​Congratulations to our new council

Congratulations to our new council, welcomed at a pōhiri at the Ōpōtiki RSA and sworn in at the inaugural meeting in Council Chambers on Tuesday 28 October.

Newly (re)sworn Mayor, David Moore, said that there was an excellent turnout and great speeches at the pōhiri.

“The pōhiri is a very proud moment for our new and returning councillors and there were thoughtful and powerful speeches, setting expectations and challenging us to hold firm to our roles as elected representatives around the council table.

“It was a very special day and I’d like to thank Stace [Chief Executive Officer] and the team at council who put so much effort into making the day a great success. It was also great to see the young people there from Te Kura o Kutarere and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Waioweka watching council in action,” Mayor Moore said.

At the inaugural meeting, each member was sworn in, with the mayor receiving his chains of office from Council’s Executive Assistant and Governance Lead, Gae Finlay.

Mayor Moore appointed his deputy, Maude Maxwell, councillor from the new Ōpōtiki Māori Ward.

The Coast Community Board also elected its Chair, Pāpā Wharewera and Deputy Chair Gaylene Dudek.

This special event marked a very proud day for the community, and the elected representatives and council thank all those involved in making it a success.