National Conference heading to Christchurch

Last year’s National Residents’ Associations Conference brought together over 100 individuals from around the country to meet, network and discuss common issues.

It was originally planned for a second, larger conference to be held this year in Christchurch, but Mother Nature put a hold on that!

The challenges posed by the Canterbury earthquakes and the subsequent socio-political-economic situation present a number of opportunities to explore and share unique experiences.

Thus, the decision to hold this  second national conference in Christchurch is straightforward.  Finding a venue and arranging the logistics of the conference will be slightly more challenging!

At this stage we expect to hold the 2nd National Residents’ Associations Conference in Christchurch on or about March next year. Between 500 to 1,000 delegates are expected.
The conference will span a weekend and feature domestic and international speakers who will directly address current and future issues relevant to our society.
Former Christchurch Mayor Garry Moore has joined the team early and has agreed to present a keynote speech.
More information on the conference is included on page two. Regular updates will be available online at:
www.residents.org.nz/2012

Driving forces behind the 2010 National Conference: Mike MacLeod, Bernie Harris, Tom Law and Roger Tweedy

Local government trends

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newspapers alone since March this year. This shows that residents' groups are effectively bringing attention to local issues.
We cover some of these stories in this issue of The Public Sphere.

The past six months have seen a greater focus by the media on activities of Councils. In Blenheim, the Marlborough District Council called in an independent investigator to review claims made by a Councillor of corruption amongst officers. Christchurch City Council kjkjfdkjdfkjfdsakjsdfksdjfksjdfksdfjsdkfj

came under fire for the process they undertook to appoint their Chief Executive Officer. Residents’ groups have also featured heavily in news reports, bringing local issues to the attention of the wider community, with 426 articles featuring in Fairfax  kjkjfdkjdfkjfdsakjsdfksdjfksjdfksdfjsdkfjasdasd