Western Bay of Plenty District Council

Develop better, more democratic engagement with the public, including exploring basic direct democracy, to ensure democratic decision-making.

Ensure council remains a good employer and community partner to retain and attract quality staff.

Ensure democratic engagement with local interest groups, whilst actively reducing ethnic and race-based division, to foster community unity.

End the holding of secret meetings. All workshops/meetings must be notified and subject to official information act (LGOIA) access.

Ensure council is truly open to ideas from the public and end the perception that council has already made up its mind before it consults.

End high-cost marketing and hard sell tactics. Work with iwi, rangatahi and other communities in an open, more respectful fashion.

Encourage all to participate in their community. All people are equal, no matter colour, race or creed. I engage with all.

Bring a lot more decision-making back to the community. Help locals to drive and advocate for their needs.

Support the Treaty of Waitangi and the Bill of Rights in treating everyone equally and with no discrimination.

Strive for transparency with 50-75% of council workshops open to the public. Public access to be restricted only in limited cases.

Ensure the council is as efficient as possible by having clear performance reporting and control.

Listen! Hear! Understand! Engage! This is the only way we are going to be able to represent our community.

Regular meetings with diverse community groups and local businesses – expand the current engagement.

Work through the upcoming Representation Review to understand how our communities wish to be represented.

Improve training for community boards so they can be more effective.

Engage with and inform our communities better on key decisions.