Mayor
Craig Mackle said the announcement from government yesterday was as much a
surprise in how it was delivered as the first announcement regarding the future
of Regional Councils. It does, however, send a clear signal around the
government’s intended direction for local and regional government into the
future.
Mayor
Mackle says that he has always been open to change in any form, as long as the
benefits can be clearly demonstrated and that it is in the best long-term
interests for the community and the District.
The
news from parliament yesterday raises more questions than it answers in the
short term, such as how our community will be able to have a meaningful say in
our future?, but it does provide an opportunity to accelerate thinking and work
with our neighbours to look at viable options to control our own destiny.
Mayor
Mackle says that “In Kaikōura we have a small but dedicated team at Council
that constantly punch well above their weight and who will continue to deliver
on our commitments to our community while we work the options through. There is
a long way to go. It is not the first time we have faced change, and it won’t
be the last. Our community needs to be at the heart of this”.
