Keep boards
aren’t qualified to participate, so they don’t; community boards struggle to connect in a meaningful way with their wider communities; representation does not reflect the diversity in our communities; these are rapidly changing times and we need to respond to the needs of our communities, providing the right opportunities for people to participate.
For communities to flourish, local people must feel empowered to contribute ideas and drive local projects and initiatives. Representing ones community at the grassroots level needs to be a friendly process that invites people from different sectors to participate — business, urban and rural, education, disabled, different ethnicities, ratepayers, renters, retired, families, youth. Far from community committees being puppets of Mayor Webber, I see them as an opportunity for wide and rich representation of the whole community. Please don’t think council is trying to take away our democratic rights, or that just because something has been done one way for 50 years we should continue doing it that way. Make sure you submit your thoughts on this to council before August 24. JENNY HOBBS — CHAIR Katikati Community Board Representional Review — in support of maintaining community boards WBOPDC as opposed to appointing community representatives I am currently and proudly serving my second term on the Waihi Beach Community Board. I believe in community boards. Community groups have their say through a consultation process. Of course there are individuals who detest the ground that we walk on — and they make a lot of noise — but the majority of the community have input and support the work we do.
Community boards have their fingers on the pulse of the community. The consultation exercises that the Waihi Beach Community Board has done have had significantly higher community input than those done by council. The board knows its community and groups and deliver a wider variety of communicative strategies to elicit input. We have been praised for this by council staff. The process was incredibly timely. The common public suggestions made to us are already in the Long Term and Parks and Reserves plans proving the venture successful.
Appointed representatives would simply not have the time or expertise to do this. The alternative is a council who would “rule the roost” and give