Ngā Kaikaunihera Councillors

The role of the Council is to make policy, authorise and monitor the overall allocation of resources and set priorities. It determines and monitors the levels of services to be provided, and monitors the decisions of its Committees.

Council is made up of the 14 councillors elected to Horizons. You can learn more about them and contact them below.

The Strategy and Policy Committee is responsible for the development of policy and plans as directed by Council; consideration of issues allocated by Council; the enhancement, awareness and understanding of issues and trends relating to Council’s goal of promoting the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of the people in the region; and, considering  and evaluating miscellaneous issues that have a regional, social or economic focus.

All Horizons councillors are members of this committee. It is chaired by Cr Fiona Gordon, with Cr Te Kenehi Teira the deputy chair.

The integrated Catchment Committee focuses on the functions of Horizons’ Catchment Operations group. It has a broad remit:

• Ensure, through appropriate performance monitoring and information receipt, the effective provision of river and drainage engineering services to the region.

• Ensure, through appropriate performance monitoring and information receipt, the effective provision of sustainable land use services to the region.

• Ensure effective liaison with territorial authorities, scheme/catchment liaison committees and scheme ratepayers.

• Where delegated by Council, recommend to Council for its adoption, finalised draft river and drainage scheme reviews and rating proposals, after taking due account of public submissions.

• Formulate recommendations to Council in relation to sustainable land management investments.

• Ensure, through appropriate performance monitoring and information receipt, the effective promotion of sustainable management of natural and physical resources of the region (excluding, education and regulatory matters).

• Ensure, through appropriate performance monitoring and information receipt, the effective promotion of science matters in the Region.

• Ensure that, in the management of natural and physical resources account is taken of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi).

• Monitor the implementation and progress of Biosecurity activities within the region.

• Where delegated by Council, develop draft Regional plans and strategies, after taking due account of public submissions, for adoption by Council.

All Horizons councillors are members of this committee. It is chaired by Cr Peter Wells with Cr Ben Fraser the deputy chair.

The objective of the Audit, Risk & Investment Committee is to provide assurance to Council that the organisation is meeting its financial, accounting, and auditing responsibilities, its management and internal controls, statutory compliance, risk assessment, contract processing outside the delegation of the Chief Executive, and monitoring and reporting to Council on investments.

The Committee consists of Crs Elijah Pue (Chair), Hamish Easton (Deputy Chair), Bruce Gordon, Peter Wells, Luka Jansen, Fiona Gordon, Nikki Riley, and Te Kenehi Teira.

The Regional Transport Committee plans and promotes the establishment of an affordable, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system for the Manawatū-Whanganui Region.

Membership of this committee is in line with section 105(2) of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 and consists of two Regional Councillors - Crs Nikki Riley (Chair) and Jono Naylor - together with seven members representing Territorial Authorities (one from each territorial authority in the region), and one member representing Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

The Passenger Transport Committee’s focus is public transport. Its purpose is to undertake planning and implementation of the region’s passenger transport services (aka public transport).

The committee is made up of five Horizons councillors – Crs Jono Naylor (chair), Hamish Easton (deputy chair), Ben Fraser, Elijah Pue and Alan Taylor – and a member from each of the seven territorial authorities in the region.

The Climate Action Joint Committee has two primary purposes. It receives scientific evidence and mātauranga Māori to inform strategic leadership on how the Manawatū-Whanganui Region could achieve climate change mitigation and adaptation. It also informs the development of climate change adaptation and mitigation objectives, shares information, and facilitates collaborative action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate change impacts.

The committee is made up of Horizons’ chair Cr Nikki Riley, all mayors of the region’s district and city councils, and an equal number of tangata whenua representatives. 

The MWCDEM Joint Standing Committee is a statutory committee responsible for overseeing and setting the strategic direction of Civil Defence Emergency Management across the Manawatū‑Whanganui Region. Its role includes managing regional risks through the "4Rs framework" - Reduction, Readiness, Response and Recovery - providing strategic leadership, adopting key plans, and enabling the use of emergency powers.

The Joint Standing Committee comprises the mayors of all district and city councils in the region (Horowhenua, Palmerston North, Tararua, Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Whanganui and Ruapehu), the chair of Horizons Regional Council, and iwi representation. This committee is chaired by Horizons' chair Cr Nikki Riley.

Meetings are attended by members of the Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Managementt Group and representatives of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

Note: These meetings are not livestreamed, but are open to the public.