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Whangārei District Council Annual Plan 2026/27

Posted in Regional, Submission; Tagged Accessibility, Housing, Maori sovereignty, Transport; Posted 7 days ago by DPA Less than a minute to read

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To: Whangārei District Council 
Date: April 2026

 

Purpose

The purpose of this submission is to provide recommendations to the Whangārei District Council on addressing the needs of the city’s disabled population within the 2026-27 Annual Plan budget, specifically urging the Council to focus on equity, accessibility, and the maintenance of core services. 

Summary of DPA submission

DPA supports the collaborative work the Council has undertaken with the Accessibility Advisory Group and commends the development of truly accessible spaces, such as the Iwitahi Centre and the playgrounds at Raumanga and Te Pohe Island. We also support the Council’s continued efforts to assist communities during severe weather events. 

DPA advocates for central government to provide better financial tools for rates rebates. Furthermore, we recognize the necessity of water infrastructure renewals to improve water health and reduce flood risks that impact the entire district. 

However, we do not support the imposition of a rates cap, as this would likely lead to significant reductions in spending on essential services driving up user charges.  We are also concerned by the lack of accessible communication, specifically Council videos regarding weather events that lack subtitles for the D/deaf and hard of hearing communities. Additionally, we oppose any increase in public transport charges without direct consultation, as rising costs combined with the removal of discounts disproportionately affect those reliant on these services. 

Our key recommendations focus on ensuring that the needs of the disabled community are embedded in every level of Council planning. 

We urge the Council to include disability impact assessments within the budget and to collate data specifically on how severe weather impacts at-risk populations to better inform future responses. All critical communications, including flooding alert systems and information on rates relief, must be provided in accessible formats.  

Finally, we recommend that the Council foster disabled people-led climate mitigation projects and ensure the Whangārei Urban Flooding Team engages directly with the Accessibility Advisory Group to ensure water resilience infrastructure is inclusive. 

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DPA Submission Whangārei District Council Annual Plan 2026/27 (DOCX)

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