Councillor Lou Brown with community board members Ange Holt, Jill Taylor and Kane Titchener. Photo: Benjamin Wilson
Tuesday was a special day for Te Awamutu Community Board members – it was the first time in nine months that the board had met in person.
Upon mention of the fact, Cr Lou Brown said, “they let us back in!”
All community board members were present, except for Richard Hurrell and Susan O’Regan, who attended via Zoom.
The board last met in the chambers on August 10, 2021, one week before the lockdown. Tuesday’s meeting was also the first meeting since then that was not streamed online. The News understands the council will not be livestreaming community board meetings in future.
They discussed the council’s Water Supply Bylaw, which is going to public consultation tomorrow, and received reports on the council’s Dog Control Policy and bylaw, and Animal Nuisance Bylaw.
Strategic Projects Driver Graham Pollard insisted the board submit feedback to council regarding the Water Control Bylaw.
Members Titchener and Taylor said they would make personal submissions, and after some deliberation, Holt moved the decision for the board to also submit feedback as a whole.
“It shows that we do take an interest in our own water, rather than having it controlled by somebody else,” Holt said.
Titchener attended Zero Waste Aotearoa’s meeting on Te Awamutu’s proposed waste to energy plant and shared his concerns with the board.
“I think there are some reasonably big questions to ask about the incineration issue… certainly a concern I think.”
One of Titchener’s concerns was the impact the plant would have on Te Awamutu real estate prices.
Holt reported the Te Awamutu Chamber of Commerce was working with local retailers to set up a committee to stop ramraids.
The News was the only media at Tuesday’s meeting, and at its conclusion, it was suggested future meetings continue to be live streamed, because of the engagement they have had from the public.
“It has been really well received, and I have been getting really good feedback,” Holt said.
