INDEPENDENT ASSESSMENT GIVES COUNCIL TOP MARKS

TAUPŌ DISTRICT COUNCIL is heading in the right direction despite significant challenges relating to population growth and the Covid-19 pandemic, an independent assessment report has shown.

The council received a CouncilMARK grading of ‘A’ last month, an improvement from its ‘BBB’ rating in its first assessment in 2018. The latest on-site assessment was conducted in April this year.

The CouncilMARK programme, developed by Local Government New Zealand, is designed to improve the public’s knowledge of the work councils are doing in their communities and to support individual councils to further improve the service and value they provide.

The 2022 report said the Taupō District Council had made “significant progress” since its 2018 assessment, maintaining business momentum during the district’s growth while at the same time undertaking a “substantial reorganisation of executive management”.

“While numerous opportunities for further improvement remain, the past four years has set the council on a positive trajectory for success,” the report said.

Taupō District Council chief executive officer Gareth Green said overall, the assessment was a great result and evidence of the hard work that had been done in the last four years.

“We are about to enter the election period and this independent report should give candidates and the community confidence that we are headed in the right direction, and punching above our weight,” he said.

“While this shows we are on the right track, we are determined to keep improving and making sure the Taupō District continues to be a great place to live.”