Northland Ratepayers Alliance
2018-10-19
Representatives of some of Northland's Residents and Ratepayers Associations met at the inaugural meeting in Kaikohe on Sunday the 14th October (3pm, at the Memorial Hall on Memorial Ave, Kaikohe.
A discussion paper ( draft ) OPTIONS for consideration in establishing a NZ Ratepayers Alliance or some other organisation, company, body (or entity)
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(Invitation sent out prior to the meeting )
This is an invitation to your Residents and Ratepayers Association to meet with other Committees of Residents and Ratepayers Associations from across the Northland Region, to forge a “Northland Ratepayers Alliance” (informally) as a foundation for representation of Northland at the inaugural meeting of a NZ Ratepayers' Alliance conference being held in Nelson on the 10th and 11th of November 2018
The purpose of the inaugural meeting of Ratepayer representatives from across NZ is to agree what structure to use to formalise an Alliance, and to adopt whatever is required to enable that structure to be established. So, for example, if it is agreed to establish an Incorporated Society and to apply for ‘charitable entity’ status – then an appropriate Constitution will need to be adopted, and officers of the association elected. If a limited liability company is to be established, then steps will be agreed to enable that, or a Trust and so on.
If it is decided that it is premature to establish a formal entity, an informal alliance is likely to result – whereby those R&RA who chose to, can collaborate to further investigate issues, to determine common ground or shared interests, and to prepare an analysis of the options for achieving our shared objectives.
The Mangawhai Residents and Ratepayers Association, Dargaville R&RA, Paihia & Districts R&RA, and the Kerikeri RA have been liaising over the past year or so towards collaborating, and are keen to discuss this initiative with other Associations around Northland. Last week the Omapere-Opononi R&RA resolved to to liaise as an informal Northland alliance and to endorse the establishment of a NZ wide alliance.
You are cordially invited to send representatives of your Residents and Ratepayers Association to an inaugural meeting of the Northland R&R Associations in Kaikohe on the 14th October (3pm, at the Kaikohe War Memorial Hall, Recreation Rd, Kaikohe).
Also, you are invited to send delegates to the inaugural Ratepayers of NZ convention and meeting to establish a NZ Ratepayers Alliance, that is to be held in Nelson on the 10th and 11th of November. The establishment meeting will be in the morning of the 11th November (it helps with travel/accommodation expenses, to know that, in the event you have a member keen to attend just the formal proceedings to establish a NZ Alliance (rather than a day of ‘convention’ type activities the day beforehand as well).
If it is not possible for anyone from your R&R A to attend in Nelson, on behalf of your R&R Association, we will be discussing on the 14th October if the Northland Alliance would like to mandate those who can attend, to represent others in forging a NZ wide alliance.
The format for our meeting on 14th October will include:
a brief introduction from those who have been leading this initiative to date;
Break out, group discussion – to identify issues of common concern and our shared interests; and any interest (or reservations) about liaising as a Northland alliance of R&RAs;
Report back to collate ideas for objectives for an alliance, and on priorities for action;
Decide if/how to deliver ‘representation’ to the Nelson meeting on a NZ Alliance.
Please RSVP – to agentjane99@gmail.com with numbers/names of members attending (for the purposes of catering and preparing resources for circulation in the meeting).
Phone 021 973392 if you have any questions.
Please check to see if your organisation is listed on the www.ratepayersandresidents.org.nz website,
and let us know by if you'd like to add/update or change anything: ratepayersandresidents@gmail.com
in order that we be able to communicate and co-ordinate with each other to combine our energies to more effectively achieve the outcomes we seek.
Having an dedicated e-mail address, as opposed to a contact form on your web-site, will make it easier for your group to be included in a nation-wide network of ratepayer & residents' groups.
A large percentage of the addresses Ratepayers and Residents.org.nz have been given by Councils are already out of date and we're encouraging Ratepayer groups around New Zealand to set up e-mail addresses using providers such as gmail , yahoo etc (as opposed to addresses associated with any individual's personal provider account - xtra ,clear, vodafone.co.nz etc ) - and to use the name of your organisation within the address . e.g. mytownsorganisation@gmail.com - or which are associated with your organisation's own website e.g. 'me@mytownsorganisation.org.nz
to ensure that, by being transferrable, your organisation remains contactable after its members inevitably move on.
For a good model , check out the Waiatarua Ratepayers and Residents' Association Inc's excellent web-site .