Community Funding and Public forums.

Media Release

11 April, 2007

Community Funding and Public forums.

Applications for community funding through the West Coast Development Trust will move to a biannual process beginning 2008.

At their April meeting Trustees approved the change which will see all community applications over $100,000 being considered annually at their June meeting and all applications under $100,000 at their November meeting. There are two more rounds of funding in July and November 2007.

Closing date for applications in excess of $100,000 in 2008 is 1 March 2008 and decisions will made at the June 2008 meeting.

Closing date for applications under $100,000 will be the 1st August 2008 and decisions will be made at the November 2008 meeting.

The reason for this change is two fold, said Chairman Frank Dooley. “Applications can be considered en masse allowing the approval process to be the sole focus of the Trustees at that meeting, instead of juggling applications along with other Trust business at quarterly meetings. The process will also streamline the internal management of the applications allowing appropriate measurement and weighting systems to be introduced.”

The Trust also agreed to hold public forums to coincide with the community funding meetings. This is in addition to the Annual Public Meeting. “We have previously tried public meetings throughout the region with a varying degree of acceptance and we hope that this time, people will take the opportunity to come along, meet with us and have their say,” said Mr Dooley.

The three meetings will be rotated around the region with one being held in Westport, Greymouth and Hokitika annually, commencing in 2007.

“The meetings will be prior to the Trust’s business meeting,” said Chairman Frank Dooley. “Opening the business meeting to the ‘public’ is simply not feasible given the confidential nature of the information discussed. However, we welcome an open floor meeting where the people of the Coast can have their say and ask any questions of Trustees.”

Further, the Trust has resolved to compile a bulletin which will advise non confidential discussions immediately after each Trust meeting and will be placed on the Trust’s website.

“The Trust has established a quarterly newsletter, is producing advertorials about key initiatives and we believe with the addition of public forums and placing the bulletin on the website, the public will be kept very much informed about our activities,” said Mr Dooley.

ENDS

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