Whakatāne District Council has adopted its audited Annual Report for the 2020/21 financial year at a Council meeting held Wednesday 8 June.
The Annual Report is an opportunity for Council to report on the progress of the 2018-28 Long Term Plan.
Mayor Judy Turner says the Annual Reporting process is an opportunity for Council to reflect on what has been achieved and promotes accountability to the community about the decisions being made around the Council table.
“It’s pleasing to see, even with the ongoing complexities of COVID-19, we have been able to deliver a significant number of our targets and projects for our communities.
“59% of residents were satisfied with services received from the Council, this is measured against what we provide our communities, and they came out above the national average,” said Mayor Turner.
“While the rest of the world was in lockdown, we boosted our tourism sector with our ‘Sunniest Place’ in the world campaign. Our District benefited hugely from this with a massive 24% increase in visitor spend in the year to June 2021.”
The Annual Report 2020/21 doesn’t provide an exhaustive list of all Council’s projects for the year, however it does provide an overview of some of our key projects undertaken within the previous financial year. This includes the establishment of Māori wards for the 2022 and 2025 local body elections, the completion of the Whakatāne Town Wharf and Ōhope Wharf remediation projects, the completion of a year-round all-weather enclosure for the outdoor pool at the Whakatāne Aquatic Centre and the completion of Wainui Road safety improvements.
Normally, the Annual Report is required be adopted within four months of the end of the financial year. Due to COVID-19, the timeframes for this financial year were extended, and further delays with the audit process led to a much later adoption than usual.