Community has saved its board
An outcry against scrapping Foxton’s community board has likely spared it from the chopping block.
The Horowhenua District Council has this week voted to keep it, backing down after earlier highlighting the board’s costs and the amount of representation in the town compared with the rest of the district.
The board was proposed to be scrapped because it is the only one in the district and because there are already two councillors whose ward includes the town.
But residents were outspoken in support of the board, packing a community meeting in May, and contributing 86 submissions to keep it, from 104 in total. A petition to keep the board was signed by 358 people.
Mayor Michael Feyen said he and councillor Ross Campbell were the only people who voted to keep the community board in the first stage of the process, and he was pleased the council had come around.
‘‘It was vital because Foxton and Foxton Beach want that – that’s the form of representation they want. This shows public submissions can make a difference.’’ The discussion had strengthened the board’s position in the community because it had pushed it to the forefront of people’s minds, Feyen said.
‘‘[Board members are] because they know the area.
‘‘They’ve done a lot in the 30 years they’ve been there. They’ve contributed millions from the Foxton Beach Freehold Account to things like Te Waiora [health centre], Te Awahou Nieuwe Stroom [cultural centre], and the new pump track.’’ Foxton Community Board chairman David Roache said he was ‘‘delighted’’ by the decision and the number of submissions. He pointed out that opponents of the board were from out of town.
‘‘There was not one person in Foxton that put a submission against the board. It’s good [the] council listened.
‘‘We’re pleased it’s back to business. Our next major concern now is cleaning up the river, getting the Foxton Loop open and getting it back up to the recreational area it used to be.’’
The council’s decision can still be appealed and the Local Government Commission has the final decision on whether the board will continue. The decision applies for the 2019 and 2022 elections.
The two Kere Kere ward councillors who represent Foxton have also both been given seats on the board. The change reverses a decision in the last review to have only one councillor. valuable