About Council
The Buller District Council is the territorial authority for the northern West Coast. Our goal is to promote the well-being of our local communities. We have a wide range of responsibilities under the Local Government Act.
Our mission is to serve the residents of the Buller district, conscious of their needs, by providing facilities and services and creating an appropriate environment for progress and development; while preserving the distinctive natural environment, as well as the cultural and historical environments.
The Council consists of two bodies. The Council of elected members, which is led by the Mayor, and the corporate organisation is led by the Chief Executive Officer.
The Council of elected members provides leadership and direction to the Council and community, they represent the community, setting policy, and making decisions in the best interests of their communities. Council committees are formed to oversee specific functions within Council.
The Council consists of 11 elected members, the Mayor and 10 Councillors. Read more about elected members here.
The corporate organisation is responsible to the elected Council for ensuring the effective, efficient, and economic management of all the Council's activities. The organisation is led by the Chief Executive Officer and a senior leadership team that manage Council operations.
The senior leadership team consists of four group managers who are each responsible for one of four departments within Council.
What we do
Council's role is to provide local leadership and facilitate the delivery of services and activities that promote community well-being throughout the Buller District.
We provide leadership relating to issues that affect the community, through the management of the environment and promotion of the District's needs and aspirations. We ensure that the district’s infrastructural assets and associated resources are utilised and managed in a responsible way for the benefit of residents and ratepayers both today and in the future.
We want to make sure our region grows and develops in a way that keeps its values safe for future generations.
Council activities are guided by our Long Term Plan which is a comprehensive statement of the Council's intentions for the next 10 years. It sets out our direction and work programme. As Buller District’s overarching document, it guides everything we do as a Council, ensuring that every step we take is a step toward achieving our community’s vision for the future.
In addition to our Long Term Plan, every year Council must adopt an Annual Plan for the following financial year.
The Annual Plan sets out the Council’s operational and financial plans for the financial year. It must also identify variations from any budgets that have been allocated in the long-term plan.
Local government statement
This Local Governance Statement is a collection of information about the structure of Council, its functions, responsibilities and activities, decision-making processes, legal authority and policies that assist in fulfilling its role in meeting the current and future needs of the Buller District.
The Council is required to produce this statement under section 40 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA) within six months of each triennial general election.
