‘We have a blank canvas’
The daughter of New Plymouth’s re-elected mayor, Neil Holdom, put the chains of office around his neck as the district council’s newly-elected team was officially sworn in last night.
Council chief executive Craig Stevenson explained it was normally the chief executive’s role but ‘‘tonight I’ve been usurped’’ he said, introducing eight-yearold Alyssa.
Councillors taking their declarations of office were City Ward councillors Stacey Hitchcock, Gordon Brown, Harry Duynhoven, Murray Chong, Richard Handley, Amanda Clinton-Gohdes, Dinnie Moeahu, Anneka Carlson and David Bublitz; with North Ward councillors Tony Bedford and Colin Johnston and South-West Ward councillors Marie Pearce and deputy mayor Richard Jordan.
Clinton-Gohdes and Moeahu were the only councillors to make their declarations in te reo. Clinton-Gohdes also repeated it in English while Moeahu’s wha¯ nau performed a stirring haka.
Councillor Sam Bennett was absent, as he was overseas on a pre-booked trip, and will swear in at the next meeting.
At the start of the meeting, Holdom thanked all the families and told the councillors that they would need family support.
‘‘We start from scratch today. We have a blank canvas,’’ he said, adding they had the opportunity to do incredible things for people.
The Clifton and Waitara Boards will swap appointed councillors halfway through the term – Councillor Tony Bedford goes to Waitara and Councillor Colin Johnston to Clifton until April 30, 2021, whereupon they swap.
The council also adopted the meeting structure from next month to the end of 2020.
The first meeting of the new Strategy and Operations Committee will take place on November 12, with community boards to follow from November 20 – 26.
The council cycle will complete before Christmas, with Te Huinga Taumatua, Finance, Audit & Risk and then full council on December 17.