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Community Boards are responsible for local issues and have a delegated authority to make decisions on behalf of the Council.

The Far North District is divided into 3 Community Board subdivisions.

Far North District Council employs a Governance Unit, who among other duties is responsible for the day-to-day liaison between Community Boards and the Council's supporting organisation.

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The role of the Community Boards

The role of the Community Boards is to:

  • Represent and act as an advocate for, the interests of its communities
  • Consider and report on all matters referred to it by Council, or any matter of interest to the community board
  • Maintain an overview of services provided by Council within the community
  • Prepare an annual submission to Council on expenditure within the community
  • Communicate with community organisations and special interest groups within the community.

In addition Community Boards have a range of powers for which they are responsible under delegation from Council.

Council's Terms of Reference and Delegations to Community Boards

Terms of Reference

Each Board is expected to:

  1. Comment on adverse performance in respect of service delivery.
  2. Conduct consultation with its communities and make recommendations to nominated staff on:
    1. Local service levels on these and related asset development priorities
    2. Expenditure of Reserve Contributions
    3. Local and community development opportunities and proposals
    4. Priorities for Pride of Place programme and community development plans
    5. Local priorities and expenditure to be considered in Annual Plans and Long Term Council Community Plans, prior to Council's adoption of each draft plan, with special regard for the views of Maori and disabled persons
  3. Seek and report to Council community feedback on current issues by holding:
    1. Community forum as part of Board meetings
    2. Varying the venues of Board meetings
  4. Monitor and make recommendations to Council to improve effectiveness of community funding policies
  5. Appoint Community Board representatives as appropriate to local community development working parties, e.g. hall upgrade committees, main streets, etc.
  6. Appoint Community Board representative to provide comment to council staff on resource consent applications referred to the Board. The Community Board representative is expected to consult with other Board members as appropriate.

Council Delegations to Community Boards

  1. The power to appoint management committees for local reserves, cemeteries and community centres as set out in section 54(2) of the Local Government Act 2002
  2. The power to allocate the following funds in line with Council policy and with special regard for the views of Maori and disabled persons:
    1. Grants & Donations Fund (including Eastern Community Board allocation of Hundertwasser Donation Account)
    2. Any balance of Amenity Funds
    3. Community Sport Fund
    4. Conservation Fund (formerly known as Significant Natural area fund)
    5. Heritage Fund

    There will be occasions when Council will allocate directly from these to specific organizations. The Community Board will be responsible for allocating the residual funds.

  3. The power to prepare and review local reserve management plans in accordance with Section 41 of the Reserves Act 1977 within budget parameter and in a manner consistent with Council policy.

  4. The power to prepare and review local cemetery concept plans in accordance with Section 8 of the Burial and Cremation Act 1962 within budget parameters and in a manner consistent with Council Policy.

  5. The power to name previously unnamed local roads and reserves and to recommend to Council name changes of previously named roads and reserves (refer to Sections 319(j) and 319A of the Local Government Act 1974).

  6. The power to pass resolutions prohibiting the use of skateboards in specified locations within their communities (in accordance with the Council's Skating Bylaw 1998).

  7. The power to consider and make final decisions with regard to waivers non-complying signs, in accordance with Council's Bylaw Chapter 8 "Control of Advertising Signs" and Council Policy 3115 "Appeals and Waivers Policy for Advertising Signs"

  8. Power to annually consider nominations of Citizens Award nominees from within the Board area and make recommendations to the Mayor.

  9. Specific to Eastern (Bay of Islands-Whangaroa) Community Board – To consider any recommendations of the Paihia Heritage Working Group and to make appropriate recommendations to Council on the development of a draft Plan Change and a Section 32 analysis on heritage provisions for Paihia.

From time to time Council may consider some reserves and facilities as district wide assets and these will remain the responsibility of Council.

These currently include the Hundertwasser toilets, District Library Network, Baysport, the Kerikeri, Kaikohe & Kaitaia Airports, Hokianga Vehicle Ferry, i-Site network, Kaitaia Community Centre, Lindvart Park, Kerikeri Domain, Kawakawa Heated Swimming Pool and Kaikohe Cemetery.

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