Timaru District Council Delighted To Be Rated One Of The Best Local
Authorities In New Zealand

The Timaru District Council is delighted the just-released results of a nationwide survey show it is considered to be one of the top six local authorities in New Zealand.

Consumer Magazine undertook the survey in October last year. It sent questionnaires to 12,000 people, asking them to rate their local council in five areas: Household Services; Community Services; Community Facilities; Staff (attitude and availability) and Public Relations.

The Timaru District Council was one of just six local authorities to be rated above average¹ in all five categories.

Mayor Janie Annear says they are naturally very pleased with the result.

³What makes this survey special is that those who took part live in this area ¬ no one is more qualified to judge us than they are so this survey is a genuine pat on the back for the TDC,² says Janie Annear.

The survey also showed the Timaru District Council¹s rates were among the lowest in New Zealand.
³We work hard at keeping a close eye on expenditure so our rates remain at a reasonable level, I¹m pleased to know our efforts are paying off,² says Janie Annear.

Mayor Janie Annear says one of the more interesting results was that Timaru¹s parking wardens were rated the friendliest in the country. ³Parking wardens everywhere often get a bad rap ¬ it¹s definitely not an easy job to do from a public relations perspective, so our team should be proud of their friendly reputation,² says Janie Annear.

The Timaru District Council will now approach Consumer Magazine for a full copy of the survey results.

³While it¹s nice to be rated among the best, this survey does not mean we can rest on our laurels. We want to examine the results to see if there were any areas identified we can now improve on,² concluded Mayor Janie Annear.

Super-Wards: Commission Proposes New Boundaries For Auckland

The Local Government Commission presented its proposals on the boundaries and representation arrangements for the new Auckland Council today.

Under the Local Government (Auckland Council) Act 2009, the Commission is required to determine boundaries for the new Auckland Council, wards and local boards, ward and board names and the number of members per local board. More>>