The first meeting of the newly elected Westland District Council was held today, marking the start of a new triennium focused on service delivery, stronger planning and infrastructure investment, and rebuilding community trust.
Chief Executive Barbara Phillips welcomed Mayor Helen Lash, Councillors, staff, and members of the public, describing the new term as one of “real promise, responsibility, and momentum for transformational change.”
She said Council’s focus will be on delivering services for communities, investing wisely in infrastructure, and strengthening internal systems and support. This builds on the groundwork of the Setting Up for Success transformation programme initiated earlier this year.
Ms Phillips highlighted key priorities for the term, including financial stewardship and rates affordability, noting the need for every dollar of rates to deliver real value to the community. She pointed to aging core infrastructure as a critical challenge, saying Council must plan and fund projects that not only fix what’s broken but build for the future.
On water services, she reaffirmed Council’s commitment to the Local Waters Done Well process, supporting regional collaboration where appropriate while maintaining a strong local voice.
Ms Phillips also addressed the 2024–2025 Annual Report, noting that a combination of election timing and audit scheduling had created complexity and challenges in meeting statutory deadlines. As a result, the audit team will be unable to complete its review before the legislative adoption date of 30 October 2025.
This will mean the Council is technically in breach of the Local Government Act 2002, which requires annual reports to be adopted within four months of year-end. There are no financial penalties for the delay, but a note explaining the cause will be included in the Annual Report, and the Office of the Auditor-General will reference Westland District Council in its summary of councils adopting outside the required timeframe. The report is now scheduled for adoption at the 27 November Council meeting.
At the inaugural meeting, Councillors made their statutory declarations, Councillor Burden was appointed Deputy Mayor, and the Standing Orders, Code of Conduct, and relevant governance documents were adopted.
Mayor Helen Lash said the new Council is committed to working collaboratively and maintaining strong engagement with the community. “This is a chance to reset, rebuild trust, and continue the work of delivering real, tangible outcomes for Westland,” she said.
--ENDS-
For further information please contact:
Westland District Council:
Communications@westlanddc.govt.nz