What you really think

The 2007 Community Views Survey results are in and now the Council knows what you really think.

The Community Views Survey is required to fulfil the statutory requirements of the Local Government Act and is usually conducted every three years – within the term of each council. The last one was in 2003 and the one prior to that in 1999.

The same questions are asked to ensure continuity and to measure Council's actions or inactions against previous standards and findings.

The results of this latest survey are an overwhelming vote of confidence in Wanganui and its administration, especially when compared with previous surveys.

In the charts published on this page we see the level of satisfaction with facilities and services provided by the Council, public opinion of the performance of the Mayor and Councillors and the percentage of Wanganui people who would leave if they could.

Facilities and services

Generally, there is a very high level of public satisfaction with facilities and services provided by the Council. Those that rated low, such as the control of litter, will most certainly be addressed by the current and next Council.

Mayor and Councillors

The present Mayor and Councillors fared well against their counterparts of the previous term with a very high level of public satisfaction recorded this year.

"The performance of the Mayor and Councillors was rated very good or good by 76 percent of respondents, compared with 45 percent in 2003. That is a reflection of the hard work this Council has done since 2005," says Mayor Michael Laws.

Living in Wanganui

The public perception that Wanganui is a better place in which to live than four years ago is reflected in the pie graph. The percentage of people who would choose to remain in Wanganui is 71 percent. When this question was asked in 1999, the percentage was only 50 percent.

Overall, the results of this survey are a reflection of the confidence and optimism felt by the majority of Wanganui people.

Proposed Trade Wastes Bylaw 2007
Have Your Say

The Wanganui District Council proposes to introduce a Trade Wastes Bylaw.

The Council has previously had a Trade Wastes Bylaw No 59 that was adopted in 1988 and this was scheduled for review in the 2006-2007 year. The primary reason for the proposed draft Bylaw is the construction of a new wastewater treatment plant providing biological treatment and ultraviolet disinfection.

Council has determined that the most appropriate way to address the management of discharges from trade wastes into the new wastewater treatment plant is by way of Bylaw in the proposed form.

Submissions may be made on the proposal.

Copies of the Proposed Trade Wastes Bylaw Statement of Proposal, a Summary of the Proposal and submission forms are available from the Customer Services desk at the Wanganui District Council Municipal Building, 101 Guyton Street, and at the Public Library, Queens Park, during normal opening hours. The documents are also available on this page, email us or telephone Customer Services on (06) 349 0001.

Submissions should be addressed to –

The Chief Executive
Wanganui District Council
PO Box 637
Wanganui

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Friday, 6 July 2007.

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

Council meetings

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Youth – Friday, June 8
- Museum Representative; Castlecliff Beach Society/Castlecliff Linking Group; 'Kids Voting'; Sister Cities Representation; Aspiring Leaders' Forum; Annual Plan 2007/08 Submission; Ministry for a Culture of Peace Discussion Paper; 'Make It. Take It.' Project Update; YMCA – Youth Centre Update.

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

Sport and Activity – Tuesday, June 12 (1.00pm)
- Halberg Trust Sport Opportunity; Sports Representation – Unifying the Image; Sport and Recreation Facilities Strategy Update.

Hearings – Wednesday, June 13 (1.30pm)
- Joint Resource Consent Application Hearing – Whanganui Riverboat Restoration and Navigation Trust, Anzac Parade, Wanganui.

Council Meeting – Monday, June 25 (4.00pm) (Council Chamber)
- The Council will consider the reports from all Committee meetings held in June.

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.