Council’s kaupapa takes centre stage

Business, community, political and Te Ao Māori representatives packed into Kerikeri’s Turner Centre last night (26 February) for the second State of the Far North address.

Led by Kahika Moko Tepania and supported by elected members, this year’s theme Shifting Gears – The Road Ahead gave the audience a unique insight into the council’s operations and its response to various challenges facing the district.

The fast-paced, information-rich presentation revealed how the council is driving for success by outlining moves to improve dog control, revealing how it’s weathering the gathering storm of climate change, and highlighting the significance of ties and agreements with iwi and hapū.

Roading initiatives such as ‘Find and Fix’ – which transform the way the council maintains the district’s roads – were explained. How much is being spent on "building stuff" as part of the capital works programme was also outlined.

Success stories were shared, including the Kaitāia Water Project at Sweetwater being switched on, the start of construction of Te Āta Haere – the Kaikohe Library and Civic Hub, and the opening of Te Puāwaitanga, the new sports hub at Waipapa.

The State of the Far North is a perfect platform for the wider community to engage in what is now one of the district’s key conversations, and also an opportunity for the audience to network with other representatives.

This year’s event follows the huge success of the inaugural State of the Far North address – Road to Recovery at the end of 2024 that was hailed as “a groundbreaking approach to local government transparency” by the media and audience members.

Look out for a video of the full presentation on our website in the coming days.