38 Figure 7. Waimakariri District (source
http://www.stats.govt.nz/Census/2006CensusHomePage/Boundary/BoundaryMap.aspx?id=200005 9&type=ta&ParentID=1000013)
The Waimakariri District is located to the north of the Waimakariri River in North
Canterbury, and spans around 225,000 hectares (Waimakariri District Council, 2012b). The district, which extends from Pegasus Bay in the east, to the Puketeraki Range in the west, borders on the south side of the Hurunui District. The two major urban centres are Rangiora and Kaiapoi (Waimakariri District Council, 2012b). There are also a number of other smaller towns, including Woodend and Oxford, as well as a number of villages and beach communities. The District is currently experiencing rapid growth in population from around 47,812 in 2011, to an expected 59,833 in 2021, which represents an increase of 26.4% (Council, 2012 p. 5). Much of this growth was predicted and planned for, but has been accelerated greatly as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes (Council, 2012 p. 5). The territorial local authority administering the area is the Waimakariri District Council, which is governed by a Mayor and ten elected Councillors. The Council organisation is headed by a Chief Executive whose responsibilities are to employ other staff on behalf of Council, implement Council decisions and provide advice to the Council (Waimakariri District Council, 2012a p. 4). Total operating expenditure on Council services is typically
39 deliver these services had an estimated net value of $993.8 million in June 2010 (Council, 2012 p. 4). To meet the extensive costs associated with recovering from the Canterbury earthquakes, Waimakariri District Council has announced in its latest ten year plan that it is planning its highest ever level of capital expenditure over the next few years, proposing to spend over $164 million on repairs, renewals and enhancements to existing facilities in 2013 (Council, 2012 p. 4). To fund this programme of work the Council has indicated its intent to significantly increase rates, as well as Council’s borrowing (Council, 2012 p. 4).
The Waimakariri District also uses a ward system to promote the interests of its
communities, represented by Community Boards which are open to the public to discuss Council and community-related matters (District, 2011 p. 7). There are four wards within Waimakariri, with three being represented by community boards and one by a ward advisory board. Kaiapoi, Rangiora and Woodend-Ashley Boards have six members elected by the community plus three Councillors appointed from each of the appropriate wards. The Oxford-Eyre ward has a ward advisory board which is appointed by the Council,
following a public nomination process. Each Community Board elects their own chairperson (District, 2011 p. 7).
The Waimakariri District Council states in its delegation manual that: “it is essential, in the interests of good management and effective administration, to encourage the delegation of decision making to the lowest competent level” (Waimakariri District Council, 2012a p. 2). The reasoning behind this is that it “will achieve best use of the abilities of elected
representatives and officers, minimise the cost of material, technical and financial resources, promote the development of effective managers and minimise bureaucratic interference in the daily affairs of the District’s residents” (Waimakariri District Council, 2012a p. 2). The Council holds a meeting every month to make decisions and set policies relating to the business of the Council. Much of the Council’s policy direction is set outside of these public meetings by a number of Standing Committees, which are made up of small groups of Elected Members who recommend actions to the Council, and make lower-lever delegated decisions (District, 2011 p. 9) The Council also monitors the performance of Council
40 Public participation and consultation is undertaken as per Schedule 1 of the RMA. The Council, in its governance statement, acknowledges the hapu and whanau of Ngai Tuahuriri as tangata whenua for the Waimakariri District, which links to Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu. The Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Te Ngai Tuahuriri Runanga in
December 2003, and has enacted a range of policies relating to Maori relationships with ancestral lands, water, sites, waahi tapu and other taonga (District, 2011 p. 22).
Integration between the Three Councils
The last two decades has seen an increasing shift towards regional and, in particular, sub- regional integration of strategic planning and management. A realisation that local authorities and other resource management stakeholders throughout Canterbury are dealing with the same issues, and involved in processes that immediately affect one another, has led to the establishment of a number of inter-agency working parties,
committees and groups who meet on a regular basis to discuss these challenges and come up with solutions (Environment Canterbury, 2013 p. 21). Examples include the Mayoral Forum, Nga Rūnanga, the Canterbury Regional Energy Forum, the Regional Affairs Committee, the Canterbury Regional Land Transport Strategy, the Regional Biodiversity Advisory Group, the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, and the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy Partners group. Multi-interest advisory groups such as these provide a valuable strategic input to planning and decision-making, and often make significant positive changes by allowing input and discourse between regional, city, and district councils, central government agencies, NGOs, and other
community stakeholders (Environment Canterbury, 2013 p. 21). This fosters a coordinated and cooperative approach, which recognises the importance of shared responsibility and working together to achieve the common goals of the strategy's vision (Environment Canterbury, 2013 p. 21). Environment Canterbury supports the establishment of groups such as these, which they state will help to ensure that region-wide and cross-boundary issues are addressed in a strategic and collaborative manner (Environment Canterbury, 2013 p. 21).
41 In relation to plans, there are many responsibilities relating to planning and consents for which both district and regional councils have functions under Sections 30 and 31 of the RMA, and this can cause friction, conflict, and duplication, as outlined in the example of Auckland. It seems that there may be clear benefits in the development of a combined district and regional plan under Section 80 of the RMA to better integrate regional and sub- regional issues within Greater Christchurch. Combined plans appear likely to more
effectively and efficiently resolve these issues by integrating the appropriate resource management outcomes and processes through the Schedule 1 process, thereby avoiding duplication and ensuring clear regional or sub-regional direction and voice.