Endorsing a new customer-focused approach for Council staff was the top item on the agenda for the first Council meeting of 2026 for South Wairarapa District Council. The Mayor and Councillors met on Thursday 19 February, with six decision reports on the agenda.

Customer transformation programme

From a customer service perspective, the community can now expect quicker, clearer updates on requests, better follow-through, and easier ways to get things sorted with the council.

The Council endorsed a Customer Charter and Customer Service Transparency Policy, which lay out clear expectations for how staff will communicate with the public. This supports the recent upgrade to how it handles customer enquiries.

A new system, Zendesk, will log every request, from potholes to rates questions, so nothing gets lost in translation, the customer is keep in the loop until the issue is resolved, strict timeframes are adhered to, and communication is consistent regardless of which part of the organisation is handling the enquiry.

The Council also acknowledged the recent ALGIM Customer Experience Award received by SWDC for offering outstanding customer service in a 2025 anonymous survey. More information will be released on this soon.

Road Naming Policy updated

Council approved an updated Policy to improve clarity, modernise the approval process, and ensure the Policy is accessible and easy for everyone to understand. The changes provide a clearer, more consistent approval pathway, and ensures decisions are made at the appropriate governance level.

Key changes include:

• Writing the policy in plain language
• Clearer definitions
• Adding step by step flow charts‑by‑step flow charts
• Shifting final decisions to full Council for district-wide consistency. Community Boards and the Māori Partnership Committee will still provide advice.

This will mean less confusion, faster decisions, and more transparency if you’re developing land or proposing road names.

Triennial Agreement adopted

The Local Government Act 2002 requires that all local authorities in each region enter into a Triennial Agreement that sets out how they will work together on matters of mutual interest for the good of their cities, districts and region.

The Council approved the 2025-2028 Triennial Agreement, which focuses on working jointly on regional issues across Shared Services and Governance Structures, Legislative Reforms, and Issues of Particular Regional Significance.

Better collaboration between councils can support stronger regional decision making.

Local Governance Statement adopted  

Council formally adopted its Local Governance Statement, a legally required document that explains:

• How Council makes decisions
• How meetings work
• Key policies and bylaws
• How the public can participate

It promotes transparency, accountability, and public understanding of how the council operates. It achieves this by making publicly available a comprehensive overview of the council’s functions, responsibilities, governance arrangements, decision-making processes, policies and systems for public participation and access to information.

Annual Plan 2026/27 – No formal consultation needed

The Council confirmed that this coming year’s 2026/27 Annual Plan does not need formal public consultation because it aligns closely with the 2025-34 Long-Term Plan already adopted by Council.

This means the community won’t be asked to submit on a formal consultation this year, but residents will still have chances to hear what’s coming up and share ideas for the next major planning cycle.

The Council will still engage informally across the district to share what’s planned and hear early feedback for the next Long-Term Plan.

Māori Partnership Committee appointments confirmed

Council approved appointments from local marae and iwi to the Māori Partnership Committee for the 2026-28 term. This committee provides Māori perspectives and guidance on issues that affect tangata whenua.

Good governance includes Māori voices at the table, with this Committee leading to stronger representation and partnership with mana whenua in Council decision making.

Where to find more information

See the full meeting agenda: Agenda of Ordinary Council Meeting – Thursday, 19 February 2026

Watch the meeting recording on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8opv772SrcM