Home - Minutes - 27 October 06

Notes from Referendum Working Party held 27 October 2005 at 4.00pm

Present: Mayor Michael Laws, Crs Dot McKinnon, Don McGregor and Sue Westwood, Ian McGowan, Kevin Ross, Stuart Hylton, Helen Lawrence, Noeline Moosman, Jay Paterson and Greg Tichbon. Minutes: Helen Couper.

Apology: Cr Murray Hughes.

Noeline Moosman tabled draft voting papers. Grey District Council’s water fluoride referendum was tabled – this was a binding referendum – vote for one proposal, for or against. A memo from Rosemary Hovey regarding the ‘h’ was tabled.

The following points were raised:

  • Department of Internal Affairs guidelines queried - must be careful, Section 77 very strict in formatting of voting documents.
  • Need to obtain more advice from Internal Affairs
  • Questions confusing as they are not separate questions
  • If by-election attached Council cannot set its own rules – governed by Local Electoral Act 2001
  • This is a non-binding referendum
  • Questions should be across whole page, not have the page split in Section A and Section B as draft voting paper.

– vote ‘for’ on one line

– vote ‘against’ on one line

– put subject heading above each set of questions – check it can be legally done.

  • Should be 4 pages

– Page 1 – voting instructions

– Page 2 – urban/rural electoral wards

– Page 3 – referendum choices

– Page 4 – how to return paper to Council or what to do with paper after voting

  • May be too may pages to collate inhouse as includes booklet and reply paid envelope
  • Could use Datamail if too much to collate inhouse
  • Need draft voting paper that is acceptable to Working Party – 4 pages with more clarity

Order of questions:

    • Spelling of Wanganui
    • Water Softening
    • Fluoridation
    • Size of Council
    • Abolition of urban/rural wards

Questions:

I vote for Wanganui to be spelt with an ‘h’ and therefore read Whanganui.

I vote for Wanganui to be spelt as it is currently spelt.

I vote for the Council to investigate softening of Wanganui’s water supply.

I vote against the Council investigating softening of Wanganui’s water supply.

I vote for Wanganui’s urban water supply, including Westmere, to be fluoridated.

I vote against Wanganui’s urban water supply to be fluoridated.

I vote for the Wanganui District Council’s Councillor numbers to be reduced.

I do not vote for the Wanganui District Council’s Councillor numbers to be reduced.

I vote for rural and urban wards to be disestablished in favour of one district wide ward.

I vote against rural and urban wards to be disestablished in favour of one district wide ward.

Further points discussed:

  • 25 November 2005 – Nominations open/preliminary roll open for inspection
  • 23 December 2005 – Nominations close (12 noon)/roll closes
  • Above dates need to be included in every ‘Community Link’ from now
  • May need to do costings if mail not able to be done inhouse
  • Website launch date and Referendum ’06 launch date for next Working Party meeting
  • Referendum Working Party notes to be put on website
  • Distribute Referendum Working Party notes to all Councillors and Management Team (including previous meeting)
  • Leave Referendum ’05 to remain on homepage

Helen Lawrence tabled the Draft Referendum ’06 publicity/information

Matters discussed:

Fluoridation

  • Need to ensure we have advocate ‘for’ and ‘against’ – be quite clear.
  • Need to merge Patrick O’Connor and Ministry of Health options – speak with Patrick O’Connor regarding information
  • Suggested Nigel Brooks needs to represent a group
  • Helen Lawrence must ask people to justify their statements
  • Need to say ‘tooth decay’, not ‘caries’.
  • Suggested need introduction saying what fluoride is
  • Cost of fluoridation – will Government pay
  • Urban water would be fluoridated at reservoir and Aramoho

Water softening

  • Julian Reweti reported review of costs completed
  • Need to revamp words
  • Suggested rather than pros and cons, list facts and options.

Size of Council

  • Suggestion made that Councillors do a lot of work and if reduced in number to 8, may result in more work for officers.
  • Arguments both ways – need to state current situation.
  • Local Government Commission – may not necessarily lead to cost savings – these are the arguments for status quo.
  • Need to change ‘would’ to ‘may’.

Abolishment of Urban/Rural Wards

  • Under either of these options a Rural Community Board could be retained
  • Mayor Laws to draft this topic

Further discussion:

  • Name, water and representation all need introductory paragraph on why doing referendum on these. Then put specific issues.
  • Need to add more to John Maihi’s advice
  • Need information on website in two weeks time
  • Hoardings to be erected as soon as website launched

Next meeting – 4.00pm on Monday, 7 November 2005, in Committee Room 2

 

Home || Introduction || Working Party|| Referendum '06 : The Topics

Wanganui District Council Web site