Photo: LDR
The traditional roles and functions of councils will come under the spotlight in the Local Government review announced last week, but Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said his council was already looking into new sectors flagged up locally as being the most pressing areas of community need.
He said he saw a desire to have social initiatives pushed out into the community, as in Hastings where housing has been built in a community partnership with the local council and a housing trust.
McDouall said the partnership concept was key.
"I've been talking to iwi groups around housing but we need government money to be able to build 80 to 100 houses - that wouldn't completely quell our housing crisis but it'd knock the top off it, particularly if it's good quality, sunny, sea views, that kind of thing."