Council to purchase McCahon portrait

The Wanganui District Council has decided to purchase a portrait by Colin McCahon of former Sarjeant Gallery director Gordon Brown.

Mr Brown was appointed as the Sarjeant Gallery's first professional director in 1974. The McCahon work is one of his rare master portraits, painted in 1968.

"Gordon Brown is regarded as the father of the Sarjeant and this is an opportunity for the Council to purchase an artwork of great historic relevance, both to Wanganui and to the nation," Mayor Michael Laws said.

"The Council has voted to fund the $230,000 purchase price through a combination of bequests and surplus funds in the Gallery's budget for this financial year.

"Because those funds are available, the Council decided to move with urgency to secure what may be the single most relevant work in the Sarjeant's collection."

Make It. Take It. project awarded government funding

Wanganui District Council has won government funding for a second successive year for the Make It. Take It. youth project.

Youth Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta this week announced the successful recipients of the Ministry of Youth Development's Youth Development Partnership Fund.

"I'm delighted to congratulate the Wanganui District Council whose innovative project, Make It. Take It., is among those to be awarded funding. I am excited that the Ministry is able to support this initiative – in its second year – which will involve, challenge and encourage local young people," Minister Mahuta said.

A key objective of the Youth Development Partnership Fund is to increase achievement of positive social, economic and wellbeing outcomes for young people by providing opportunities to develop valuable work, life and learning skills.

Make It. Take It., which will receive funding of $112,500, facilitates edgy and responsive projects and events for young people, with the subsequent provision of opportunities for capacity building and social inclusion. Through the opportunities given to Wanganui's young people to 'get involved' they are able to develop and deliver projects and events suited to meet their needs within the community as well as establish relationships with other youth, mentors and business people. Make It. Take It. provides the supportive platform, the community is providing the wind and with this collaborative effort, youth will fly.

The Council's Youth Committee Co-Chair Cr Marty Lindsay welcomed confirmation of the funding.

"The foundation has been built for the Make It. Take It. project and the important thing about the second year of funding is that we will now be able to see really good results which build on that initiative," Cr Lindsay said.

"We have an enthusiastic and exciting new Youth Committee that will help to ensure that these projects are a huge success for Wanganui's young people."

Annual Plan submissions

The Council has received 65 submissions to the Draft Annual Plan 2007/08 and nine submissions to the proposed amendment to the 10-Year-Plan 2006-2016.

Oral submissions will be heard on Tuesday, June 5. Twenty-seven submitters to the Draft Annual Plan and four submitters to the 10-Year-Plan amendment wish to be heard. Results of the 2007 Community Views Survey will be presented at 10am and the Annual Plan hearings will begin at 11am.

On Monday, June 11, the Council will meet at 12.30pm to deliberate on the Annual Plan. Adoption of the plan, with any amendments arising from the earlier meetings, is scheduled for 4pm on Monday, June 25.

All of the meetings are open to the public and will be held in the Council Chamber.

A reminder that applications for a rates rebate for the current rating year must be made by Friday, June 29. If you think you may eligible for a rebate, please come into our office and staff will assist you with this process.

The current rating year is from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007. Any application for a rebate must be made within this period.

To date, more than 2000 ratepayers have qualified for assistance and received a rebate toward their rates.

Before we can process your application, we need to see:

• Your Community Services Card.
• Evidence of all income (before tax) for last tax year (this includes income from interest, pensions etc).
• Your Wanganui District Council rates notice for 2006/07 and your Horizons Regional Council rates notice for 2006/07.

Eligibility for a rates rebate is determined by:

• The ratepayer's income for the tax year 1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 and
• The amount of rates and
• The number of dependents.

Vacancy

Details of the following vacancy are available on this page:

Senior Curator (readvertised)
Applications close 8 June 2007

Municipal Services
Queen's Birthday Observance - Monday, 4 June 2007

The following arrangements will be observed by the Wanganui District Council on Queen's Birthday Observance Day. You can contact us at any time on (06) 349 0001.

Municipal Office Building
Closed.

Information Centre
Open from 9.00am to 3.00pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

District Library
Open 10.00am to 5.00pm on Saturday and 10.00am to 3.00pm on Sunday.
Closed Monday.
Resume normal hours on Tuesday, 5 June 2007.

Sarjeant Gallery
Open 10.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Whanganui Regional Museum
Open 10.00am to 4.30pm on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Recycling
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, glass bottles, aluminium cans, steel cans and textiles. Free drop-off.

Attention is also drawn to the After Hours Services listed in the Telephone Directory under 'Wanganui District Council'.

Council meetings

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Council Meeting – Tuesday, June 5 (10.00am to 4.00pm) (Council Chamber)
- Community Views Survey; Annual Plan Submissions Hearing.

Heritage – Tuesday, June 5

Youth – Friday, June 8

Council Meeting – Monday, June 11 (12.30pm to 5.00pm) (Council Chamber)
- Annual Plan Deliberations.

Sport and Activity – Tuesday, June 12 (1.00pm)

Hearings – Wednesday, June 13 (1.30pm)

Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at 4.00pm in Committee Room 2, 1st Floor, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui.

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.