John Cronin BOP Regional Council Chairman www.boprc.govt.nz

I recently attended two events that were quite different but both shared the themes of working together and looking ahead to make the region an even better place.

I was privileged to speak at the Waitangi Day dawn ceremony at Hopukiore (Mount Drury). To me, the Treaty of Waitangi is about both the past and the future.

There have been grievances and settling these can be a long and sometimes difficult process. But honouring the treaty is not just about remedying the past – it's also about looking forward to a shared future.

The second event was a Rethinking Local Government Conference – which brought together the region's mayors and chair, council representatives, business people and interested public.

Following the day's presentations and discussion the regional mayors and myself agreed on a joint statement that emphasised our willingness to work to come together to collaborate and share information. We'll continue to work together as we develop a shared vision for our region.

It's activities like this that mean local bodies in the Bay of Plenty are seen as role models for how we develop partnerships and collaborate for the benefit of our communities.

Another example of positive partnerships and working together was last week's opening of a new pest plant collection facility at Bay of Plenty Polytechnic's Windermere campus.

The facility is a tool we will use to introduce and educate our communities about pests, and where we can confirm the identity of plants found around the region.

Again this has been made possible only through having good relationships and a collaborative approach to working – for the benefit of the Bay of Plenty community.