Council ready to be a strong voice for region’s future

‘One

area I would like to work on is engaging the public more in the work that Horizons does. We decided at the end of last year to continue livestreaming some of our meetings and you can watch these meetings at your

website.’ leisure on the Horizons

The 2019 council elections seem like a long time ago but the election results produced significant change at Horizons Regional Council. Half of the councillors are new and this refreshed council decided to continue the change by electing me as the new chair.

So what does this mean for the region? I believe it means we are in a really strong position to deal with the issues coming our way as a region and as a country. We have a really engaged futurefocused council, with all members willing to speak up and be heard. As well as a strong environmental voice — which is essential given the council’s key role of managing the environment for future generations — we have strong voices in all of the rural industries such as dairying, forestry and horticulture.

These varied interests are going to make for some robust debate and I’m really looking forward to that. It is through this vigorous debate that we will make sound decisions that will set this region up well for the future. I truly believe that if these different voices around the table can come to agreement on future direction, then I trust that direction will be the right one for our communities.

One area I would like to work on is engaging the public more in the work that Horizons does. We decided at the end of last year to continue live-streaming some of our meetings and you can watch these meetings at your leisure on the Horizons website.

Not all of our business is riveting, but it is great if you want to tune in and hear the debate about significant issues.

I’m encouraging councillors to write columns in their local papers, and I encourage you to invite your local councillor to events or meetings in your community. Also feel free to pick up the phone or write an email if you have any questions about something that is happening in your patch.

This column is the first of a monthly Horizons column that I will be sharing with other local councillors. For those of you on Facebook, I give regular updates about what is happening at upcoming council meetings, and I also use my page to highlight current issues. You can phone me on 021-177-2790, email rachel.keedwell@horizons.govt. nz or follow me on Facebook @councillorrachelkeedwell.

■ Rachel Keedwell is a Horizons Regional councillor and chairwoman.