1) …ensuring that appropriately qualified Council staff ensure that work is carried out as often as contracted - that (say) “every eight weeks” is not in fact carried out only once in 10 weeks (25% less than paid for);

2) …publishing successful contract details so all contracts are seen to be transparent

3) …employing owner-operators (those actually doing the job) directly contracted to the Council and not as a sub-contract to a (private) company. Council has the staff check every area as often as contracted and therefore does not need to pay additionally for further company staff and that company’s shareholders;

4) …in URBAN AREAS encouraging residents to maintain their own frontages and have a rate reduction as (in effect) the contractor and thus a direct saving by Council;

5) …Council running “best street” and “most improved street” programs with rewards from local business sponsors.;

6) …in RURAL AREAS applying this also for any such frontages as the Ratepayer may select to maintain;

7) …in rural areas on unsealed roads using only rotary slashing in a single run each side of the road except in tight inside bends where a second strip may be necessary for safety. No spraying of any kind is required -- [Spray Contractor spokesman, Graham Andrews, personally told a meeting of KRA and Mahurangi West Landcare that ‘spraying of unsealed roads was unnecessary as rotary slashing achieved the desired results‘.]

8) …beginning appropriate control of roadside weeds and the ultimate beautification of roading (a big plus for Tourism, NZ’s second biggest earner,) runnig a competition for local commercial landscapers, horticultural businesses (and perhaps resident groups) - to develop sections of rural roadsides where each competitor develops their own ideas for environmentally desirable non-chemical, minimum maintenance future plantings. Council should offer prizes and ensure maximum public coverage fo all entrants. - maximising hands-on knowledge as a result.

9) … on sealed rural roads which may (at this point in time) potentially have seal damaged by kikuyu, change to REGISTERED organic sprays such as Interceptor (not expensive) which, when applied correctly, was successfully tested in Rodney (used by other NZ and Australian councils) --- again applied by owner-operators with appropriate equipment, without added contents as per manufacturer’s specifications. Local farmers with farm equipment could apply for such contracts.

IN PARKS & RESERVES

- Reduce frequency of mowing

- Remove the concept of “tidy lawns”

- stop chemical sprays entirely

- stop the use of *Endosulfan on playing fields and sports grounds where children and adults fall and have skin contact directly with it.- *a known hormone disrupting chemical, implicated in breast cancer, with increasing numbers of men now also diagnosed with this condition.

The application of Endosulfan is to kill earthworms, the prime soil enhancer -- and therefore an ecological crime as well.

ON RURAL ROADS IN GENERAL:

a} Investigate reintroduction of rural roadmen in co-operation between council and central govt based on unemployment allowance for (say) two days of four day working week.

b] Move as appropriate to road design to accommodate use of mowers.