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Your Views Matter

The Far North District Council is committed to managing consultation programmes that demonstrate best practice and support a process of informed and transparent decision-making. It aims to seek a representative cross-section of views in all consultation programmes. This page provides information on current and upcoming consultation programmes, and provides information about how you can make Council aware of your views by making a submission.

Current Consultation Programmes

Draft Annual Plan 2010/2011 

Please click the link above to access the dedicated Annual Plan page.

Chapter 28 Onsite Wastewater Disposal Control Bylaw Amendments

Submissions may be made between 17 February and 19 March 2010.

• Public Notice
• Council Report
• Statement of Proposal
• Summary of Proposal
• To make a submission,  you may use this form, available as a Word document or PDF file. 

Fluoridation of Kaikohe & Kaitaia Water Supplies

• In March 2007, following public consultation, Council instigated a two-year trial on the fluoridation of water supplies in Kaikohe and Kaitaia. Fluoridation was subsequently stopped in March 2009 at the conclusion of the trial and pending trial monitoring results from the Northland District Health Board.
• Council now needs to decide whether or not to resume fluoridation in these townships. To inform its decision, Council is undertaking direct consultation with its water supply customers in Kaitaia and Kaikohe by way of a paper survey.  Council is sending one survey form to each of its Kaikohe and Kaitaia water supply customers and will accept one response with signature per customer. Duplicated replies will not be accepted.

Upcoming Consultation Issues

Information on the following issues will be available from this page when the submission period opens, so please check back regularly! Please note the dates below may be subject to change.

• Chapter 6 Refuse Bylaw - submissions may be made from 31 March to 3 May 2010
• Chapter 20 Parking & Traffic Control Bylaw amendments - submissions may be made from 31 March to 3 May 2010
• Chapter 26 Control of Vehicle Crossings Bylaw - submissions may be made from 31 March to 3 May 2010
• Chapter 4 Mobile Shops & Hawkers Bylaw - submissions may be made from 6 May to 10 June 2010
• Liquor Control Bylaw - submissions may be made from 2 June to 1 July
• Gaming & TAB Policy -  submissions may be made from 9 June to 7 July 2010
• Local Government Elections will be held by postal vote from late September up to 9 October 2010. For more information please click here.

Consultation Process

Council consults with the public as part of a decision-making process - in other words, some decisions will only be decided once Council has asked what the public thinks about an issue. How Council consults on a particular issue is determined on a case-by-case basis - we don't think "one size fits all". In very general terms, however, every issue that is to be decided subject to public consultation goes through the following stages:

1. A preliminary proposal adopted "in principle"
2. The proposal is notified publicly and the public is invited to make submissions during a finite time period. Depending on the issue, public meetings may be held and material may be circulated to stakeholders, or placed in Council service centres and libraries.
3. Hearings are held for those submitters who want to put their point in person as well as in writing;
4. Council deliberates on matters raised by submitters, to determine whether to amend the preliminary proposal; and
5. Council adopts a final proposal, i.e. makes its final decision.

How to Make a Submission

Depending on the issue, Council may prepare a special form on which submissions may be made. If so, links will appear by the issue title above under Current Consultation Programmes.

Otherwise, you may use this general form, available as a Word document or PDF file. 

Key Requirements:

• Please make a note of the deadline for submissions on the issue you wish to comment on. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• If you wish to present your views in person to Council, please indicate this clearly on the Submission Form by ticking the box which reads, "Do you wish to be heard about your submission?"
• You can make a submission as a group or an individual, but please indicate this clearly on your submission.
• Please note that your original documents will NOT be returned. If you have requested a hearing, please retain copies for your file.
• PRIVACY ACT NOTE - Please be aware when providing personal information that your submission is part of a public consultation process. As such, all submissions and attached documents are copied and made available to Councillors as well as the public, as part of the consultation process.

Hints for making a submission

• Read through the draft proposal carefully and if there are issues on which you wish to comment, let Council know your views. Keep to the point
• Summarise your main points early in your submission
• Short sentences or bullet points work really well
• Use simple language and be as clear as possible
• If making a suggestion for change, explain why and maybe give an example of how you think it could be done in a better way.

Where to send your submission

• Please note!  Council is developing a new web-based system that allows people to make secure online submissions. Initially, the new system will be used to enable interested persons to make submissions on the 2010/2011 Draft Annual Plan, which will be open for submissions from 15 March.  However, over the coming months we intend to extend the system's availability to all matters under consultation.  
• You may wish to consider registering on this site from 15 March 2010.  By creating a user account, you will find it very easy to make submissions in future when Council carries out consultation on other issues.  The address will be http://fndc.consult.limehouse.com/portal
• Email us!  Send us your submission to ask.us@fndc.govt.nz or success@fndc.govt.nz
• Post it to Strategic Development & Governance Unit, Consultation Management, Private Bag 752, KAIKOHE 0440
• Drop it off in person at your local Service Centre or library
• Fax it to 09 401-5363

What happens next

• Your submission will be logged, summarised and made available to Council for consideration.
• You will receive an acknowledgement letter and confirmation of a hearing venue, date and time, if you have requested to be heard.
• Depending on the nature and number of Hearings, submitters are usually allocated 5 - 8 minutes to summarise the main points of their submission in front of Councillors. This time may be longer for submitters speaking on behalf of a large representative group.
• Once the final decision is made, you will receive a submission response letter from Council with an individual response for each of your submission points.

Resource Consents

Making a Submission to a Resource Consent