A new Western Ward Residents and Ratepayers Association has formed and is scouting for members, with flyers having landed in Western Bay of Plenty letterboxes this month asking people to join.

Bowentown resident Selwyn Hill is chairman of the association, which covers the Western Bay of Plenty District Council's Western Ward stretching from Waihi Beach to Works Rd south of Katikati and encompassing Matakana Island.

Bowentown resident Selwyn Hill is chairman of the new Western Ward Residents and Ratepayers Association.

'It's about rates and how the [Western Bay of Plenty District] council is mismanaging things; there's a group of us and we decided to form the ratepayers' association to try and do something about items of concern,” says Selwyn.

He's inviting residents and ratepayers to join via a $20 per household membership fee, with the association aiming to reduce annual WBOPDC rates increases and recommend alternatives in the Western BOP Ward to possible amalgamation with other councils.

'The rates increases are definitely too high and the rates themselves seem to be out of all proportion. Also it's about what rates are being spent on.

'Amalgamation is looming with all councils at present; we are researching other options besides the Western BOP.”

Other objectives are to provide clear communication and transparency on WBOPDC matters through regular newsletters as 'information is everything”.

'And our aim is also assist ratepayers and residents on their behalf anonymously in any particular problems that they may be experiencing,” says Selwyn.

He says while small council interest groups exist, the association will cover the entire Western ward. The next step is to hold public meetings tomorrow, January 25, at Waihi Beach Community Centre at 10.30am and the Katikati War Memorial Hall at 4pm.

'We are only in our infancy; we only started late last year and we're just getting organised and getting known in the area.”

In the association's constitution it needs 15 executive members, and so far has about eight. 'So we'll also be wanting other people on the executive as well. We are aiming to get 1500 household members and with that many we are big enough to be listened to.”

Selwyn says the feedback so far has been very positive. 'I've got a database of about 250 households and as we get more members we will only communicate with those financial members.

'This year we'll be having quarterly forum meetings for individual members to make their feelings heard.”

People interested in learning more can email selwyn@ontheharbour.co.nz