This week has been another busy one at Council, with the breadth of Council business easily seen in the 109-page agenda of our Activity Briefings.

From policies and bylaws reviews and technology to reduce the risk of cyber attacks, to the volume of solid waste we truck to Kate Valley, the business of Council is wide-ranging.

Some numbers have stuck with me: 9809 potholes filled so far in 2025, nearly a quarter of a million items have been issued in the Ashburton Library, mini golf has had over 1700 free admissions booked online since opening and our contractors have lifted and emptied about 624,000 kerbside bins this year.

It’s busy for Council staff, and it’s busy for Councillors.

This week, we’ve heard about more changes for local government, with Minister Bishop announcing reforms to the Resource Management Act. These are the biggest changes since the RMA was introduced and we will be taking the time needed to consider how that will impact the business of council and the decisions we make around the council table.

There’s been a lot of change recently, with the implementation of the Local Water Done Well initiative, the reforms planned for regional councils and the proposed rates capping regime.

Ultimately, we have all been charged with doing the best we can for our fine district.

A piece of work on our agenda in the next few months is the Annual Plan 2026-27, which is essentially what Council will do in the next financial year and how we will pay for it. Expect good debate as we balance needs and wants against what we can afford.

But before we meet the challenges of the new year, it is time to say Merry Christmas and have a restful holiday break!