NEWS 14 <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>August</strong> <strong>12</strong>, <strong>2021</strong> No payrise for Mayor Dan Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has been overlooked for apayrise in the latest RemunerationAuthority recommendations. WhileDeputy MayorNeville Atkinson and the other councillors will receive small pay increases,MrGordon’s salary will remain at $137,500 for the next <strong>12</strong> months. The new payrises wereapproved at last week’s Waimakariri District Council meeting and will alsosee community board members receivesmallincreases. Ratesofpay for elected members are set each year by the RemunerationAuthority. Remunerationwas delayed lastyeardue to the Covid19 pandemic with no payrise for the 2019/20 financialyear, althoughthe Mayor’s salary was trimmed by 10 percent for six months. While the economy has proven to be moreresilientthan predicted, the Remuneration Authority has taken‘‘a Dan Gordon conservative approach’’indetermining localgovernment members’ rates of pay for the <strong>2021</strong>/22year. Council opts to retain wards The Waimakariri District Council has opted for the statusquo for next year’s local body elections. Councillors voted lastweek to recommend the existing threeward, four communityboardstructure for the 2022 and 2025 local body elections, as part of the council’ssix yearly representation review. Aside from minor boundary changes, due to changes in population, the council has opted for threewards with new names Coastal (Kaiapoi Woodend), Central(RangioraAshley) and Western(OxfordOhoka). The Coastal and Centralwardswill each have elected four councillors, while the Western ward willhave two. There will continue to be four community boards,with the Coastal ward being split into the Kaiapoi Tuahiwi and WoodendSefton CommunityBoards, with eachboard having five elected members and two appointedcouncillors. Arecommended change to the existing structure will see six memberselected from the Rangiora subdivisionand two from the Ashley subdivision elected to the RangioraAshley Community Board, alongside the four Central ward councillors. This change is due to population changes,Mayor Dan Gordonsays. Threememberseach will be elected from the OhokaSwannanoa and the Oxford subdivisions to the Oxford OhokaCommunity Board, along with the two Western ward councillors. The recommendations have gone for consultation, with submissions closing on September27. Apublic hearingisscheduled for October <strong>12</strong>. Stockwater review The Waimakariri District Council is reviewing its stockwater race bylaw. Residents and water race users are being asked to give feedback on proposed changes to the 2019 Stockwater Race Bylaw. Stockwater portfolio holder Cr Sandra Stewart says she is really keen to hear the feedback to ensure the council is on the right track. ‘‘We want to hear if any amendments are necessary before the final bylaw is adopted later this year,’’ she says. ‘‘I’m particularly interested in race users and residents’ views on the environmental benefits of the race network which through leakage, recharge our underground aquifers and dilute nitrate groundwater pollution. ‘‘Whether these benefits should be funded through adistrictwide environmental rate is proposed to be addressed in the future once the outcome of the Government’s Three Waters Reform is known? ‘‘I look forward to hearing our community’s views on our approach to maintaining the water race system.’’ The races provide stockwater to 1629 properties which pay an annual rate to cover management of the network. The races are almost 830km in length and cover over 42,000 hectares through the district. The bylaw details the rules protecting the water race network, and is an important tool to help the council and its contractors make decisions while maintaining the supply of stockwater to users of the scheme. Councillors adopted the Stockwater Race Bylaw in 2019 and undertook to carry out afurther review within two years, giving users and residents an opportunity for comment. The review looks broad topics including works in private property, road Stockwater ... The Waimakariri District Council is seeking feed back on its stockwater bylaw. PHOTO: FILE reserve race maintenance, managed aquifer recharge, environmental benefits, ponds, fencing of water races and biosecurity and contamination risks The existing bylaw requires landowners to maintain any portion of stockwater race on or adjacent to their property boundary if it is within the road reserve. The <strong>2021</strong> review does not propose any changes to this responsibility and the council wants to check in with the community to see if they agree with this approach. The council is not proposing to fund the environmental benefit of the water race system at this stage. It is proposed that this will be addressed as part of the 3Waters Rating Review in 2023. Letters will be sent to each property on the race network, and feedback on the proposed bylaw closes on September 7. Once feedback has been collected, staff will report to the council at the November meeting.
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