On the 28th July 2010, the Whangarei District Council has approved the installation of Smokefree signs on all Sports Parks, Playgrounds and Neighbourhood Parks, but the Northland Health Board who are in charge of the Hospital and who had encouraged the Council to install the signs... still doesn't enforce the Hospital grounds to be Smoke free.

Something sounds wrong there?  Great work WDC for showing how to lead the way.

Summing up the events of the meeting today:

Council has confirmed that their debt is $137 million as of the end of June 2010.  "WOW!!!"

The CEO of the Council has admitted that council's Trade Waste charges maybe too high and that they may have been a bit to eager to charge businesses too soon.  "AMAZING!"

On Wednesday there is an agenda item that is coming to council, where it is recommended that the On-license and Off-license hours are changed.

Proposed New On-license hours for Premises next to residential areas:

Monday - Thursday               8am to 11pm

Friday - Saturday                   8am to 1am following day with a One Way door policy till 3am

Sunday                                   8am to 11pm

Proposed New On-license hours for Premises Isolated from residential areas:

Monday - Sunday                   8am to 1pm

Submissions for the Liquor Licensing Policy were heard today (21^st July 2010).  Good turnout with 13 groups being heard.

The day started with Beverley Gaily from the Growers Markets, informing the councillors how a typical day on Saturday morning starts with trying to wake up drunks or trying to get people to move their cars from the carpark so that they can setup.

It has been commented to me that the Whangarei District Council is selling the Districts Silver (land) to pay for a new harbour crossing?

Facts so far...

Council has set up a Property committee (2 councillors and the Mayor) to decide on which properties could be sold.  Land that has no further perceived value to the District.

Council will be getting a premium for the properties that they decided to sell. It is estimated that it will be 30% more than GV or recent valuation.

Congratulations to all the Drivers of the Rally of Whangarei.

The Rally was a great success with a great push into Whangarei's economy.

The Lion's Family fun day on the Saturday was amazing with hundreds of people turnng up and much money raised by the Lion's clubs for their community projects.

A class act and great to see everyone getting in behind another Whangarei event.

Vince Cocurullo

last weekend, we had construction work happening at the intersection of State Highway 1 and 14, and then further up the road on other days.

Now construction work as a whole on the State Highway is usally good, and sometimes can be very messy, with trying to get around traffic. So it is usally best for the construction work to happen at night when they are not going to interfer in the traffic flows...

However, you would also think that construction workers, who will be making lots of noise would at least contact the surrounding neighbours, just to let them know...

A survey of over 400 voters, completed by Cr MacLachlan highlights some rather interesting facts.

Firstly, if the public were to choose between; another harbour crossing, Spill free sewerage system and improving city traffic flows, the order of importance would be...

1/ Spill Free Sewerage System (being the most important)

2/ Improved City Traffic Flows

3/ Harbour Crossing (being least important)

The 12th of May 2010 is the start of Annual Plan Submissions for the Whangarei District Council; with approximately 21 submitters today, many held a similar tone.

There were some who implied that Council was not listening to the public or to the people, and others that stated of their wish lists or their wish not lists, with the Whangarei's fourth harbour crossing seeming to come up from time to time.

Zelka Grammer representing "GE Free Northland” praised both the Councillors and the Council staff for their reinforced stance on a GE Free Northland.