1st - Kaipara Konnection - Dargaville.BIZ
1st - Kaipara Konnection - Dargaville.BIZ
1st - Kaipara Konnection - Dargaville.BIZ
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“Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.”<br />
-- Terry Pratchett<br />
So What’s In Store For Us Next Year?<br />
Tis the season to be merry or so the traditional Christmas Carol<br />
goes. From this weekend we will have to sit back and watch as our<br />
Country starts the annual, farcical, shut down of all Government<br />
and Local Government activities and services. Even the Novapay<br />
system wont have to worry about paying our teachers because they<br />
(and it presumably) will go on holiday for at least 4 calendar weeks<br />
or even longer. In between the overeating and binge drinking that<br />
seems to characterise the “silly season” our public servants will<br />
have time to think about what they can dream up for 2013. Scary..<br />
Here is what our 4 ministerial appointed Commissioners are tasked<br />
with for the first 6 months of 2013<br />
Phase two — January to June 2013<br />
The Commissioners will:<br />
• identify the full extent of the problems faced by the Council (building on the work of the Review Team and the Auditor-<br />
General’s report);<br />
• work with the Council’s Chief Executive to build capability and capacity within the Council organisation in many key<br />
areas, including asset and financial management;<br />
• continue to work with the <strong>Kaipara</strong> community and ratepayers and the Department of Internal Affairs to progress options<br />
to deal with invalidly set rates and other legal compliance matters (if any);<br />
• progress the development and implementation of strategies required to address the problems faced by the Council.<br />
This will include initiating a review of the Counci1’s strategic and policy framework and considering whether an<br />
amendment is required to the adopted 20l2—22 long-term plan to provide the Council with a more sustainable operating<br />
model and equitable funding base for the future;<br />
• develop a comprehensive communications strategy to ensure effective engagement with the community and iwi; and<br />
• adopt a 2013/14 annual plan and set the rates for 2013/14.<br />
Item 3 in the above list has some interesting possibilities. The commissioners are required by their boss the minister to<br />
“deal with invalidly set rates” but how can this happen? They have already said that the illegal rates are not illegal until a<br />
High Court decides that they are. Are they now going to wipe the egg off their faces and go to the High Court - at great<br />
expense to the residents and ratepayers of the <strong>Kaipara</strong> - to get a judgment on what the Council has already agreed was<br />
an illegal setting of rates in Mangawhai way back on 4 th June 2011. Mayor Neil Tiller even offered a public apology for<br />
this. Of course the figure has crept up somewhat since that newspaper article and is now apparently more than double<br />
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