Panui - Council Newsletter
Issue 92 - January 2023
Happy New Year! I hope that like me you are taking this opportunity to enjoy a relaxing summer holiday here in the district or further afield. I have certainly enjoyed a few spots of better weather to finally get in some fishing time on the boat!
This is my first chance to write a mayoral column for this Pānui and I want to start it with a thank you to everyone who voted in last year’s elections and the trust placed in me and your fellow councillors to do the best for the whole community in our elected roles.
I have picked up the mayoral reins at a very exciting time for the district. We are in the unique position of having come through covid with positive growth in many areas. We have opened new facilities, paved new footpaths, built playgrounds and can see the future of our harbour very clearly on our doorstep.
We have much more work still to do to make sure our district thrives and makes the most of these opportunities we have created. I have committed to listening at every opportunity, thinking long term and being transparent in our processes and decisions. I encourage you to hold us all to that!
I look forward to a safe, happy and productive 2023.
David Moore – Ōpōtiki Mayor
Harbour update
The harbour project team made great progress over the past year and are on track to have the river flowing completely between the two seawalls around September / October this year.
Pakihikura was open to boaties over the busy holiday period and the team is now back at work to continue dredging the river mouth. Boaties will need to use the designated channel over the coming months and please continue to keep clear of Hinewai and the work areas.
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Last year, HEB Construction and Charlie Seymour delivered a 2-tonne hanbar unit to 20 local kura. Resene supplied paint and the kura were invited to paint their hanbar in their own designs and colours. To date, about 16 completed designs have been collected and returned to the site and they look amazing! These will be placed in a few strategic locations when works are finished, for example at access points, on the harbour walls or near parking.
Summer Festival 2022/23
Our events team are again delivering and supporting an outstanding collection of whānau-friendly events for an action-packed summer!
Each year, thousands of locals and visitors alike enjoy activities like the Gourmet Food Market, the Ōpōtiki Rodeo, fishing competitions, outdoor movies, live music, and popular beach games and races.
If you haven’t already been making the most of these events, it is not too late! There are still O-mazing activities including events for musiclovers, beach-lovers and fish-lovers. And don’t forget the hugely popular Ōpōtiki Lantern Festival and O-Mazing Race. Grab a full calendar of events at the i-SITE or online.
The weather has been a bit disruptive this year, so keep up to date with latest news on the Opotiki NZ
Facebook page.

Farewells and new faces
Following the local government elections last October, we said farewell to the former mayor and several long-serving councillors and community board members: Lyn Riesterer, Debi Hocart, Louis Rāpihana and Gail Keepa. We would like to thank them for their service over many years and all they have achieved for their constituents.
We have also welcomed several new councillors, community board members and, of course, a new mayor.
The new council were sworn in in October and are already out and about working for the community. Welcome to all our new councillors, new mayor and deputy mayor.
Left to right: Councillor Steve Nelson, Councillor Barry Howe, Councillor Maxie Kemara, Mayor David Moore, Councillor Tom Brooks, Councillor Shona Browne, Councillor Dean Petersen
Council’s new CEO
Stace Lewer has been appointed to the role of Chief Executive of Ōpōtiki District Council.
Stace has been with council for a couple of years as the Engineering and Services Group Manager, so knows council, staff and elected representatives well.
We have also said a fond farewell to our interim chief executive, Miles McConway. Miles provided a steady hand at the helm through last year’s elections and the recruitment process for the new CEO. Miles will return to Christchurch to be closer to family and his work for other councils around the country.

Local government is changing
Big changes are coming for local government and you can add your say to how you want it to look in the future.
The Future for Local Democracy Review Panel have shared their draft report and it includes many ideas to help reverse the trends for low voter turnout and a lack of diversity around council tables.
Lots of options are being considered, for example allowing 16-year-olds to vote, moving to four-year terms for elected representatives, and using a Single Transferable Vote system. It is an exciting opportunity to help shape local democracy for future generations.
Thanks to our cadets
With co-funding from the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs, last year Council employed its first group of five cadets in a wide range of areas including engineering, planning and gardening. The trial was a great success; four will continue employment with council and one took an engineering apprenticeship with HEB. We’d love to repeat this success again in 2023 so keep an eye out for more details about our cadet programme soon.
Image: Council CEO Stace Lewer congratulates Rhiannon Taiapa-Kelly on securing a full-time position with council following her cadetship.
In brief
Our grocery voucher competition was a real success with dozens of people signing up to pay through direct debit. It is a great tool to set and forget – on a day that suits you, no worries about penalties or due dates, and you can spread the cost over the whole year. We had two (very happy!) winners of the $300 grocery vouchers - congratulations to Alan and Robert on their wins. Of course, you don’t need a competition to sign up to direct debit, you can find out more at our service centre or online.
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Keep an eye out for a chance to have you say about changes to speed limits near our kura and schools in the district. Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency has recently consulted on proposed speed changes around kura and marae on the state highway network and council will be doing the same in the coming months.
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If you are on a small community or maraebased drinking water scheme (not a council-run system) then a new government fund could help you upgrade equipment and get training to use it. The new fund covers private drinking water suppliers, papakāinga and kōhanga reo not on the town supply. There are a number of other factors to take into consideration and there is more information on the Crown Infrastructure Partners website.
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Council recently secured $214,000 from central government’s Freedom Camping Transition Fund to help manage freedom camping in the district over the busy summer holiday period. Council takes an ‘education first’ approach to enforcement and this funding will help with monitoring, compliance and education programs at each of our freedom camping sites.
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Council has signed off on a new committee structure for this triennium. Two committees remain the same (the Risk and Assurance Committee and the Regulatory Appeals Committee) and three new committees that will make recommendations to full council: Strategy, Planning and Regulatory Committee, Performance and Delivery Committee and Chief Executives Performance Committee. You can read more about these new committees on our website.
Keep up with the news or follow us on Facebook @OpotikiDistrictCouncil
Download issues here:
- Issue 92 - January 2023 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF
- Issue 91 - October 2022 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF
- Issue 90 - July 2022 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF
- Issue 89 - April 2022 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 984KB
- Issue 88 - January 2022 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 797 KB
- Issue 87 - October 2021 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 775 KB
- Issue 86 - July 2021 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 747KB
- Issue 85 - April 2021 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 989KB
- Issue 84 - January 2021 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 1MB
- Issue 83 - October 2020 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 674KB
- Issue 82 - July 2020 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 754.6KB
- Issue 81 - April 2020 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 761KB
- Issue 80 - January 2020 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 695KB
- Issue 79 - October 2019 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 609KB
- Issue 78 - July 2019 - Council Panui Newsletter PDF 7.3MB
- Issue 77 - April 2019 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 898KB
- Issue 76 - January 2019 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 1MB
- Issue 75 - October 2018 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 723KB
- Issue 74 - July 2018 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 794KB
- Issue 73 - April 2018 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 1MB
- Issue 72 - January 2018 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 661KB
- Issue 71 - October 2017 - Panui Council Newsletter PDF 628KB