Ange Holt
Congratulations to Dale-Maree Morgan on becoming the new Māori Ward councillor for Waipā. All the very best Dale-Maree. Our Community Board looks forward to working with you.
Possibly the topical item on our agenda this month is the motion regarding fluoridation. Authors of a six-year review say fluoride exposure can lower the IQ of our babies.
On Monday June 12 there were legal review proceedings filed by New Health New Zealand against the Director General of Health’s directives to 14 local councils to fluoridate parts of their water supplies.
Board member Kane Titchener is wanting to see a motion moved for Waipā District Council to consider joining the legal review against the Director General, that we support a remit that is being made to the Community Board Executive Committee by Region 2 and that council investigates the National Toxicology Fluoride Report and holds some community consultation to get feedback.
Kane Titchener
For those of you living in Kihikihi the question of cul-de sacs or not is on your doorstep. Submissions have opened and these will close at 5pm on July 13. The streets affected are Bryce St, Grey St, Rolleston St – south end, Moule St, Hall St – north end and Whitaker Street north.
Based on feedback received to date my question is will this push more traffic down past the school (Whitmore Street) and Herbert Street (which I have been told is already a racer track)? I also question the amount of traffic in this area that crosses the proposed cycleway. Could we not just have speed reducing measures like a platform raised crossing?
We also have the Public Places Bylaw Submissions due soon. This includes things like parking, signage, parks and reserves and the big one for us, boy racers on rural roads. The proposed by law change here will provide the police with the ability to take stronger action against this group who are being very disrespectful to other road users and costing us, the rate payers more money through the damage to signs etc. If you want to make a submission, get that back to council by July 16 or let one of the community board members know your views.
The board is very keen to support the recommendations made by the Who Are We Te Awamutu Working Group including a tidy up of the main street. There is no project budget available to do any major work but we are keen to see a good clean of the footpaths, street furniture and removal of the pots. We are working alongside the retailer group to get their feedback as well so any ideas they have can be made to get a freshen up underway.
I have noted that there are many places around town where moss and weeds are growing through the paving, so we are requesting a level of service to check the frequency of spraying, weeding and cleaning and to also ask that these sites get some love and attention. The median strips down around the Cambridge roundabout are of particular concern.
Please feel free to join us for our monthly meetings either in person at the Council Chambers or online. Next meeting will be August 23 – we do not have a July meeting.
