Greetings and kia ora koutou

The emphasis across the board this year has been on rebuilding the organisation to provide a solid base on which to properly plan for the future and to shift the focus away from impulse decision-making to a more structured approach. This has involved strengthening our management team and re-evaluating some of the ways we do business to provide greater opportunities for communities to have a meaningful input into the democratic process. It has also meant structural changes to ensure that service delivery is not only maintained but also improved.

In the process of evaluating the way forward, it quickly became apparent that there was a huge backlog of basic infrastructural requirements in the areas of roading, water and wastewater. To address the issues will involve a comprehensive review of the way ahead and, in the short-term, will seriously restrict our ability to satisfy community aspirations for less essential services and new capital projects. The intention is to address what could be perceived as an infrastructural crisis in the course of the pending review of the Long Term Plan. In the meantime, we have been forced to rethink the way we will need to approach a number of major projects, including the provision of an improved water supply for Kaitaia and the expansion and upgrading of wastewater treatment and discharge facilities in the Bay of Islands. After the close-off date for this report, the backlog of infrastructural needs was further aggravated by adverse weather events which caused havoc with the roading network. We are currently in negotiation with both the New Zealand Transport Agency and private parties including the logging industry on how best to address the reinstatement of the network.

The distractions associated with changes in direction, the rebuilding of a new strategic management team, the infrastructural challenges which have emerged, the uncertainties surrounding the Local Government Commission’s review of the local government structure and the investigation initiated earlier this year by the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) have in combination forced the Council to adopt a very cautious approach before moving forward. The SFO inquiry is ongoing.

Some of the distractions have been reflected in a customer satisfaction survey carried out earlier this year. While there were positive improvements shown in a number of areas, the survey in particular noted high levels of dissatisfaction with the maintenance of the roading network. This is being addressed. This year, the survey specifically targeted aquatic facilities and the results reflected qualified demands from Kaitaia, Kaikohe and Kerikeri for major improvements to swimming pool complexes. This will be addressed in the review of the aquatic facilities policy currently underway. On a positive note, the ongoing dispute over the lease of the Hokianga i-SITE building to private enterprise has been resolved. The Council has asked Far North Holdings Ltd to build a replacement.

Essentially, the 2013/14 year has been one of consolidation and, in spite of the distractions, there has been good progress made towards regaining the confidence of the community and setting a platform for the future. I would like to take this opportunity to thank councillors, community boards, management and staff for their commitment to making changes which will progress the district.

Nga mihi.

Hon John Carter QSO Far North Mayor