Horizons overriding priority must be to manage our region’s natural resources and continue to improve our environment for future generations.
- Prudent financial Management, focusing on funding core activities only and keeping rates affordable
- Managing new and existing government regulations, helping farmers meet new standards for the desired environmental outcomes, whilst working to fix the practicalities of some rushed and poorly drafted legislation.
- Horizons 34 River and Drainage Schemes have 650m in assets, protecting 11 urban areas and 75,000 ha. These schemes are under threat from urban growth and proposed restructuring. We need them to ensure they are funded to operate as designed.
- Monitoring PNCC’s new wastewater consent application and its implementation which is required by 2028. It is proposed the cities wastewater will continue to go to the Manawatu river and to 760ha of neighbouring farmland when the river is running below 25%. We must make sure implementation is not the cheapest option and we get the best environmental outcome while mitigating the effects on the local rural community who are being tasked with taking their neighbour’s wastewater.
- Economic Development through recreational opportunities.
- Mountain biking opportunities in Te Apiti Manawatu Gorge where I have advocated for several years and gained support from councils and Iwi, but DOC where a new conservation strategy excludes new MTB trails.
- Offering to find appropriate land in the Ruapehu area through farming contacts for a MTB park and helping the community progress this if they are in support
- He Waka Eke Noa, is the proposal to manage emissions from farming and is not yet legislation but will likely become law and be managed by Horizons. While some of the science is still being questioned there is still an opportunity to encourage farmers to plant numerous smaller areas of land in carbon sequestering vegetation, instead of widespread pine plantations.
I won’t just attend meetings, I am a facilitator who works with others to get things done.