Council makes important decisions at meetings which affect residents and ratepayers from various sectors of the community. To enable good decision making, Council relies on participation and feedback from residents and ratepayers.
Council welcomes attendance at meetings that are open to the public. This is an ideal way to be well informed about Council and district-wide activity. You can listen to the meeting or you may choose to request speaking time at the meeting.
The Meeting Schedule for the 2025 calendar year is available below.
Horowhenua District Council Meeting Schedule 2025(PDF, 281KB)
These meeting dates were adopted by Council on 4 September 2024 and apply for the current triennium. These dates are subject to change and additional ordinary, extraordinary and multi-day meetings may be scheduled from time to time in consultation with the Chairperson and Chief Executive. Following the 2025 Local Elections, new meeting schedules will be established and made available.
All meetings will be notified on our website.
To maintain a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, all participants are expected to adhere to our guidelines. Hate speech, abusive language, and discriminatory behaviour won't be tolerated. Items or imagery that may cause harm, distress, or pose a safety risk aren't permitted, and any threatening or unsafe actions will result in the participant being asked to leave the premise. These guidelines are designed to ensure safety and mutual respect for all.
There are criteria to be met prior to being granted speaking time at a Council Meeting or Te Awahou Foxton Community Board meeting. You can speak or present as a member of the public (called 'public participation'), or as a representative for an organisation or group that has a specific purpose or common view (called 'deputation').
Members of the public can request to speak to most agenda items. All requests are subject to the approval of the Chair and in addition are subject to and can be declined under Standing Orders.
How to request speaking rights
If you wish to speak, you must request speaking rights at least 24 hours in advance, by 12 noon on the day before the meeting, and identify the specific item you want to speak to. Requests must be lodged with the Chairperson, Chief Executive or other appropriate officer of Council.
You can make your request by:
You'll need to provide the following details:
- your name and contact details
- which meeting you'd like to speak to
- the topic you want to speak about
- if you’re representing an organisation or group, the name of the organisation and any other speaker appearing for that organisation (note only two representatives from one organisation can speak).
If you're not able to provide this information, your request may be declined by the Chair.
Requests will not be accepted for:
- matters that don't appear on a meeting agenda;
- proceedings of committees that don't have a substantive resolution for adoption;
- procedural items and reports which are for information only.
In all cases the request to speak shall be referred to the Chairperson of the meeting to confirm acceptance. The person requesting to speak shall be advised whether or not their request has been accepted. If declined the applicant shall be advised of the reasons why. The author of any report to which there are requests to speak shall also be advised. Following the close off of speaking requests, the Chair of the meeting will approve or decline speaking requests.
Unless the meeting determines otherwise, a limit of five (5) minutes is placed on each speaker.
Public Forums offer the community an opportunity to engage directly with Elected Members on topics that aren't included in the Council Agenda. These forums take place before most Council meetings, providing a platform for open discussion and community input on any matters directly with Elected Members.
At this forum you can't speak about agenda items as part of the public forum and we don't allow PowerPoint presentations or videos as part of the public forum.
How to request speaking rights
If you wish to speak, you must request speaking rights at least 24 hours in advance, by 12 noon the day prior, by:
You'll need to provide the following details:
- your name and contact details
- which meeting date you'd like to speak at
- the topic you want to speak about.
We'll let you know if you can speak at the public forum the afternoon prior to the meeting.
If you want to speak about an item on an agenda, you must request to do this as part of public participation.
Guidelines
To maintain a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment, all participants are expected to adhere to our guidelines. Hate speech, abusive language, and discriminatory behaviour won't be tolerated. Items or imagery that may cause harm, distress, or pose a safety risk aren't permitted, and any threatening or unsafe actions will result in the participant being asked to leave the premise.
These guidelines are designed to ensure safety and mutual respect for all.
If your request has been approved, talk to a member of the Democracy Team if you're going to:
- make a PowerPoint (or electronic/digital) presentation - these need to be emailed to public.participation@horowhenua.govt.nz by 12 noon on the day before the meeting
- provide handouts (to find out how many copies you need to bring with you)
- provide any additional material.
At the meeting
Most public meetings are held in Council Chambers. You may be seated in the public gallery and wait for the meeting to commence.
A member of the Democracy Team will be in the meeting room prior to commencement of the meeting and will:
- register those who have approval to speak or present to the meeting
- take any handouts you've brought with you and distribute them – this saves time during the meeting
- advise you about how to use any technology you may need
- answer your questions.
The Chair will begin the meeting by running through some housekeeping matters before announcing the speaking list and calling you forward.
Making your presentation
Tips on how to prepare and what to expect:
- arrive at least 10 minutes early
- speak with the Democracy Team member prior to the meeting if it will be your first time speaking - you'll be shown where to sit, where you will speak from and how to use the microphone
- you only have a short time to speak, ensure you cover your main points and back this up with evidence (if relevant)
- if there is time left at the end of your speaking time or presentation, you may be asked questions by the Mayor or Councillors.
After the meeting
Anything distributed or tabled at the meeting will become part of the public record for the meeting and will be filed with the minutes. This will include your name and a summary of what you presented and includes handouts and digital presentations.
Council meetings are not an opportunity to request information. If you would like information from Councillors or Council Officers, please contact Customer Services on 06 366 0999 or email your question or request to enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz.