Thinking of standing in this year's local body election? Want to know more about what's involved?

We are holding an information evening for prospective candidates on Monday, July 26. It is for all prospective Wanganui District elected members, including mayor, councillors and Wanganui Rural Community Board members.

Wanganui District Council has 13 elected members: a mayor and 12 councillors elected by the electors of the Wanganui district as a whole.

Wanganui Rural Community Board has nine members: seven elected by the Wanganui rural community divided into three subdivisions - Kai Iwi (3), Kaitoke (2), Whanganui (2); and two members appointed by the council. The board's chairman is elected from its nine members at its triennial meeting.

The information evening will cover the role of a local authority; the Wanganui District Council area and representation; the council's structure, committees, activities and services; financial overview; current issues; elected members' payments and expenses; and the amount of work involved in being an elected representative.

There will also be information about the nomination process for candidates.

Election timetable

• Nominations open Friday, 23 July 2010
• Nominations close 12 noon Friday, 20 August 2010
• Voting papers posted 17-22 September 2010
• Election day is Saturday, 9 October 2010

Enquiries about the election process can be made to Noeline Moosman, Electoral Officer, phone (06) 349 0001.

The prospective candidates information evening will be held at 6.00pm on Monday, July 26, in Committee Room 2 at the Municipal Building, Guyton Street.

The 2010 Carey Smith & Co Ltd Whanganui Arts Review is a selected mixed media award exhibition showing the strength and diversity of art making in the Wanganui region.

This year's winners were:

Open Award: Catherine Macdonald (pictured with Prue Anderson from Carey Smith & Co Ltd, principal sponsor of the Arts Review)

Student Award: EC McNamara

Highly Commended Awards: Fiona McGowan, Kirk Nicholls, Kaye Wooding

Merit Awards: André Brönnimann, JK Russ, Tom Turner, Amy Fitzgerald, Sue James, Bonnie Wroe, Stacey Hildreth

The exhibition is on at the Sarjeant Gallery until September 5.

Pictured above are (left) EC McNamara's Helmay steps on it and Fiona McGowan's The Mothers.

Wanganui's new Computer Clubhouse will be officially opened tomorrow.

The Clubhouse has been operating for a short time but this will be the formal celebration of the project by invited guests.

The establishment of the Wanganui Computer Clubhouse was possible through funding from central government's 'Community artnership Fund'. At a local level, partners Wanganui District Council, Youth Services Trust, Whanganui UCOL and Computers in Homes are proud be involved in providing such a high level of digital support for the development of our young people.

Already more than 60 local youth aged between 11 and 18 years have signed up as members and regularly attend the Clubhouse sessions between 3pm–7pm, Monday to Friday. They have access to a variety of technology products including 15 Mac computers, two i-Macs, a recording studio, big-screen TV, digital cameras and video. The Clubhouse also has Lego robotics and art resources available.

The draft Digital Strategy and draft Broadband Strategy have been approved by council for public consultation. The vision for the draft Digital Strategy is "Wanganui is a leader in the digital world - we are a well connected, socially inclusive, prosperous and sustainable community". The draft Broadband Strategy vision is "To ensure extensive, future-proofed, open access, ultra-fast broadband infrastructure is available throughout Wanganui District as soon as possible, in order to seize the associated economic and social benefits for Wanganui District".

The Digital Strategy seeks three major outcomes:

• A high value economy;
• Vibrant communities and culture; and
• A healthy environment.

The Digital Strategy will provide a clear direction for council and other organisations to make Wanganui a leader in the digital world.

The draft Broadband Strategy sets out council's vision, drivers, principles, strategies and the benefits of accelerating fibre to premises in the Wanganui District. It also sets out the preferred model for roll out of a broadband network, ensuring schools, hospitals and medical centres, government departments, universities and business are connected as quickly as possible.

Consultation
Copies of the draft Digital Strategy and draft Broadband Strategy are available for public inspection, during normal working hours, at the Customer Service Desk at the Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street; District Library, and Sarjeant Gallery, Queens Park; Community Arts Centre, Taupo Quay, Wanganui; and on this page.

The consultation period is from 19 July to 16 August 2010.

Your comments are welcomed and should be addressed to:

Digital and Broadband Strategies
Wanganui District Council
PO Box 637
Wanganui 4540

or delivered to our Customer Services Desk at 101 Guyton Street, faxed to (06) 349 0000, or emailed to us.

If you have any queries or require further information, please contact Marianne Archibald at the Wanganui District Council, telephone (06) 349 0001 or email Marianne Archibald.

Comments are to be received by 5.00pm Monday, 16 August 2010.

Public notice
(Sec 83, 86, 89, 155 and 158 of the Local Government Act 2002)

Submissions are invited on the Proposed Wanganui District Council Smoke Free Bylaw 2010.

The proposed Smoke Free Bylaw 2010 is written in a way to empower and authorise council to specify certain Parks and Reserves as Smoke Free public places, from time to time, by council resolution.

Once the Smoke Free Bylaw 2010 is adopted, it is Wanganui District Council's initial intention to designate three of its premier parks as smoke free under the bylaw along with its main public sports grounds.

Copies of the Proposed Bylaw, Summary of Information, Statement of Proposal and submission forms, are available from the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street and at the District Library, Queens Park, during usual opening hours. The documents are also available by telephoning Customer Services on 349 0001 or clicking here.

Submissions should be addressed to:

The Chief Executive
Wanganui District Council
PO Box 637
101 Guyton Street
Wanganui

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Friday, 30 July 2010.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Council – Monday, July 19 (Council Chamber, 3.00pm)
- The Council will consider the reports from Committee meetings in June and July 2010 and reports direct to Council: Television Production for 'Discover Wanganui' Campaign; Setting of Rates – 1 July 2010 to 30 June 2011; Borrowing Programme for the 2010/11 Financial Year; GST Rate Change; Interests Register; CJ Efstratiou – St Hill Street Site; Delegations Register; Project Update – Visitor Information Centre, Southern Entranceway and Sculpture Wanganui; Local Government New Zealand Membership; Sale of Harbour Endowment Sites to Land Meat Ltd. Confidential Items: Noise Issues - Titoki Street; Wanganui District Council Holdings Ltd Update; Chief Executive's Report.

Youth – Monday, July 26 (Council Chamber, 4.00pm)

Wanganui Rural Community Board – Wednesday, August 4 (Committee Room 2, 4.00pm)

Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting.