Te Awamutu Kihikihi Community Board
John Wood – 2025
John Wood – Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board
1. Should councillors sit on the two community boards or should it be just those elected to the board by the public for that specific role? (50 words)
Councillors sitting on the community boards facilitates the flow of information between the council and the boards. They are often able to provide information to elected community board members because they have access to more in-depth information.
2. Would you support a Māori ward seat on the community boards? (50 words)
At present, the Māori ward representative attends community board meetings when they have an interest in board discussions, so it seems unnecessary.
3. Should the central business district be the main hub for retail and business or should the 15 minute neighbourhood strategy in Ahu Ake be adopted? (50 words)
The central business district should remain the main hub for retail and business but as our communities grow, the neighbourhood strategy in Ahu Ake can be adopted, easing pressure on the central business district. Te Awamutu and Cambridge are growing at different rates at present.
4. Community board chairs sat in on annual plan, long term plan and other council business during this term. Is that a good thing or it doesn’t go far enough? Te Kanohi representatives have speaking and voting rights at committee meetings, should community board chairs be allowed to have that also? (50 words)
It is a good idea as the board role is to provide a community voice. The community elects councillors to make decisions and elects the community board to act as a conduit between the council and the community to ensure community involvement in decision-making.
5. In the case of the Blue Blob in Cambridge and the Kihikihi Cycleway, the community boards weren’t consulted before it was too late. Should community boards be more involved at an earlier stage? (50 words)
Yes, the community boards give a voice to concerns and issues within the community. Their involvement in discussions on major changes to the environment within the townships is needed to ensure the voice of the community is heard. Local knowledge matters.
6. A member of the Cambridge Community Board was on the earlier Cambridge Connections project group but was sworn to secrecy and unable to report back to the board. Was that fair? (50 words)
Conflict of interest is always a difficult issue. Care needs to be taken.
7. Community advisors were appointed during Covid and the position still exists today. Should they report more regularly through to community boards? (50 words)
I assume the advisors were appointed for a role related to Covid. As that time has passed, it would seem the role is now superfluous.
8. What sort of decisions could community boards be involved with to take away pressure on councillors? More delegated authority? (50 words)
The roles of councillors and community board members are different. The community boards make submissions to council on many issues, but it is up to the councillors to make the final decisions. Open communication between councillors and community boards is essential in providing opportunities for the boards to assist councillors.
9. Should community boards have more funding available for discretionary grants? (50 words)
While it would be great to have more funding available to help community organisations, in this tight economic environment, it is not realistic to expect it.
10. Do you believe Waipā District Council should continue to have community boards? (50 words)
Yes. Community boards provide an opportunity for residents to express their opinions and concerns regarding their community in a less formal manner rather than approaching councillors or council staff. The relationship between councillors, council staff and the community board ensures their voice is heard.
