Greater Wellington Regional Council

29 November 2016
Media Release

New Committee Chairs confirm commitment to region

It was business as usual at the first meeting post the earthquake of the newly elected Greater Wellington Regional Council, except that it took place in another council’s chamber.

At today’s meeting, held today in the Hutt City chamber, Chair Chris Laidlaw welcomed the support councillors and staff have shown to the region following the 14 November earthquake and subsequent challenges the region has faced.

“The council has worked hard and successfully to maintain service delivery to the community under exceptionally difficult circumstances. Now it faces some big challenges ahead especially around the job of building more resilience into the region’s basic infrastructure, ensuring the port becomes fully functional and our staff can return to their offices, as we start this new triennium.”

For the 2016-2019 triennium, council today agreed to change its previous structure and appoint two ‘committees of the whole’ which will consider matters related to the environment and sustainable transport.

The Environment Committee and Sustainable Transport Committees enable all councillors to participate and vote on issues.

“These are the committees where most of Greater Wellington’s big decisions are made” said Mr Laidlaw, “and it’s important that everybody is around the table and involved in decision-making”.

A number of additional committees will oversee work in more technical areas such as finance, audit and risk, and regional plan development.

Mr Laidlaw also noted that he wanted leadership roles to be spread more widely around the council. “I am a strong believer in collective leadership. It is healthier and more satisfying and we are blessed with an exceptional array of leadership skills this triennium.”

In addition, the council is required to chair a Regional Transport Committee and be part of a Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, which is a joint regional committee.

Council has also traditionally established a number of advisory groups which tap into community expertise to provide advice and recommendations to the council on matters such as land management and flood control.

The previous council resolved that the Ruamāhanga Whaitua Committee, Te Awarua-o-Porirua Whaitua Committee and the Wairarapa Water Use Project Governance Group would remain until their respective purposes and functions have been completed.

ENDS

Greater Wellington Regional Council
Committee structure - Chairs and Deputy Chairs:

Environment Committee (Committee of the whole)
Cr Kedgley (Chair)
Cr Brash (Deputy Chair)

Sustainable Transport Committee (Committee of the whole)
Cr Donaldson (Chair)
Cr Ponter (Deputy Chair)

Te Upoko Taiao – Natural Resource Management Committee
Cr Ponter (Co-Chair)

Finance, Risk and Assurance Committee
Cr Swain (Chair)

Regional Transport Committee
Cr Donaldson (Chair)
Cr Laidlaw (Deputy Chair)

Wellington Regional Strategy Committee
Cr Blakeley
Cr Laidlaw (alternate)

Chief Executive Employment Review Committee
Cr McKinnon (Chair)

Subcommittees:

Hutt Valley Flood Management Subcommittee
Cr Lamason (Chair)
Cr Laban (Deputy Chair)

Te Kāuru Upper Ruamahanga Floodplain Management Subcommittee
Cr Donaldson
Cr Staples

Joint Committees:

Civil Defence Emergency Management Group
Cr Laidlaw

Porirua Harbour and Catchment Joint Committee
Cr Donaldson

Wellington Water Committee
Cr Brash
Cr Ogden (alternate)

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