Summer holidays are fast approaching! During this time critical Council services continue, with some changes due to staff availability.

Kaipara District Council’s committee structure, the committee membership and chairs, and the external appointments for the new triennium have been confirmed. 

The newly elected mayor and councillors of Kaipara District were officially sworn into office in Dargaville at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October.

Kaipara’s newly elected Council will be sworn in at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October at the Lighthouse Function Centre, Pou Tu o Te Rangi Harding Park.   

Kaipara District Council has adopted their Annual Report for 2021/2022. The report was unanimously adopted in the September meeting, the last meeting of the term for the current Council.

Kaipara District Council staff are asking Mangawhai house owners and residents on the wastewater system to flush water through their drains, toilets and showers and prevent gases from backing up into their homes.

Following the recent announcement that current Chief Executive Louise Miller will be stepping down, Kaipara District Council has appointed Jason Marris as interim Chief Executive, while an external recruitment firm undertakes the search for a permanent appointment.

Kaipara District Council has confirmed sunflowers and squash for the second growing season of the Kaipara Water demonstration sites.

A Mangawhai Wastewater Treatment Plant Advisory Group (MAG) is helping to guide a future strategy for the growing town’s wastewater disposal.

Two new community hubs move a step closer with Kaipara District Council opting to apply for the Three Waters Better Off Funding Package, provided by Central Government, to help fund them

The first part of a multi-phase project to manage Council’s water and wastewater asset network more efficiently and improve its resilience is complete.

Last week saw the first of the pre-cast concrete slabs for Mangawhai’s new wastewater balance tank carefully craned into place.

Kaipara District Council has released its Pre-Election Report for 2022.

Government sources estimate that between $120 and $185 billion dollars of investment in three waters (drinking water, waste water and storm water) infrastructure will be needed over the next 30 years to improve the quality of our drinking water and wastewater and stormwater management, across New Zealand.

Louise Miller, has advised today that she will step down from her role as Chief Executive of Kaipara District Council on 28 October, after the new Council is sworn in.

Kaipara District Council Elected Members have unanimously adopted the Annual Plan 2022-2023, with an average general rates rise of 4.86 percent (excluding water charges, and allowing for 1 percent growth).

Kaipara District Council’s operations and maintenance switches over to a new contractor next month.

In the bowels of Kaipara’s wastewater networks, rag monsters and fatbergs are causing havoc and costing ratepayers' money.

New Fees and Charges for the coming 2022-2023 year were adopted at the May Council meeting.

Work to improve the wastewater network in Kaiwaka is scheduled to begin on 23 May 2022. 

A new balance tank for Mangawhai's wastewater treatment plant is one step closer to completion, with the first pre-cast concrete slabs poured for the tank structure.

Projects to install new toilets in Mangawhai and Maungaturoto reached milestones recently, as the new facilities were delivered to their sites.

Complex problems for councils seldom come as neatly packaged as the “Better Off” funding which is part of the Three Waters Reforms.

Works to improve the sewer pipe network in Dargaville is scheduled to begin on 19 April 2022.  

The Environment Court has given the green light to Mangawhai Central’s Private Plan Change 78 (PPC 78) to the Kaipara District Plan.

We are aware some Maungaturoto residents have recently experienced events of low pressure or in some instances disrupted water supply to their properties.

Harvesting is underway across the Kaipara Water demonstration sites. 

At a recent briefing Council staff presented the preliminary financial statements for the upcoming Annual Plan (2022-2023).

The Waiatua Dam (on Opanake Road) may be the solution to end the Dargaville and Baylys Beach water shortages, according to a preliminary investigation, commissioned by Kaipara District Council. 

The council is upgrading wastewater systems and is asking people to flush responsibly.

Growth is the word of the day when it comes to the Kaipara Water demonstration sites. The summer months have seen the former grassed paddocks turn into a jungle of green activity on both sites.

The Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) has released the $3.5M needed to protect existing stopbanks against flooding, along the western side of Wairoa River between Dargaville and Te Kopuru.

Work is progressing well on the raw watermain renewals in Maungaturoto.

The Council is about to start constructing a balance tank, to increase the capacity of the Mangawhai Community Wastewater Scheme.

Although recent rain has been welcomed by landowners, it is causing headaches for Kaipara District Council’s Raupo stopbank improvement project, in Ruawai.

Representatives of the Pahi community met with Council at the wharf last week to work out where a new toilet block could go.

A new balance tank and inlet works are to be installed at the Mangawhai wastewater treatment plant to expand the existing hydraulic capacity during the peak summer periods.

Iwi Liaison Manager Jack Rudolph and Māori Advisor Missy Hokai joined the Council on 1 November, to strengthen a Te Ao Māori capability and viewpoint across the organisation.

Visitors to the Kaipara Water demonstration sites will spot the beginnings of green growth starting to peek through the soil.

A tomo (sinkhole) recently appeared on Gordon Street in Dargaville.

After considering submissions, Kaipara district elected members today confirmed a proposal for council’s representation arrangements ahead of the 2022/2025 local body elections.

Over the next few months, our team and contractors will replace approximately 3,000m of ageing raw watermain pipes.

As part of our Long Term Plan, we undertook to explore options to expand the capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme to accommodate growth in the area and summer peak flows.

Findings of the latest LittaTrap audit found an increase of rubbish captured. LittaTraps (a simple, cost-effective net that sits inside a stormwater grate) have been installed around Northland through a multi-agency initiative.

Earlier this month an extreme rain event at Baylys Beach, followed by periods of further wet weather, saw signifcant damage inflicted on the beach access.

If you’re connected to Council’s treated water supply system, your most recent water invoice may have shown an increase in the cost for your first cubic meter of water.

Considerations from Kaipara District about the Three Waters Reforms.

Kaipara District Council adopted its Annual Report for 2020/201 at the September meeting, showcasing a year of challenges amidst lockdowns, boundary closures and forthcoming significant change.

It’s ‘steady as she goes’ for Kaipara District Council after Deloitte reported their 2021-2031 Long Term Plan (LTP) provides a ‘reasonable basis for accountability to the community’.

Kaipara District Council has welcomed Philip Jones as the independent chair of their Audit, Risk and Finance Committee.

Ngā mihi mō au korero whakahoki! 

Thank you for your feedback. We had a fantastic response to our recent survey asking for help to select one of the trial crops for Kaipara Water demo site two. The winner by community vote was kaanga ma.

Kaipara District Council (KDC) began consultation today on a proposed model of representation.

A reminder to Have Your Say on our Discussion Documents, and some changes to our plans because of COVID-19.

At the time of writing, we have just entered our first Level 4 lockdown since March of last year.

Council has decided to make a stand by voting to oppose the recently granted Dome Valley Landfill resource consent, at the June council meeting.

Kaipara District Council voted to become a shareholder of Northland Inc. at their meeting on 26 May.

Kaipara District Council today endorsed a future-focused Long Term Plan (LTP) which aims to respond to a growing population while caring for the environment and keeping rates increases low. 

Announcing the appointment of Geoff Copstick as the independent chair of Kaipara District Council’s Audit, Risk & Finance subcommittee, replacing Stana Pezic who finished up in December after 3 years as independent chair.

New Fees and Charges for the coming 2021-2022 year were adopted at the May Council meeting.

We are stoked to be part of an excellent collaborative project, trapping and assessing rubbish before it finds its way into our waterways and out to sea.

Nine infrastructure renewal projects are being rolled out across Kaipara District this year. 

Every year the Council surveys residents to see how we are tracking. 

Some of the works happening around the District. 

Kaipara District Council has accepted the recommendation from the Hearings Panel to approve Private Plan Change 78. 

In the first few months of 2021 there’s been a trickle of new information which has led to a substantial update on the long-running story of the debt levels of Kaipara District Council’s Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme. 

The Council will be reviewing its representation arrangements later this year and is calling for community feedback now before formulating any specific proposals.

Kaipara District Council has published a report about the outstanding historic debt and capacity of the Mangawhai Wastewater Scheme (MWWS). 

Kaipara District Council has begun a review of local electoral boundaries to ensure our rapid growth is reflected in our elected representation and to accommodate a new Māori ward.

Kaipara District Council will soon be seeking feedback on their proposal to develop a revitalised Dargaville civic precinct as part of their Long Term Plan consultation.

Kaipara District Council has laid out its vision for the next decade of development in its Long Term Plan (LTP) and is asking the community if they agree.

Look out for the new Government Valuation for your property in the mail from 04 February.

If you're out and about around Lorne, Pirika, and Haimona Street, you may spot our team and contractors undertaking work on the Dargaville water mains. 

‘Water’ will be a word to watch in 2021, as far as Kaipara District Council is concerned. To start with,
low river flows mean water restrictions are in place for our largest reticulated town supply to Dargaville
and Baylys Beach.

See the results from surveys and events we've undertaken recently as part of our Long Term Plan. 

Some Council services and offices will be closed over December/January.

The Private Plan Change is currently adjourned at the direction of the commissioners. 

Have you ever looked at a verge or berm around your area and wondered why it has a dip in its centre? That subtle depression is doing an incredibly important job – it’s called a swale and they're an essential part of our stormwater services.

Two proposed demonstration sites for the Kaipara Water project have been given the green light from Council, which will serve as real-life working examples of the best ways to irrigate high value horticultural crops.

Ruawai Water treatment plant played host to a number of local school kids as part of the EnviroSchools Water for Life
programme last week. The programme is a Northland Regional Council initiative. 

The beautiful stretch of weather we’ve been enjoying is great for the beach, but not for water supplies. Being wise with water at the beginning of the season can ease the pressures later on. Let’s streeeeeeech the supply as far as we can.

Kaipara District Council has voted to establish a new Māori ward to improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to local Government decision-making. 

Kaipara District Council Elected Members opted in to the first part of a reform of the three waters system when they signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the end of August.

Business and community groups affected by Covid-19 lockdown are benefitting from support offered by Kaipara District Council.

The newly elected mayor and councillors of Kaipara District were officially sworn into office in Dargaville at 1pm on Wednesday 26 October.