COMMUNITY MATTERS Great opportunities but bigger is not always better

• Published date: 11 April 2024
• Author: John Vujcich John Vujcich is a Far North District councillor representing the Kaikohe-Hokianga General Ward.
• Publication title: Northland Age, The

I took note of the things we did, what interested us, and couldn’t help observing the state of roads and council facilities during our travels

There were two things I noticed. Firstly, bigger is not always better. There are three district councils in the Taranaki area: New Plymouth, Stratford and South Taranaki with total populations and areas of 88,900 people and 2205 sqkm; 10,300 and 2163; 29,600 and 3575 respectively. Each council has its one major town. These councils aren’t very large when you consider the area covered.

What I noticed is all the towns were neat and tidy with no observed graffiti; facilities were well kept, including numerous parks, walking tracks and gardens, which all seemed to be well used. I do wonder if the smaller councils with their single major town help to focus priorities and encourage better local decision-making.

For comparison, Whangārei’s population is 101,900, its area is 2712 sqkm and it has one major town. FNDC Far North District Council has a population of 74,700 and an area of 7324 sqkm: a much larger area with no single major town. So, I did wonder whether three smaller councils, roughly along the current ward boundaries, would yield better outcomes, and better engagement.

The second thing I observed as a visitor, was how important the variety of sights and activities were to how long we stayed and how much we spent. The walks were fantastic, even the gardens, and I’m not really a garden man at all. The views of Mount Taranaki are brilliant but it was all those other little...