Council reaches out to subcommittees

Buller District Council will continue discussions with its eleven reserve and hall subcommittees to progress the review of the Terms of Reference, following a council meeting last week.

Reserve and hall subcommittees work with council to manage the many reserves and halls in the district. They are included within the governance structure and ensure that decisions are made at a localised level.

Reserves throughout Buller include campgrounds, community halls and community reserves. Subcommittees can therefore deal with a wide range of issues, projects and responsibilities, managing these community assets.

Council will offer workshops during May and early June to each subcommittee to discuss the major points of difference of the proposed terms of references and report back on the outcome in June.

Council’s group manager community services, Krissy Trigg says: “The decision made by council shows that council really wants to have a conversation with our subcommittees on how we can best work together for our communities.”

Terms of Reference for the hall and reserve subcommittees outline their roles and responsibilities, delegated powers, and the subcommittees’ duties to Council and the community, as well as council’s duties to the subcommittees. It is not required under the Local Government Act 2002 but is common practice. Without Terms of Reference, subcommittees could not make any governance decisions on behalf of council.

Ms Trigg says: “Terms of Reference are a governance tool to empower the subcommittee to carry out many duties that members have the skills and experience to perform.

The Terms and Reference that council wants to agree on with the subcommittees endeavor to do this - create a framework for local communities to efficiently and effectively manage their community assets.

Matters discussed by council at last week's meeting took into account an analysis of major points of difference between council’s suggested Terms of Reference and the subcommittees’ preferred Terms of Reference.

Ms Trigg says: “The establishment of clear Terms of Reference for the subcommittees will ensure that Buller’s reserves are managed in line with Council’s legal obligations and responsibilities. It also will create a shared understanding of what each party does and is allowed to do. This is for our community's benefit.”

-ENDS-

For more information contact:
Group Manager Community Services
Krissy Trigg
Krissy.Trigg@bdc.govt.nz