Ratepayer Newsletter - January 2020

Kia ora

The winds of change have blown well for Kaipara through the spring, and now summer’s here I have in this newsletter the opportunity to say thank you to all the ratepayers and voters who delivered the very capable, conscientious and considered elected representatives joining me around the Council table. The October 2019-elected Council is taking shape nicely with a very busy first 50 days, during which the new Council committee structure was established, induction and training were completed and significant briefings for the incoming council were uploaded. Thank you also for returning me as your mayor – I look forward to leading the Council, keeping close to the community and serving the people of the mighty Kaipara as we go forward.

The Annual Plan for 2020/2021 is shaping up and Council has decided not to formally consult on it as there is little change to what was outlined and consulted on in the Long Term Plan 2018-2028, including changes to overall rates. In the early months of 2020 Council will be fine-tuning the Annual Plan, keeping tight control of finances.

The new decade is shaping up to be a significant time for Kaipara District, with little time to look back. Through 2020 Kaipara District Council will continue composing the new Kaipara District Plan with the community, taking account of the rapidly changing scene, new spatial planning tools for future town developments and Kaipara’s stellar population growth as the fastest growing district in the North Island. Council’s engagements with ratepayers and the community will continue to advance, including the People’s Panel which is freely available for everyone to join at kaipara.govt.nz/panel, the
Council-utility-works-in-your-area phone alert app called Antenno or the new Kaipara District Council website. These tools, as well as regular newspapers, will help keep us all connected with many of the rapid changes coming our way, whether near or far.

By the middle of the year I expect Government will have made the second part of its decision about the future of the upper North Island ports. The first decision was announced on 9 December 2019 by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declaring the industrial functions of Auckland’s port would be moved away from Auckland’s waterfront; the second decision will be where these port functions are located in the future. This is potentially very significant for Kaipara District. Marsden Point at Ruakaka in Whangarei District is unquestionably a contender location for these heavy port functions, one of the finest natural deep water harbours in the world, already home to Northport and right on Kaipara district’s doorstep.

As Chairman of the Northland Mayoral Forum I’m working with other leaders of the north for this once-in-a-century opportunity for the benefit of Kaipara district, Northland region, Auckland and all of New Zealand. Establishing the country’s most modern, efficient and sustainable port benefits the entire nation. Between now and May 2020 you should expect to hear more about this opportunity.

By the end of the year I expect to see Kaipara District Council sign a Mana Enhancing Agreement with important partner Te Iwi o Te Roroa. This will be similar to the Memorandum of Understanding between KDC and Te Uri o Hau, signed in 2002. Also in the year ahead I expect the Crown will conclude its Kaipara Moana Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations with Kaipara Uri, the collective name for the iwi of the Kaipara Harbour catchment, led by Ngāti Whātua. With a total catchment of 6,000km², one third of all the land and waters north of Auckland Harbour bridge, this will be a significant event for the redress it represents and also as the first Treaty settlement for a harbour anywhere in New Zealand.

Council partners here include Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council, Northland Regional Council and Auckland Council, working alongside the Crown and Kaipara Uri for the Kaipara moana and this place. How the mighty Kaipara will rise.

2020 is also an election year for Government. So expect increasing heat and noise from Parliament, colourful initiatives and possibly other regulatory changes headed our way too. By the time we get to the end of 2020, mark my words, we’ll look back and reflect on how far we’ve come in changing times. It’ll pay to keep up.

Best wishes for your year ahead, safe travels on our Kaipara roads and enjoy those summer winds blowing in from across the sea.

Ngā mihi nui,
Dr Jason Smith
Mayor