The Council is offering help with the current maternity crisis at Wanganui Hospital to ensure full maternity services continue to be provided in Wanganui.

This follows the Whanganui District Health Board's decision to suspend gynaecological and obstetric services at Wanganui Hospital.

At its meeting this week, the Community Development Committee recommended:

That Mayor Michael Laws, Cr Rana Waitai and Cr Nicki Higgie meet with Whanganui DHB Chair Kate Joblin and DHB representatives to discuss how the Council can help with maternity services at Wanganui Hospital and bring a report to the Council meeting to be held on 11 August 2008

And that the Council enter negotiations with the DHB on the basis that Wanganui should have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week maternity service, including specialist care, delivered in Wanganui.

Mayor Michael Laws said the Council believes that attracting and retaining families is the key to Wanganui's economic survival and progress, but a city without maternity services cannot call itself a city.

"It is not a solution to birth Wanganui babies at Palmerston North. That option must be resisted. It actively discriminates against the poorer members of our community, and imposes significant burdens upon families."

The Council will hold a retreat for elected representatives and senior staff on Saturday, July 26.

The main focus of the retreat is to give a clear indication to Council staff as to the framework and priorities for the 10-Year Plan 2009-19. This will be our third long-term council community plan (as required by the Local Government Act 2002) and is a planning exercise required every three years.

Our mission – to create a family-friendly community

The Council has informally accepted that attracting and retaining working families is the fundamental key to Wanganui's survival and prosperity.

The Council's finances: can we sustain the current system?

The Shand Report provided no solutions to local government's financial woes, nor to the imposition of central government responsibilities and their associated cost.

Indeed the Shand Report suggested more active use of debt as a means to creating or maintaining infrastructure.

This Council Retreat will test the financial models that we are currently using and whether they are financially sustainable.

It may be that the major infrastructural works have already overburdened our capacity to pay. It may well be that we are using debt inappropriately or running additional risks (for example, through Wanganui Holdings) that need to be better managed.

It may also be that the size of Council needs to be reduced and/or Council services reduced, and that we are also maintaining an expensive social infrastructure that cannot be sustained under the current rates system.

The Wanganui District Council is working with the Wanganui Resene PaintWise Programme. Wanganui residents can return unwanted paint (no solvents accepted) and paint packaging to the Resene Colour Shop. It is then mixed into varying shades of grey paint. Resene donates the resulting good quality waterborne Resene paint to community groups in Wanganui.

Residents can return up to 10 packs of any brand of paint free of charge.

Where: Resene Colour Shop, 17 Wilson Street, Wanganui; phone 348 0048
When: Deliver it on the last Friday of every month
Time: Between 2.00pm and 4.00pm

Diary these dates
Friday, 25 July 2008
Friday, 29 August 2008
Friday, 26 September 2008
Friday, 31 October 2008

You can also help by reporting graffiti as and when it happens! Telephone the Graffiti Hotline 349 0500 for removal of graffiti in highly visible areas of Wanganui.

Community organisations working within the Wanganui District are advised that applications for Community Contracts for the 2008/2009 financial year (July 1-June 30) are now invited.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 11 August 2008, at 5.00pm.

The Community Contracts programme provides funding to community organisations which provide service initiatives that:

• Support the 10-Year Plan
• Provide depth of value and benefit to the wider Wanganui community
• Increase community capacity in the Wanganui community

There is $80,000 of contestable funding available for the 2008/2009 year. Please note that the Community Contracts Fund is separate from the Impact Fund which supports initiatives that attract visitors and deliver a significant economic impact to Wanganui, and deliver sustainable programmes that raise the national profile of Wanganui.

Community organisations interested in Community Contract funding can obtain a specific application form, explanation notes, guidelines and criteria at:

• Wanganui District Council Office, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui
• Community House, 53A Ridgway Street, Wanganui
• Wanganui District Library (Central City @ Queens Park, Mobile Library) www.wanganuilibrary.com

Thinking of applying?

Thinking of applying and not sure you meet the criteria? Please contact Keith Smith or Marion Gibbard at the Council, phone 349 0001, for further information.

Vacancies

Details of the following vacancies are available on this page:

Animal Control Officer
Applications close 25 July 2008

Information Services Manager
Applications close 27 July 2008

HR Administrator
Applications close 31 July 2008

Senior Water/Wastewater Engineer
Applications close 8 August 2008

The Wanganui District Council is proposing to amend the Wanganui District Council Bylaw 2005/1 to include a variable 40kph speed limit on Mosston Road between Tayforth Road and Buxton Road to operate during student arrival and departure times to provide a safer environment for schoolchildren.

We welcome your comments on the proposed amendment to the Speed Limit Bylaw. A Statement of Proposal and a submission form are available at the Council's Customer Services Desk.

You can make a submission by completing a submission form or you can make a verbal submission by phoning us on (06) 349 0001 (8.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday).

If you have any queries, you can contact the Council on (06) 349 0001 or email us.

Submissions must reach the Wanganui District Council no later than 5.00pm on Friday, 29 August 2008.

The proposal is that Wanganui District Council becomes a shareholder in a Manawatu-Wanganui region Local Authority Shared Services CCO and that the form of the CCO is a limited liability company.

There will be seven shareholders, with a director from each local authority and up to three professional directors to supplement the expertise of the chief executives and the local authority directors. The councils involved are Horowhenua District Council, Manawatu District Council, Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council (Horizons), Rangitikei District Council, Ruapehu District Council, Tararua District Council and Wanganui District Council.

A Statement of Proposal, a Summary of the information and the proposal are available from the Customer Services Desk at the Wanganui District Council Municipal Building, 101 Guyton Street, and also at the District Library, Queens Park, during normal opening hours; and on this page.

Submissions are invited on the proposal.

Submissions may be made on the submission form available from the Customer Services Desk at the Wanganui District Council or the District Library, Queens Park.

Post submissions to:
Proposal to establish a Council Controlled Organisation
Wanganui District Council
PO Box 637
Wanganui

Or deliver to:
Customer Service Desk
Wanganui District Council
101 Guyton Street
Wanganui

Fax to: (06) 349 0000
Or email us

Submissions close at 5.00pm on Friday, 22 August 2008.

On 19 May 2008, the Wanganui District Council approved the Draft Sarjeant Gallery Collections Policy 2008–2011.

The Council now invites the public to provide feedback on the draft policy.

Consultation
Copies of the Sarjeant Gallery Collections Policy 2008–2011 and submission forms are available for public inspection, during normal working hours, at the Customer Service Desk at the Wanganui District Council, 101 Guyton Street, the District Library, Queens Park, and the Sarjeant Gallery, Queens Park.

The consultation period will be from 12 June to 1 August 2008.

Submissions are welcomed and should be addressed to:
Sarjeant Gallery Collections Policy
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.

Submissions close at 5pm on Friday, 1 August 2008.

If you have any queries or require further information, please contact Pete Gray, Deputy Community & Cultural Manager, at the District Council, telephone (06) 349 0001 or email Pete Gray.

We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings

Council – Tuesday, July 29
- Setting of rates for the year commencing 1 July 2008 and ending 30 June 2009.

Finance and Infrastructure – Tuesday, July 29 (3.15pm immediately following Council meeting)

Council – Monday, August 11
The Council will consider reports from all Committee meetings held in July.

Hearings – Thursday, August 14 (Committee Room 2) – to be confirmed

Unless otherwise noted, meetings are held in the Council Chamber, 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.