What has become more evident in my position as Mayor is the work and support undertaken by Council for no other reason than for the public good.

Council supports many community organisations that are providing great services largely on a voluntary and not for profit basis. Our help may be easy and only require a meeting address or a letter of support to prospective funders, but this support is essential to the credibility of these organisations and shows we are working together as a community.

Council also supports the community as a whole to address and resolve issues in which it does not necessarily have a direct responsibility. The old hospital is one such case and although it is in private ownership, we are communicating with the owner, the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board and Occupational Safety and Health in an attempt to make the buildings and site safe and less of an eyesore. Of course ideally we would like to see this site developed for the greater good. Another community project is the new Community Marae, where Council has offered to support the process and oversee finances and fundraising – without directly running the project.

This we undertake without a direct impact on the rate payer. By helping the community in any way we can (and without any impact on rates), we as Council acknowledge the voice of our citizens that our community is certainly more than rates, rubbish, and rats.

Trish Giddens
Mayor