Council meetings are where elected members make decisions on things that matter to our community and shape the district’s future – like budgets, policies, projects, and other local priorities.   

All our Council meetings are livestreamed and are open to the public. We know not everyone can tune in, so here’s a quick summary of the key outcomes of the most recent meeting held on 11 December 2025.

New Economic Development Fund to drive growth

The Council adopted its new Community Grants and Funding Policy to ensure a consistent process and well-informed decisions that best support the South Wairarapa community.

To better align with Council’s strategic priorities, key changes to the existing $200,000 Community & Youth Grant include:

• An increase to the three Community Board and Māori Partnerships Committee grants to $20,000 each per year (previously $15,000).
• A refocus of the remaining $180,000 to an Economic Development Fund to support initiatives that stimulate local economic growth, attract investment, and create long-term benefits for the district.

The new framework introduces clear eligibility criteria and impact outcomes for all Council administered grants, and a commitment to transparency and accountability, requiring applicants to demonstrate how their projects align with Council priorities and deliver measurable results.

Council will decide its grant-making approach for the Economic Development Fund in early 2026, with applications expected to open soon after that.

Find out more about the decision here: Council to introduce Economic Development Fund to drive economic growth

Request for information from the Local Government Commission

Councillors agreed to send a joint letter alongside Carterton and Masterton District Councils to the Local Government Commission requesting further information about the amalgamation process, timing and possible revenue support that would be made available to support an amalgamation discussion with the community.

This follows the recently announced government proposal focussed on Regional Councils that also suggested that there might be a wider amalgamation review for all territorial authorities (local councils like us).

Any work on potential amalgamation would need to be supported by robust community consultation to assess the appetite for change across Wairarapa. The Council agreed that to be able to discuss this at a Council and community level, more information was needed.

New committees and their purpose

Councillors also approved the Terms of Reference for our Community Boards and three new Council committees. The Terms of Reference for the committees set out the responsibilities that have been delegated by the Council, such as overseeing infrastructure projects or reviewing financial performance.

The new Council committees, established at the beginning of the 2025-28 triennium, are the Economic Growth Committee, the Environmental Sustainability Committee, and the Social Resilience Committee.

Find out more about the committees here: South Wairarapa District Council finalises new committees

Naming of a new road

The Council is responsible for naming roads within its boundaries, and we have a policy that sets out guidelines and standards relating to the naming of public roads, private roads and rights-of-ways in the South Wairarapa District.

Councillors considered the naming of a new private right of way in Greytown, serving a 6-lot residential subdivision.  The applicant’s preferred name was Rakau Lane, meaning wood, tree or stick in te reo Māori.

Councillors approved the proposed name for the new lane, which will branch off Wood Street, but noted that Rākau should have a macron.

Changes to how we approve new leases

The Council approved the recommendation that all new leases, regardless of value, would be approved by Council.

Previously under the Delegations Policy & Register, approval of leases was delegated to staff. Now they require a formal Council resolution. This change, recommended by Chief Executive Janice Smith, centralises decision-making for new lease arrangements.

For all the details on these decisions, read the full agenda on our website. The minutes will be released soon: Past Meetings

Watch the recording of the 11 December 2025 South Wairarapa District Council meeting on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@southwairarapadistrictcoun4143