“Improving the way Council engages with our local communities is so important. We want a council that is not only in touch with local people, but also gives them a genuine chance to have a say on what happens in their communities and the future of their city.
“This is in part why I ran for Council and I’m very happy to see extra funding for engagement receive the unanimous backing of other Councillors. It shows how serious the newly elected Council is about deepening the engagement with the community,” she says.
Councillor Calvert says the new money will be in addition to Council's existing funds for engagement and community consultation. It will be used for key community based projects with a focus on enabling more people to participate.
“This year, the extra funding will go towards implementing a new community led ‘place based’ planning approach for the future look of Karori. This is an innovative way of planning where local communities are involved in shaping how they live, enjoy and move around in their local area. I’m very proud the extra funding will help us deliver what the community actually want and need.
“What this additional fund will mean, for the future, is that community engagement will be something Council is directly investing in and improving on.
“We all love our city and we need to find better ways to listen to and involve our people in shaping its future. This extra funding will help make that happen,” says Cr Calvert.