Waipa ‘tiki tour’ released
Waipa tiki tour' released
29 August 2016
Waipa District Council has created a new web-based tool to help people better understand what it does.
The new tool - www.waipatikitour.co.nz - has been launched before the elections to help voters better understand the role of a council and a councillor.
Communications manager Natalie Palmer said a nationwide effort was being made to raise awareness of council elections, and encourage more people to vote. In the last election, only 40 per cent of eligible Waipa voters cast a vote for their councillors or community board members.
That means just over 13,100 people out of a possible 32,800 decided on local representatives to make key decisions on their behalf. The poorest turnout nationwide, and in Waipa, was in the 18-29 year age group.
Palmer also noted that recent research showed only 16 per cent of Waipa residents said they had a "good knowledge" of council activities.
"We would really like to see awareness and knowledge about what Council does significantly improve. The things council does has a huge impact, every day, on the everyday lives of people who live here and that's why voting is so important. "
The new online tool takes visitors on a virtual tour of a typical New Zealand town, taking them through the range of activities councils are involved in.
"It's not just about knowing the candidates; it's about knowing the types of decisions those candidates make on our behalf. Councillors make very big calls on behalf of communities on huge range of issues. Hopefully this tool will help people understand that."
For more information, contact: Nicole Nooyen 027 807 3478