iwi Representative Committee) ran a workshop for Councillors on 16th April.

Radio New Zealand has written a story which looks like many things are sorted and ready to go for the next Long Term Plan.

That is not the message sent by the Chairman of the Workshop last week, or several Councillors at the table.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.