Agendas
Code of Conduct
Elected Representatives
Management
Meeting Dates
Minutes
Wairoa District Council exists so that residents and visitors have a safe living environment and are able to participate in the community at a cost, which is affordable! This section deals with certain aspects of Council including:
- Functions and Responsibilities
- Roles and Conduct of Elected Members
- Council Committees
- Code of Conduct
- Chief Executive
- Council Organisations
- Consultation Policy
Functions and Responsibilities
The purpose of the Wairoa District Council is to enable democratic local decision-making to promote the social, economic, environmental and cultural well being of the Wairoa District in the present and for the future. In meeting its purpose the Wairoa District Council has a variety of roles:
- Facilitating solutions to local needs
- Advocacy on behalf of the local community
- Development of local resources
- Management of local infrastructure including network infrastructure
- Environmental management
- Planning for the future needs of the local district
Roles and Conduct of Elected Members
Elected members hold office for a three year term. They are elected representatives of the community and make decisions of behalf of the community as to what promotes community well-being. The Mayor is elected by the district as a whole and as one of the elected members shares the same responsibilities as other members of Council.
The Mayor and the councillors of the Wairoa District Council have the following roles:
- Setting the policy direction of Council
- Monitoring the performance of Council
- Representing the interests of the district
- Employing the Chief Executive
In addition the Mayor has the following roles:
- Presiding member at Council meetings
- Advocate on behalf of the community
- Ceremonial head of Council
- Providing leadership and feedback to other elected members on teamwork and chairing committees.
There are certain duties that are imposed on the Deputy Mayor, such as acting as the Mayor while the Mayor is absent.
Council Committees
The Council may create one or more committees of council. These bodies are set up to assist the Council to manage its workload, provide advice to the Council, and build expertise among the members of Council is particular issues. A committee chairperson is responsible for presiding over meetings of the committee, ensuring that the committee acts within the power delegated by Council.
Code of Conduct
All elected members are required to adhere to a Code of Conduct. Adopting such a code is a requirement of the Local Government Act 2002. The code sets out the Council’s understanding and expectations of how the Mayor and councillors will relate to one another, to staff, to the media and to the general public in the course of their duties.
Chief Executive
The Council appoints the Chief Executive and he or she employs staff on behalf of council. The Chief Executive implements and manages the Council’s policies and objectives within the budgetary constraints established by the Council. The Chief Executive for Wairoa District Council is Peter Freeman.
Council Organisations
The Wairoa District Council is a 100% shareholder in Quality Roading & Services (Wairoa) Ltd (QRS) a Council controlled organisation under the Local Government Act. QRS is a company registered under the Companies Act 1993 to provide physical works services for a profit.
Consultation Policy
The Local Government Act sets out certain consultation principles and a special consultative procedure that local authorities must follow when making certain decisions. The Council can and does consult outside of the special consultative procedure. When it is adopting its Long Term Council Community Plan, Annual Plan, or District Plan it will hold formal meetings with community groups and other interested parties. At these meetings the Council will seek views on the matters it considers important and identify issues of concern to the community.
For more information, you can contact Wairoa District Council Offices on (06) 838 7309
