Waipa District Council under threat of injunction

Waipa District Council will be facing citizens initiated injunctions if referendums for the Te Awamutu Events Center and water reforms do not proceed according to Gavin Cooper.

The threats of injunction comes after a Council decision over a referendum in which various Councillors showed their total contempt for public opinion. Council declined the proposed referendum basing its decision around the public consultation process of the Annual Plan.

However according to Waipa Local Democracy, the proposals in the Annual Plan are dramatically different to the proposals now being faced by the community. If the public is not permitted to vote for the issues by way of referendum then injunctions have to be placed on Council until the referendum process has been completed or the following Annual Plan process.

"Council's own legal advisors have suggested that there is a need to go back to the people if the plans have changed from those made in the Annual plan," Gavin Cooper said. "The plans now on the table are different from those in the Annual Plan and therefore the people must be consulted."

"Council is running scared of a referendum. They know that if they had one, the public would say no, just as the public indicated at the last Annual Plan with a majority being against the Te Awamutu Events Center." "The ball is now in the hands of the Waipa District Council. Does the public get to choose, or do we place an injunction upon Council?"

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