Following the 2010 Triennial General Election, Mayor-elect Annette Main and the incoming councillors will be sworn in at the first meeting of council on Thursday, October 28.

The meeting will be held in the Pioneer Room at the War Memorial Conference and Convention Centre, rather than the Council Chamber at the Municipal Building, where the council traditionally meets.

The first meeting of a new council is usually held in a larger venue to accommodate family and friends of the incoming councillors who want to share this special occasion.

Mayor-elect Annette Main will be sworn in by Chief Executive Kevin Ross. She will then take the councillors oral declarations.

The councillors are: Allan Anderson, Philippa Baker-Hogan, Jack Bullock, Randhir Dahya, Nicki Higgie, Michael Laws, Hamish McDouall, Clive Solomon, Ray Stevens, Rob Vinsen, Sue Westwood and Rangi Wills.

The declaration is a statutory requirement of all elected members. They cannot act as a member of a local authority, for example participate and vote at a meeting, until they have made an oral declaration and a written version is signed.

At the first meeting the council will elect the Deputy Mayor, set the Committee structure, terms of reference, elect chairpersons and appoint the membership of committees.

The new council will also adopt the 2009/10 Annual Report and transact any general business.

The meeting starts at 2.00pm and is open to the public who are welcome to attend.

Canadian rowing team welcomed

The Canadian rowing team were welcomed to Wanganui on Friday, with a Powhiri at Putiki Marae. The team have chosen Wanganui as their base to train for the World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro, which begin on October 31. The Powhiri was also attended by Mayor-elect Annette Main and incoming councillors.

Library staff members Jeremy Barlow and James Hildreth have received an 'Extra Touch' award from the Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand for the dial the news service.

Margaret Seabrook from the Wanganui Branch of the Association of Blind Citizens nominated them for the award which recognises people or organisations which do that little bit extra to aid blind people or make their lives easier in some aspect.

For more than twenty years, until equipment failure in late 2009, people could phone the 'dial the news' number six days a week, and listen to items read from the Wanganui Chronicle newspaper and recorded that morning.

The service was originally set up by the Wanganui Branch of the Association of Blind Citizens and had been a major part of many blind members' days.

When the original system failed a new approach was needed.  James and Jeremy, who both work at the Wanganui District Library, came up with a solution which linked the 'dial the news' service with a new telephone system that was being installed at the library.

They arranged to have the service set up and trained the several volunteers who do the reading each morning. By June 2010 the 'dial the news' service was back and has been well used since.

To hear 'dial the news' phone 349 3290.

Peter Ireland discusses the work of Andrew Ross.

Wanganui-based writer, artist and freelance curator of contemporary and historical photography, Peter Ireland, will discuss the work of Andrew Ross. Andrew was artist-in-residence at Tylee Cottage from February to August, 2009.

Andrew’s exhibition Round and About Wanganui: 72 Photographic Studies is currently on show at the Sarjeant Gallery.

Peter will discuss this body of work and Andrew’s practice over the last decade.

The talk takes place at the Sarjeant Gallery on Wednesday, November 3 at 7.30pm.

Municipal Services Labour Day – 25 October 2010

The following arrangements will be observed by the Wanganui District Council on Labour Day 2010. However, you can contact us any time on 06 349 0001.

Municipal Office Building
Closed

i-SITE
Open 9.00am to 3.00pm

Wanganui District Library
Closed

Sarjeant Gallery
Open 10.30am to 4.30pm

Whanganui Regional Museum
Open 10.00am to 4.30pm

Royal Wanganui Opera House
Box Office closed – open for a 2.00pm show

Recycling Centre
The ‘Savemart’ Wanganui Recycling Centre in Peat Street, opposite the netball courts, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your cardboard, newspapers, plastic bottles, aluminium cans, steel cans, plastic bags and textiles. Free drop-off.

After hours services are listed in the telephone directory under ‘Wanganui District Council’.

Meetings

First Meeting of Wanganui District Council following 2010 Triennial General Election

The First Meeting of the Wanganui District Council following the 2010 Triennial General Election will be convened in the Pioneer Room, Wanganui Memorial Conference and Convention Centre, Watt Street, Wanganui at 2.00pm on Thursday, 28 October 2010. The Order Paper will include: 

• Receive from the Electoral Officer the results of the elections for the Mayor of the Wanganui District and 12 District Councillors
• Investiture of the Mayor
• Statutory declarations of the Mayor and Councillors
• Election of the Deputy Mayor
• A general explanation of legislative matters which affect elected members
• Mayoral Inaugural Address
• Council Committees’ Terms of Reference and Committee Appointments
• Youth Committee
• Adoption of the Council’s Standing Orders, Delegations
• Date of the next meeting of the Wanganui District Council

First meeting of Wanganui Rural Community Board following 2010 Triennial General Election

The First Meeting of the Wanganui Rural Community Board following 2010 Triennial General Election will be convened in the Pioneer Room, Wanganui Memorial Conference and Convention Centre, Watt Street, Wanganui at 3.30pm on Thursday, 28 October 2010. The business is:

• Declaration of Wanganui Rural Community Board members
• Date of the next meeting of the Wanganui Rural Community Board

Details about the following vacancies are available on this page:

Policy and Planning Administrator
Closing date: 28 October 2010

Team Member Knowlege & Youth Services
Closing date: 1 November 2010