South Wairarapa Mayor and Councillors met on Wednesday 11 March to progress several important pieces of work affecting our communities.
From strengthening recovery efforts after last month’s severe weather, to improving how rural and coastal voices are represented – here’s an overview of some of the decisions made.
Establishment of the Recovery Governance Board
The Council approved the establishment of a Recovery Governance Board to oversee recovery from the 15 February 2026 severe weather event. Terms of Reference (ToR) for the group were also adopted.
The weather caused widespread disruption across the South Wairarapa District, including significant impacts to access routes, power supply, water infrastructure, and rural communities.
Recovery efforts transitioned from response to recovery on 23 February with the signing of a Transition Notice Period following approval from the Minister of Civil Defence.
Since the transition, a dedicated Recovery Office has been established to coordinate the multi-agency recovery work programme required to support the holistic recovery of our affected communities, until a point in time when business-as-usual services can effectively take over.
Councillor Colin Olds, Councillor Aidan Elimms, Councillor Andrea Rutene, Haami Te Whaiti representing Kahungunu ki Wairarapa and a representative of Rangitāne o Wairarapa were appointed as members of the Recovery Governance Board.
The Board will set overall recovery direction, approve key recovery plans, monitor major risks, advocate for recovery funding, and determine when activities can transition to business-as-usual.
The Board will not direct staff or operational activity, which remains the role of the Recovery Office and Local Recovery Manager.
Current recovery priorities include road access restoration, lifeline service reliability, damage assessments, welfare and psychosocial support, rural impact analysis, and waterways assessment.
Approval of the Rural and Coastal Advisory Group Terms of Reference
The decision to establish the Rural and Coastal Advisory Group was made by Council on 20 November 2025, with the initial appointments of Councillors Aidan Ellims and Collier Isaacs.
This followed the Representation Review process undertaken by Council in 2024, in which submissions supported greater representation for our rural and coastal communities.
The purpose of a Rural and Coastal Advisory Group will be to advocate for these communities, by sharing perspectives on issues associated with council services affecting rural/coastal communities, such as roads and rates. It will ensure the rural perspective is considered for Council policy decisions and planning. This group may also play a role in emergency management, regarding how isolated some of our rural and coastal communities are.
At Wednesday’s Council meeting, the Terms of Reference were approved, and Mayor Fran Wilde, Deputy Mayor Rob Taylor, and Councillors Ellims, Isaacs, Colin Olds and Simone Baker were appointed to the selection panel for the community membership of the group.
An Expressions of Interest process for the Rural and Coastal Advisory Group will get underway shortly, and we will update the community on this as soon as possible.
The Draft ToR can be found in the meeting agenda.
Delegations for South Wairarapa District Council representatives on the Wairarapa Tararua Water Limited’s Stakeholders’ Forum
The Council in October 2025 appointed Mayor Fran Wilde as the primary representative, and Deputy Mayor Rob Taylor as the alternate, to the office of the Council’s representative on the Wairarapa Tararua Water Limited’s Stakeholders’ Forum.
The Council approved what the responsibilities and powers of their role was to be on the forum. The delegated responsibilities and powers can be found listed in the meeting agenda.
District Licensing Committee appointment of commissioner
Any businesses wanting to supply or sell alcohol in the South Wairarapa district must apply to the Council for an alcohol licence, under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012. There must be a certified manager on duty any time alcohol is being sold or supplied to the public at a licensed premises.
Applications for alcohol licences and manager’s certificates are considered and approved by the region’s District Licensing Committee.
The Council is responsible for appointing Commissioners to the District Licensing Committee.
Catherine Rossiter-Stead was appointed as Commissioner and Chair for South Wairarapa District Council effective 31 March 2026 until 31 March 2027.
Where to find more information
See the full meeting agenda: https://swdc.govt.nz/meeting/council-11-march-2026/
Watch the meeting recording on YouTube: Council (Extraordinary) – 11 March 2026