Housing, roads and town promotion

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Northern Outlook

From local democracy reporter David Hill:

Housing, road reserve management, and the funding of Waimakariri’s three town promotions associations are set for review.

The Waimakariri District Council appointed hearing panels to consider its draft housing and road reserve management policies, and a working party to review how it supports the Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Oxford promotions associations at a council meeting on Tuesday (June 6).

Deputy Mayor Neville Atkinson will chair the housing policy hearing panel.

‘‘Social housing is something we have provided, but we also have the Vision Wests of this world and Kāinga Ora, who are very good at running these things,’’ he said.

‘‘We don’t need to be experts ourselves, we just need to make sure people are pointed in the right direction.’’

The council formed a housing working group two years ago to review the housing challenges in the district and the council’s role in supporting ‘‘positive housing outcomes’’, property unit manager Rob Hawthorne said.

The working group has prepared a draft housing policy which will go out for public consultation in August.

Mayor Dan Gordon suggested the hearing panel consider raising the age eligibility from 65 to 60-years, while councillor Brent Cairns suggested accessibility needed to be considered.

The draft road reserve management policy will be out for consultation from June 19 to July 19.

Senior transport engineer Shane Binder said the draft policy had been updated to include roadside berms, unformed legal roads, road corridor usage, utilities on the roadside and work zone traffic management.
It also included paper roads.

Gordon said Rangiora Promotions, the Kaiapoi Promotions Association and the Oxford Promotions Action Committee all played valuable roles in their communities.

‘‘The sustainability of our promotions associations is really important in our district and we helped Rangiora Promotions earlier this year to get through a period where they had a funding gap.

‘‘Changes happen so we need to make sure our promotions associations are fit for purpose and our funding is where it needs to be.’’

Cairns has been asked to lead the working party, with support from councillors Joan Ward and Tim Fulton, representatives from the four community boards and the three promotions associations.

‘‘I have met with all three promotions associations and they all have challenges,’’ Cairns said.

‘‘Most of the members have their own businesses, so they have pressures of trying to make money in this environment and then putting in the time to support their community.’’

He said the promotions associations promoted their towns, made them vibrant and attracted new people.

Council staff will also provide support.

Strategy and business manager Mark Maxwell said the review will begin by considering the challenges the promotions association are facing, before exploring solutions.