My priorities
Hutt City Council has three strategic priorities for our city:
- Providing future fit infrastructure
- Enabling a liveable city and vibrant neighbourhoods
- Supporting and enhancing the environment.
I support these priorities and most of the steps Council is taking towards them. There's been some good achievements recently.
However, Council's approach to achieving them has not been sustainable. Substantial change is needed.
My concerns
Progress in recent years has come at huge cost. Council has severe financial problems due to a lack of control over spending and ensuring value for money. Independent experts confirmed we paid too much for our assets.
Council rates and debt have risen alarmingly. While this was primarily to address infrastructure issues, the increases have been more than was necessary. Despite this, the infrastructure backlog has ballooned out and is now several times larger than it was just a few years ago. The situation is unsustainable.
I first blew the whistle on these issues three years ago and have continued to raise concerns since then. I stood for re-election hoping to help turn this around. I'm excited by the prospect of working with our newly elected mayor, Fauono Ken Laban, and councillors to deliver the change needed.
With the establishment of a new regional water entity (Tiaki Wai), the largest financial pressures will be transferred to them. However, the issues for residents and ratepayers remain.
Financial Plan
Action is needed urgently, in fact it's long overdue. Here's the financial plan I promoted for this triennium:
- Reduce Council rates by at least 40%. Council spends 40% of rates on water services. When Tiaki Wai is set up Council rates must drop.
- Cap future rate increases to inflation. They are too high already.
- Rewrite Council's financial strategy. It has failed its objectives.
- Independently review Council's costs. Why have they doubled, what increases were unavoidable, what savings can be made?
- Tighten delegations and controls. No blank cheques. Major spending must be backed by business cases and full public reporting.
- Reduce parking charges. Let's support the vitality of our retail precincts.
My views on other hot topics
Council amalgamations. Community views must be respected. When last surveyed, residents across the Wellington region were strongly against a SuperCity type amalgamation, and even a Hutt Valley merger was not favoured by the majority. It is worth noting that many studies have found that larger councils are not more efficient, and the costs of amalgamating organisations are huge. Council has a big workload ahead to manage the critical transfer of water operations to a new entity, a pending rewrite of district plans, and the RiverLink project. So, let's approach discussions on potential amalgamation cautiously.
Petone parking. I voted against the introduction of paid parking in Petone. I'm open to considering it in the future, but not at a time when cost of living concerns are high, retailers are suffering, and further Jackson Street disruption is planned for pipe replacements. Our City deserves vibrant retail centres. I will push for a review of parking charges in Petone, and the CBD, given the negative impacts some of our shops are experiencing.
Water meters. I was not originally a supporter, as alternate options to secure water supply were more economic. Things have changed due to population growth and the huge increase in the cost of new infrastructure. Waters meters are now an essential part of future planning.
Regional water entity (Tiaki Wai). I've supported the plan to form a new, asset-owning water entity for our metro region. This will enable more borrowing and help fund needed infrastructure works. However, it is concerning that councils are transferring operations running at large losses. The new entity will start on the back foot, having to raise water charges substantially just to balance their books. This makes it all the more important that Hutt City Council reduces rates fairly (i.e. by 40%) when it is no longer responsible for water services.
While it's shocking to most, I'm not surprised by the size of the increases in water charges Tiaki Wai is already signalling. The prices we have been paying for each water services asset replacement have trebled. Unless substantial procurement efficiencies are secured, it is inevitable that charges for water services will rise proportionately.
Māori wards. Effective Māori representation is important. As the Hutt has been well served by Māori councillors in recent years, I was equally balanced been the pros and cons of requiring a separate Māori Ward and abstained from the initial vote. An otherwise unanimous decision to have a Māori Ward was passed by the city's elected representatives. That's democracy, and I support that decision, which has now been confirmed via a binding referendum. I see significant benefits in having our new Māori Ward councillor, Te Awa Puketapu, adding her experience and knowledge to the Council governance team.
Private property issues. Central, regional and local government all impose rules that restrict private property rights, often for important reasons (e.g. ensuring a minimum level of earthquake resilience and safety). At times Councils impose designations that restrict property rights for the enjoyment of others. Examples are heritage designations on residential homes and restricting development of locations identified as significant natural areas. Any rules of this nature should only be considered in full discussion with those affected. That discussion should be supported by a balanced cost/benefit assessment, favour voluntary adoption, and have addressed the issue of compensation for associated losses. Unfortunately, this has not always occurred.
Speed limits. I was against the intention to introduce a 30kph speed limit for the large majority of Hutt streets. Fortunately, this requirement disappeared following the change in government.