The Local Governance Statement outlines the Whakatāne District Council’s democratic processes: how we engage with our community, how we make decisions, and how citizens can influence Council's decisions.

The Governance Statement covers:

• Council’s functions, responsibilities and activities
• Local government legislation
• Electoral system and opportunity for change
• Representation arrangements (ward boundaries, reviews)
• Changing the district's boundaries or functions
• Roles and conduct of elected members and the Chief Executive 
• Governance structures and processes
• Membership of Council committees and delegations
• Meeting processes (Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 and Standing Orders)
• Management structure and relationship between management and elected members
• Systems for public access to the Council and participation
• Processes for requests for official information
• Key Council policies

The Local Governance Statement must be prepared no later than six months after each triennial election and updated when required.

Local Governance Statement - (PDF, 3 MB)