A new working party, made up of elected members, Kaipara District Council (KDC) staff and input from external expert advice has been appointed to work on the new Engineering Standards for the district.

Council's Engineering Standards are a reference document to the Kaipara District Plan and were last updated in 2011. Any person undertaking infrastructure design or construction within the District uses the standards as the minimum technical requirements for designing, constructing, testing, and signing off the works as a means of compliance.

KDC staff have been preparing a new draft Engineering Standards to align with the District Plan. At the September briefing, Council discussed implementing a working party to help develop the standards and in the September Council Meeting, the working party was approved.

With the ongoing review of the District Plan, there is an opportunity to modernise the standards and also decide whether they will exist independently from the District Plan.

Mayor Craig Jepson will chair the working party, and along with Councillor Gordon Lambeth, Councillor Ron Manderson and Deputy Mayor Jonathan Larsen, will work with Kaipara District Council staff to update the set of Engineering Standards. An independent expert, yet to be appointed, will also sit on the working party to provide advice.

Kaipara District Council Mayor Craig Jepson says the formation of the party will help ensure the new engineering standards are an appropriate fit for the district.

“The elected members appointed to the working party today will be able to contribute their experience and expertise to nail down the standards and ensure they work for our Kaipara communities.”

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