Latest news with #DanGordon
Otago Daily Times
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Dan Gordon running for mayor again
Dan Gordon is seeking re-election as Waimakariri mayor in the October local body elections. Gordon said it was an easy decision to make. He says he leads a hard-working council and is totally committed to the many challenges a rapidly growing district like Waimakariri faces. ''I love the job,'' says Gordon. ''I enjoy being involved, and constantly meeting with many wonderful people who do so much for their communities. ''It is a truly great region to live in,'' he says. Gordon took a leading role nationally during the Three Waters debate, becoming co-chair of Communities 4 Local Democracy, a group of 31 councils strongly opposed to the then Government's actions. He says the group through its outstanding leadership, helped save the council's water assets and ensured they remained in local control. In addition to his local Council leadership, Gordon advocates for Waimakariri nationally as Chair of Zone 5 for Local Government New Zealand, a zone which includes all the South Island except Otago and Southland. He is also on the National Council of Local Government New Zealand. He was voted New Zealand's most popular Mayor in the 2024 Taxpayers Union poll, and he achieved second place this year. In spite of years of high inflation and rapidly rising costs, Waimakariri's rate increases have consistently been among the lowest in New Zealand, Gordon says. ''This year's 4.98% rate increase is one of the lowest in Canterbury.'' He says the council is in a strong financial position and continues to invest in the community while paying down loans for big ticket items such as MainPower Stadium and earthquake recovery projects. ''There is still lots to do,'' Gordon says. ''We need to support our population growth, so that Waimakariri continues to be a great place to live. ''Measures to support this growth include the Government's new Woodend bypass, the need for the proposed Eastern Link bypass road to relieve Southbrook traffic congestion, upgrading Flaxton road linkages and the replacement of Skew Bridge, a key link road to Kaiapoi. ''It is also important to me to continue carefully developing Kaiapoi's regeneration areas, damaged due to the earthquakes, so the town remains vibrant and thriving.'' Gordon says he has ''led the council's efforts in advocating for, and supporting Waimakariri, to secure a vital after-hours medical facility at the Rangiora Health Hub. ''This project had stalled until the council stepped into ensure that this much needed district facility got back on track. ''I am always available, inclusive, and attend as many community events as possible. ''We have a great area to live and work in. We have an excellent council, great staff, and hardworking councillors and community board members. ''I want to continue to be part of this, so standing again was an easy decision. There is still more work for us to do.''
Scoop
28-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Waimakariri Remains On Track For Rate Rise Under 5%
Supporting growth by investing in infrastructure is the focus of Waimakariri District Council's annual plan, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon says. The council resumed its deliberations on its 2025/26 annual plan on Tuesday morning, May 27, with staff recommending to councillors to stick with the proposed average rate rise of 4.98 percent. Mr Gordon backed the call and said the draft annual plan was in line with central Government direction, focusing on delivering local infrastructure, core services and ''a responsible rates increase''. The council received 787 submissions, with the bulk being on the council's proposed waters services model, designed to meet the requirements of the Government's Local Water Done Well legislation. ''Residents told us they were happy with the direction we've proposed, specifically supporting investing in our infrastructure as Waimakariri grows and demand for service increase.'' The council has proposed beefing up its own internal business unit to manage water services, despite calls from its northern neighbours, Hurunui and Kaikōura, to join a North Canterbury water services council controlled organisation. Around 97% of submissions supported going it alone on managing water services. ''This support has vindicated the strong stance and time we have spent advocating for better Three Waters Reform that respected local property rights and had assets remain in the hands of the communities that paid for them,'' Mr Gordon said. Staff recommended minor changes to the budget following submissions, including grants of $10,000 to the Rangiora Bowling Club, $3500 to the Waimakariri Public Arts Trust and $8500 to the Ohoka Domain Advisory Board. Changes to KiwiSaver, announced by the Government in last week's Budget, will also have a small impact on the council. The council's finance and business support general manager Nicole Robinson said the changes could be absorbed in the budget, without increasing rates. She said the council planned to spend $89.6m on capital projects over the next 12 months. The Waimakariri district was continuing to experience growth, with 743 consents for new houses issued in the 2024 calendar year, but the council continued to operate in an uncertain economic environment, she said. Inflation has improved, with Consumer Price Index inflation now estimated at 2.2% and the Local Government Cost Index inflation, which impacted on the council, now at 3.3%. Interest rates have also dropped, with the Reserve Bank's Official Cash Rate now 3.5%, down from 4.25% earlier in the year. The council's interest rate from the Local Government Funding Agency is now 3.48%. Deliberations were set to continue this afternoon, with a reserve day planned for tomorrow (Wednesday) if required. The council is due to meet again on June 17 to adopt the 2025/26 annual plan. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Old Rangiora police station site being turned into car park
The hassle of finding a vacant parking spot around the Rangiora Town Hall will soon be eased. Work has started on 57 new car parks where the Rangiora police station once stood. The Waimakariri District Council expects work to be completed by mid-July. Mayor Dan Gordon says he knows a lot of locals are looking forward to the new parking spot opening. He says it will be a great asset for the community, providing day parking, as well as good parking for future town hall events and movie-goers. ''The new parks will be free and for three hours, so there's plenty of time for movie-goers and visitors to the town centre.'' The district council purchased the site in July 2024, which sits next to the town hall. The former police headquarters building was closed in 2019 to undergo seismic strengthening. Investigations showed the building was irreparable and in 2021 police deemed it surplus to needs. The council called the purchase a 'strategic, long-term purchase'. Gordon says properties like this seldomly come up and the council decided to act to protect the space around the town hall and put in place a plan that will make the best use of this great space and increase our in-demand parking supply. ''When we put together the Rangiora Town Centre Strategy, locals and business owners told us they wanted to see Rangiora remain inviting, attractive, have good parking, and be a pleasant and vibrant place for people to shop.'' The construction of the car park is being done by EDR Contracting, which will also install 240m of new drainage and 450m of new kerbing, along with new street lighting and bike parking. Gordon says the car park will allow for both growth in population and demand for commercial and community spaces in the township as the Waimakariri district nears 100,000 residents by 2050. During demolition, contractors Scope managed to take over 94.77% of the material removed from the building and recycle it. The most impressive feat was removing structural components from the building including the brick and concrete, processing them through crushing and sorting and reusing them as a suitable material for the base layers for the car park, while achieving comparable testing results to standard quarry materials. Gordon says he is exceptionally proud of the contractors. ''The amount they've been able to reuse is quite frankly astounding. It goes to show how much material can be reused and recycled.'' The contractors also managed to undertake all the work without impacting Rangiora Borough School, or the town hall and other nearby businesses.
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Waimakariri Mayor Weighs Up Fast-track Rules
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has been coming to grips with how the Fast-track Approvals Act will work. May 14, 2025 Waimakariri's mayor hopes the council won't be blindsided by future fast-track projects. Mayor Dan Gordon said the Waimakariri District Council now has a better understanding of how the new Fast-track Approvals Act will work. Councillors recently received a briefing from staff to better understand how the new legislation will work and how the council will be involved in the consideration of local projects. Mr Gordon said the fast-track legislation should be for major projects like the Woodend Bypass, which is also among the 149 projects included in the new legislation, and not for local housing developments. He has previously expressed his frustration at the inclusion of three proposed Waimakariri housing developments in the new legislation, which was passed last year. The council was not consulted before the inclusion of the three developments, which are already being considered as part of the Waimakariri District Plan review. A private plan change for a proposed 850 home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, was rejected by the council in November 2023, but it was included in the legislation. Mr Gordon said the council supports the legislation in principle, as a means of speeding up the planning process. But it was critical it did not undermine the role local government or ''the integrity'' of a council's District Plan process, he said. ''Where a decision has already been made through our local planning process, that application should not be reconsidered through the fast-track legislation. ''Councils must not lose their decision-making powers in this space. ''Local authorities understand their districts and cities better than anyone, and our communities rightly expect us to make informed, resolute decisions on their behalf.'' Under the legislation, councils will be able to give feedback on new applications before it is lodged, during consultation and provide feedback on any draft conditions. The Waimakariri District Council will be able to appoint a representative to sit on the expert panel, which will consider an application. Mr Gordon said the council's representative will ''almost always be an elected member''. Council staff, the mayor, the district planning and regulation committee chair and the chief executive will all give input to any council submission, he said. ''This collaborative approach is essential to ensure that our community's voice remains central in shaping local development. ''In practice, if there is time, I would convene the council to come together or we will have a Zoom call to understand the council's position. ''But we haven't been in this process before, so it is going to be new for all of us.'' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Scoop
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Waimakariri Mayor Weighs Up Fast-track Rules
Article – David Hill – Local Democracy Reporter Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon has been coming to grips with how the Fast-track Approvals Act will work. May 14, 2025 Waimakariri's mayor hopes the council won't be blindsided by future fast-track projects. Mayor Dan Gordon said the Waimakariri District Council now has a better understanding of how the new Fast-track Approvals Act will work. Councillors recently received a briefing from staff to better understand how the new legislation will work and how the council will be involved in the consideration of local projects. Mr Gordon said the fast-track legislation should be for major projects like the Woodend Bypass, which is also among the 149 projects included in the new legislation, and not for local housing developments. He has previously expressed his frustration at the inclusion of three proposed Waimakariri housing developments in the new legislation, which was passed last year. The council was not consulted before the inclusion of the three developments, which are already being considered as part of the Waimakariri District Plan review. A private plan change for a proposed 850 home development at Ohoka, near Rangiora, was rejected by the council in November 2023, but it was included in the legislation. Mr Gordon said the council supports the legislation in principle, as a means of speeding up the planning process. But it was critical it did not undermine the role local government or ''the integrity'' of a council's District Plan process, he said. ''Where a decision has already been made through our local planning process, that application should not be reconsidered through the fast-track legislation. ''Councils must not lose their decision-making powers in this space. ''Local authorities understand their districts and cities better than anyone, and our communities rightly expect us to make informed, resolute decisions on their behalf.'' Under the legislation, councils will be able to give feedback on new applications before it is lodged, during consultation and provide feedback on any draft conditions. The Waimakariri District Council will be able to appoint a representative to sit on the expert panel, which will consider an application. Mr Gordon said the council's representative will ''almost always be an elected member''. Council staff, the mayor, the district planning and regulation committee chair and the chief executive will all give input to any council submission, he said. ''This collaborative approach is essential to ensure that our community's voice remains central in shaping local development. ''In practice, if there is time, I would convene the council to come together or we will have a Zoom call to understand the council's position. ''But we haven't been in this process before, so it is going to be new for all of us.'' LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
