Endorsement
The Wellington Regional Strategy received a near unanimous endorsement at a meeting of the WRS Interim Committee meeting on 30 January 2007.
The WRS Hearings Committee had made a series of recommendations based on 440 public submissions and a survey of 2000 residents and businesses. Hearings Committee Chairman, Ian Buchanan, said the submissions process was about improving the strategy and that is exactly what has been achieved.
“We received a number of excellent submissions and will have a better strategy as a result. The importance of environmental, social and cultural improvement, as well as economic, was a theme that came through strongly. The process had also plugged a number of gaps. The importance of the region’s rural economy was strongly put and the strategy has been amended accordingly,” says Mr Buchanan.
Adoption
On 22 February, the Greater Wellington Regional Council voted 10-2 to adopt the Wellington Regional Strategy.
Councillor Wilde spoke strongly in support of the strategy. “We need to acknowledge that we’re barely a blip on the radar in global terms and there’s no way we’ll compete internationally unless we take a region-wide approach. We can debate things like governance till the cows come home. This structure, which effectively has the regional council hosting the strategy, is a good mix of political accountability and private sector expertise,” she says.
Upper Hutt City Council signalled that they would submit the matter to mediation under ‘section 16’ of the Local Government Act with regard to funding and governance of the Strategy.
WRS Committee 1st Meeting
The first meeting of the WRS Committee was held on 6 March 2007. The Committee appointed Sir John Anderson as Chairman and Ian Buchanan as Deputy Chair. Process steps were agreed for the establishment of the new regional Economic Development Agency (EDA). It was noted that Upper Hutt City Council had referred the proposal that GWRC act as ‘keeper’ of the WRS to mediation under section 16 of the Local Government Act and that process will now be followed through. It is envisaged that there will be a result by the end of June 2007.
A document was distributed to the Committee to update members on the status of WRS related initiatives and undertakings, and to identify the matters for the Committee’s consideration over the coming months.
What happens next
Upper Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council will meet to work through the outstanding issues with the governance and funding proposal for the WRS, with the assistance of a mediator.
At the Greater Wellington Regional Council meeting, scheduled for 13 March, approval will be sort for the establishment of the regional EDA and the appointment of the board members for the interim period while a permanent board is sought.
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