Wellington Regional Council notes

What exactly does the Greater Wellington Regional Council do is a question I am often asked when I talk to people around the district. Anyone who uses the train regularly is probably aware that the Council manages the contracts for all the public transport in the region including the trains, buses and ferries. If you are a farmer with a waterway running through your property then you will absolutely be aware of the environmental role that GWRC plays through both catchment management and resource consents.
Both these roles are certainly the major players but are by no means all that the council does. Did you know that GWRC operates a contact centre which handles nearly twenty thousand calls per month? Did you know that it is responsible for safety in Wellington Harbour including maintenance of navigation lights and the mooring chains on Barretts Reef?

Closer to home the Council operates flood warning systems on all our major rivers and also is responsible for the flood protection networks. GWRC works with government agencies in the delivery of pest control and is responsible for maintaining and enhancing the biodiversity of the region. It also coordinates the Region’s Civil Defence and provides oversight of the economic development blueprint, the Wellington Regional Strategy.
While many of these things may not impact on you as an individual they are vitally important to our region as a whole so they deserve our attention. GWRC is currently preparing its Annual Plan and we would love to hear from you about what we have proposed. Whether you want more carriages on the trains, better water quality or more money spent on possum control, now is your chance to have a say. To find out more visit  http://haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz/Annual-Plan-2017-2018.
Adrienne Staples, Greater Wellington Regional Councillor