Podcasts about new plymouth district council

Anneka Carlson Matthews first ran for the New Plymouth District Council in 2019 as a 29-year old former police officer and small business owner. She joins Emile Donovan to encourage people to give local government a go.

An apparent typo could have cost a North Island council $20 million in lost revenue. At a meeting last month, the New Plymouth District Council passed a resolution saying rates figures in its annual plan were inclusive of GST, when they were in fact exclusive of it. Now it has had to quickly correct the error and apologise to ratepayers. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin reports.

The New Plymouth District Council is under fire for what locals are calling the botched job it's made of fixing a dangerous intersection in the city. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

Long term plan consultation is underway and includes $9m for upgrades to the zoo, which the New Plymouth District Council says are required to meet regulation and modern zoo standards. Robin details the rogue billboards appearing locally about road repairs. Trans-Tasman Resources has withdrawn from the Environmental Protection Authority process to get consents for its proposed seabed mining project off the coast of Taranaki. And the release of 40 kiwi into Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki - the former Egmont National Park in the past week, marks a step-change in attempts to re-establish the taonga on Taranaki Maunga. About 110 kiwi are due to be released on Taranaki and Kaitake in the next few months.

There's a giant pohutakawa tree growing on a council berm outside Colin Harvey's place. Over time one of its substantial branches has grown across his driveway to the point it's blocking some access. That meant when Colin's wife Jill needed urgent medical attention, the ambulance couldn't get past. For 4 years now, 83 year old Colin Harvey has been asking the New Plymouth District Council to give it a trim. Colin Harvey speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6347429273112

The New Plymouth District Council has held its first public workshop after the Ombudsman reprimanded local authorities for holding too many secret meetings. And Waka Kotahi is putting on hold hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for projects designed to reduce New Zealand's emissions through encouraging walking, cycling and the use of public transport.

The New Plymouth District Council has held its first public workshop after the Ombudsman reprimanded local authorities for holding too many secret meetings. Peter Boshier says excuses such as allowing elected members a "safe space" to ask "silly questions" don't stand up to scrutiny. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went along to witness the great reveal.

The New Plymouth District Council has had to eat humble pie at the beginning of three days of submissions on its controversial cycleway plans. It got its maths wrong and rather than costing $17 million, the three proposed routes tally up to more than $35 million. Our Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was at the hearing.

A new chief executive is sweeping through the New Plymouth District Council with a cost-cutting scythe. The council is facing losing more than a quarter of its senior management staff. It's part of the first phase of a restructure, with affected staff being informed today and consultation starting later this month. Chief executive Gareth Green says the initial focus of the review is on the top two tiers of leadership, with the loss of 13 jobs.

For the first time in its history, the New Plymouth District Council will today hold its monthly meeting at a marae. The mayor Neil Holdom and 14 councillors and will gather at Owae Marae in Waitara. Māori Ward councillor Te Waka McLeod, who instigated the move, says it will be the first time some of her colleagues have stepped foot on a marae. McLeod spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The New Plymouth District Council are creating a pothole poll asking people whether the Government should fund maintenance to reverse the decline in the average age and condition of our state highway network. If the poll gets signatures of 10 percent of the electorate nationwide, it will lead to a citizens initiated referenda on state highway maintenance. New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom joined the Mike Hosking Breakfast. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

20 different councils who have joined New Plymouth District Council calling for more central funding for the repair and maintenance of the roads. New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom joined Kerre Woodham to discuss the proposal. LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The New Plymouth District Council has pushed ahead with an average rates rise of 12.4 percent despite being faced with an at times hostile Civic Centre crowd. Robin also has the latest on what's happening with Whanganui's velodrome. And success of the National Indoor Bowls Championship, hosted in New Plymouth with more than 500 people taking part.

The New Plymouth District Council has pushed ahead with an average rates rise of 12.4 percent despite being faced with an - at times - hostile Civic Centre crowd. They were fired up by revelations that 39 percent of property owners could face a rates hike of between 15 and 30 percent, and almost two thousand others an increase of between 30 and 50 percent. Our Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was there.

Introducing Kelsey Taimaiporea Three Waters. We've all heard about it, most of us have seen a "stop Three Waters" billboard somewhere in Aotearoa. But what does it really involve? How does the Three Waters initiative impact Māori? Today we talk to Kelsey Taimaiporea, Three Waters Engagement Lead at New Plymouth District Council. A large part of Kelsey's role is to engage meaningfully with Iwi to navigate tapu (sacred) sites and the significant impact of these changes. Engaging Māori communities means visiting the marae, listening to their stories and drinking a thousand cups of tea to truly understand the tangata whenua that are being impacted. In today's episode you'll learn: Three Waters - we've all heard about it but what is it? How Three Waters impacts Iwi in Aotearoa The significance of engaging meaningfully with those communities most impacted by these changes Resources mentioned in this episode: Three Waters NPDC. Connect with Kelsey on Linkedin. Sign up for the Movement Makers newsletter Sign up to our monthly newsletter and get the insights, tools and powerful whakaaro from people transforming the collaboration space. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/beyondconsultation/message

Jenna puts her hand up for a seat on the New Plymouth District Council and Crez uses her fabulous skills in radio to ask the tough questions. We talk about mental health, our environment, small business and what Jenna can bring to the table.If you enjoyed this podcast and want to support our content creation work, you can make a small donation of $5 here https://www.buymeacoffee.com/thejwordnzKeep up with the latest from The J Word NZ:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejwordnz/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejwordnz/Website/Blogs: https://thejwordnz.co.nz/Disclaimer:The J Word NZ and its media content are created based on my own experiences and opinions and those individuals who share their stories with me. I do not have any formal medical or mental health qualifications. If you are experiencing any issues with mental health, please consult your doctor or a medical health professional for advice.Authorised by Jenna Brown - kiaora@jennabrown.co.nzSupport the show

More than 8000 new homes are expected to be built in several centres around New Zealand as part of a new infrastructure investment. Housing Minister Dr Megan Woods announced in Ōtaki the new homes would be built across 20 years in Rotorua, Ōmokoroa, Kaikōura, Ōtaki, Napier, Gisborne and New Plymouth. The Bay of Plenty is expected to reap the greatest rewards from the funding, with more than 5600 homes and $123 million in funding. In total, the Government planned to spend $179m nationally on infrastructure such as pipes and roads. The Infrastructure Acceleration Fund (IAF) was a component of the Government's $3.8 billion Housing Acceleration Fund announced in March 2021. It is a contestable fund of at least $1 billion and was launched on 30 June 2021. Woods said key projects will include works such as extensive stormwater management in both Rotorua and Napier, a State Highway 2 intersection in Ōmokoroa, and a local link road and cycleway in Kaikōura. "Upgrading water supply and roading in other projects will also deliver greater housing capacity." She said it also ensured to deliver funding to developments in areas of the country with some of the greatest need of additional supply. Homes built will range from elderly housing, papakāinga, public, affordable and market housing. "The only way we are going to solve the housing crisis is to build more houses." Woods said the Government was making the most investment since 1970 in land, housing and infrastructure like pipes and roads to enable new housing. "There is no silver bullet to solve the housing crisis but investments like this will make a difference." Twenty-eight more projects were undergoing due diligence and negotiations which were expected to conclude in coming months. There had been enormous interest from regions wanting to build more housing but who needed funding support for it to be viable. "We know a massive piece of the missing puzzle in the housing crisis we inherited is infrastructure; there simply hasn't been enough investment in getting land build-ready." Rotorua would receive the majority of the funding, with almost $85 million to fund stormwater solutions. The Western Bay of Plenty's Ōmokoroa will receive $38.4m Rotorua Lakes Council expected this infrastructure to enable over 3000 dwellings. The city's mayor Steve Chadwick said the announcement was huge. "This funding will enable us to accelerate this programme of work and reduce the timeframe for completion from thirty years to seven years." Another $38.4m will fund a State highway 2 intersection upgrade in Western Bay of Plenty to provide safe access to the Ōmokoroa peninsula and cater for the next 15 years of anticipated growth for the town. Western Bay of Plenty mayor Garry Webber said it would enable up to 2500 homes, with a mix of standalone homes, affordable homes and medium-density housing. More than 1000 homes were expected to be enabled in Ōtaki in ten years from about $29.32m of the funding allocated. This was to upgrade water supply and roading. Kāpiti Coast District mayor K Gurunathan said Ōtaki had the highest level of housing need in the Kāpiti Coast with the greatest affordability pressures on residents. "Only 20 per cent of renters can affordably pay the median market rent, with only 2 per cent able to buy a dwelling at the median market sale price." He said solutions must lie in partnerships and it had worked with iwi partners, particularly Ngā Hapū o Ōtaki. Napier's Maraenui will receive $12.4m for flood management work which the Napier City Council believed will provide network capacity for an additional 400 new homes, including public and affordable. Napier City Council chief executive Dr Steph Rotarangi said the community's wellbeing will be enhanced by improving its housing stock. The only South Island centre to receive funding was Kaikōura, where elderly housing was the focus. The district will receive $7.8m from the Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for projects expected to enable about 400 houses across two different sites – Vicarage Views, a new subdivision situated within the Kaikōura urban area, and Ocean Ridge an existing subdivision to the west of the town accessed by State Highway 1. Kaikōura District Council mayor Craig Mackle said it was a great result."We have a critical gap in modern, low to medium income housing and elderly housing units that we need to urgently address." The Taruheru catchment area in Gisborne will see a $4.2m IAF investment in key water supply, stormwater and roading upgrades. Gisborne District Council expected it will enable public, affordable and market housing, as well as a Toitū Tairāwhiti Housing site for mana whenua housing and a wellness centre. Gisborne District Council chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann said it would enable 450 new homes over ten years and make it possible for developments on the eastern fringe of the city be completes much earlier than planned. Six housing developments in Ferndale, New Plymouth, will receive about $1.8million for investment in upgrades to the water supply and transport options. The New Plymouth District Council believed it will allow for up to 300 new homes over the long-term, with multi-modal transport options. Woods also announced that a review to modernise the Building Consent system is underway, with the public being invited to have their say. "The current building consent system was established in 1991 when many buildings new buildings were mostly detached, single-storey, timber-framed buildings." A lot has changed since then, she said, and the system needed to keep up. A better system will help transform the housing market, unlock productivity growth, stimulate urban development where it is needed, and make homes more affordable for all, she said. "We also want to provide assurance to building owners and users that building work will be done right the first time, and ensure that buildings are well-made, healthy, durable and safe. The review will not revisit the current joint and several liability rule but will examine "how we manage and allocate risk within the building system". Submissions close on September 04 and more information can be found on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An innovative new play and learning space is coming to New Plymouth's Kāwaroa Park.Destination Play at Kāwaroa will feature water play, climbing platforms and a pump track, and many more things for all ages to enjoy.It is being led by the Taranaki Foundation in partnership with Ngāti Te Whiti, New Plymouth District Council and NP Partners.Destination Play will be created next year and is designed as a legacy for future generations.A range of interactive experiences as well as new learning and public facilities will be included in 12 conceptually themed zones.Woven into the ground-breaking layout are the rich stories of the area, hapū and communities as well as our city's culture, heritage, and ecology.With work set to begin early next year, the $5.5 million project to replace the ageing playground and transform Kāwaroa into a regional destination has already secured 65 per cent of the funding, and the rest is being raised through public and philanthropic donations, sponsorship and other channels.Taranaki Foundation chairman Bryce Barnett says Destination Play at Kāwaroa is an investment in the district's story, culture, people and community."The Taranaki Foundation is honoured to be working on this visionary play space that will benefit all generations and for generations to come, and we're looking forward to bringing everyone on this journey with us."He says the park is a place people will visit again and again and have different experiences each time they come."We're inviting everyone to get involved and contribute to this project and to making our city an incredible place to live, work and play. "New Plymouth District Mayor Neil Holdom says Destination Play is an example of New Plymouth people coming together to create something amazing."It will reflect our unique cultural heritage through our partnership with Ngāti Te Whiti, transforming Kāwaroa into one of the highlights of our award-winning Coastal Walkway. Our thanks to the Taranaki Foundation and the NPDC for their collaboration on a project that will celebrate the child in all of us."Kāwaroa Park is historically significant to the people of Ngāmotu-New Plymouth, being one of the first areas first inhabited by Ngāti Te Whiti, and Destination Play would honour that connection to the land through stories from Ngāti Te Whiti and Te Atiawa.Ngāti Te Whiti Hapu chairwoman Julie Healey is proud of the cultural narrative weaved throughout the Destination Play at Kāwaroa."Destination Play will celebrate and bring to the forefront elements of our rich Ngāti Te Whiti history. Through the use of inclusive storytelling Destination Play will facilitate a more in-depth appreciation of the whenua (land), moana (sea) and te taiao (the environment) for all generations within the wider Taranaki community."Find out more and contribute to Destination Play.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Plymouth District Council is looking at expanding one of the city's iconic concert venues. The Council is proposing making changes to the Bowl of Brookland's that would increase its capacity to 20000, up from 15000. It's part of a discussion document looking at a number of possible changes to Pukekura Park. Brent Eccles, president of the Promoters Association, joined Heather du Plessis-Allan. LISTEN ABOVE 

The New Plymouth District Council has done a flip-flop over its support for a controversial composting plant which has accumulated a 20,000 tonne stockpile of contaminated waste at its Uruti site. In an odd move, the council is looking to formally withdraw its submission in favour of renewing Remediation NZ's consents - more than two weeks after they were considered at a public hearing. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

The Labour Government will use urgency on Tuesday to rush in a bill to get rid of a public veto on Māori wards - a step National Party leader Judith Collins says is undemocratic and cuts out voters.Labour has confirmed it will use urgency in Parliament for the first reading of the law change, and will then have just a one-week select committee process for public input before passing the law.Most law changes spend six months being considered by a select committee of MPs, which includes considering public submissions.But Labour's majority means it does not need to secure the support of others for such a step.The rushed law change is to ensure councils planning to set up Māori wards in the 2022 local body elections will not have those wards overturned by a referendum of local electors.It would mean any public polls on the wards were not binding, although councils could still instigate their own polls to gauge public opinion.Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta said the use of urgency and a short select committee period was justified to give certainty to local authorities and communities, including removing referendum costs to councils."This removes a poll provision which is unjust and disproportionately affects Māori. In this case, the benefits for Māori outweigh the costs of moving with urgency."It will be a transitional measure while a more permanent legal framework for Māori wards is worked out.Mahuta said that reform would go through normal parliamentary processes and consultation.Collins said it was likely National would oppose this week's legislation, and Labour should not be rushing such an issue through Parliament."We will be opposing any changes under urgency without proper consultation and without local people having their say."This is a significant change to the law and people's local democracy rights, and they are changing it in urgency, when it wasn't campaigned on last year. Well, why not?"Collins has not previously set out National's position on the proposed changes to the Local Electoral Act, beyond voicing concern Labour was making a "quasi-constitutional" change without having campaigned on it.She said at Waitangi that there had now been some discussion on it."The general view is we are not sure about changing the current law at all. We think the current law does give opportunity for local representation, and their views to be put forward."We haven't heard a coherent, cogent answer as to why it's needed."The Māori wards policy does not appear in Labour's 2020 election policy, but Mahuta said it was long-standing policy of the party.The nine councils establishing or considering Māori wards in 2022 are Kaipara District Council, Gisborne District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Northland Regional Council, Ruapehu District Council, South Taranaki District Council, Taupō District Council, Tauranga City Council and Whangarei District Council.Currently, 5 per cent of electors can petition for a binding poll of local electors on whether or not the council's decision to set up a Māori ward stands.There is no similar veto over a general ward - and Mahuta has said the poll provision has been an unfair impediment to Māori representation.Of the 24 councils which tried to establish Māori wards since the law allowed for them in 2002, only two had been successful – Waikato Regional Council and Wairoa District Council. (The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has Maori wards set up under special legislation).

The Government will abolish a law that allows local referendums to veto decisions by councils to establish Māori wards.The move will be made in time for the 2022 local body elections, and means decisions made by nine councils to establish Māori wards for that election cannot be overturned by local voters.The councils are the Kaipara District Council, Gisborne District Council, New Plymouth District Council, Northland Regional Council, Ruapehu District Council, South Taranaki District Council, Taupo District Council, Tauranga District Council, and Whangarei District Council.The only way Māori wards will not be established for 2022 in those areas is if the council itself resolves to undo its decision.Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta made the announcement in New Plymouth this afternoon, where the issue has been divisive.Since 2002, when the law was changed allowing councils to establish Māori wards, 24 councils have attempted to establish them but only two had been successful – Waikato Regional Council and Wairoa District Council. (The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has Maori wards set up under special legislation).Five per cent of electors can petition for a binding referendum on whether or not the council's decision stands.Mahuta said the current system had a different set of rules for establishing Māori and general wards "and that uneven playing field needs to change"."The process of establishing a ward should be the same for both Māori and general wards. These are decisions for democratically elected councils, who are accountable to the public every three years."Polls have proven to be an almost insurmountable barrier to councils trying to improve the democratic representation of Māori interests. This process is fundamentally unfair to Māori."She said increasing Māori representation was essential to ensuring equity in representation and to provide a Māori voice in local decision-making."It will also lead to greater Māori participation in the resource management process," Mahuta said."We know the importance of diversity around the council table and, as part of the Government's commitment to working to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, we need to do our part to enable councils to achieve fair representation."Like in Parliamentary elections, specific Māori seats can assist with this."Legislative reform to Māori wards processes would be passed in two stages over the next three years, she said.The first stage would make immediate changes to establish transitional measures for the 2022 local elections.The second stage would develop a permanent mechanism for local authorities to consider the establishment of Māori wards and constituencies.A public meeting was held in Tauranga last Friday to debate the decision establishing a Māori ward on the city council. It brought together opponents, including former National leader Don Brash speaking for Hobson's Pledge, and leading supporters of the wards, such as Buddy Mikaere, a former director of the Waitangi Tribunal.Three councils have already resolved to hold a poll alongside the 2022 election, the Far North District Council, Opotiki District Council and Hawkes Bay District Council. Those polls will not now go ahead and the Māori wards will not be established – unless those councils resolve to do so.The new legislation will extend the deadline for councils to consider Māori wards for the 2022 elections to May 21, this year.text by Audrey Young, NZ Herald

In this episode, we discuss where the cheapest rates are in New Zealand as a percentage of the value of each property, along with why this matters. This topic comes from a listener of the show, Barry, who wanted o know how rates are impacting the cashflow of property investors around the country. We go through specific suggestions of new rates from councils like New Plymouth District Council, along with how some councils rates their residents. If you have a podcast topic you'd like us to talk through, then give us a text. out number is 5522. It would be great to hear from you.

The Weekend's tour of the regions today takes us to New Plymouth. It is home to offshore drilling, the WOMAD music festival, and this year sees the opening of a new multi-million dollar Len Lye Centre and the earthquake strengthened Govett Brewster Art Gallery. There is also likely to be a referendum on the New Plymouth District Council's decision to establish a Maori ward seat for the 2016 local government elections. Lynn Freeman and Radio New Zealand New Plymouth reporter Robin Martin spoke to former newspaper editor and former councillor Lance Girling-Butcher, New Plymouth hospitality entrepreneur and businessman Craig McFarlane, and the deputy editor for PKW Incorporation's quarterly Whenua magazine Amokura Panoho.