What I stand for

While there are many issues that Council still has to address as mentioned in the, ‘what are our issues’ page, I believe there are four larger concerns I feel are important, that help shape HOW we address these, and how successful we are.

If elected, I would bring four key priorities to Council:

Smarter Council finances: Reducing the burden on ratepayers
A healthy Council culture for a healthy community
Protecting our community from top-down changes
Real community engagement and action

Smarter Council Finances: Reducing the Burden on Ratepayers

One of my top priorities as a Horowhenua District Council candidate is finding smarter, more sustainable ways to generate income for our district, so we can ease the financial pressure on ratepayers while still investing in services, infrastructure, and community wellbeing.

Many Councils across Aotearoa New Zealand are already exploring innovative ways to bring in revenue beyond rates. These alternative income streams help share the financial load, future-proof services, and build resilience in times of economic pressure.

What Are Alternative Revenue Streams?

These are income sources that don’t come from rates or government grants. Councils can legally generate income through:

Investments in property, forestry, or shares
Joint ventures with iwi or private businesses
Ownership in council-controlled organisations (CCOs)
Commercial leases and rental income
Renewable energy and infrastructure partnerships
Tourism or event-based revenue

This is sometimes called “non-rates revenue” or “diversified income.”

Real examples from around Aotearoa New Zealand:

Christchurch City Council owns Christchurch City Holdings Ltd (CCHL), which manages assets like the airport, port, electricity lines company, and fibre networks. These generate hundreds of millions in annual returns.
Auckland Council owns shares in Ports of Auckland and Auckland International Airport, bringing in millions to support public transport and infrastructure.
Taupō District Council has invested in geothermal energy projects and commercial forestry, bringing long-term financial and environmental returns.
Queenstown Lakes District Council operates a tourism-based infrastructure fund and looks at public-private partnerships to fund growth.
South Waikato District Council has developed commercial and industrial land to lease to businesses, creating income and jobs.

What Can We Do in Horowhenua?

Currently, Horowhenua District Council relies heavily on rates and central government funding. But it’s time we explore new options, such as:

Investing in native or commercial forestry on underused council land
Creating income-generating housing or business developments
Partnering with Māori landowners, local enterprises, or cooperatives
Exploring solar or wind energy projects for both savings and income
Reviewing Council assets to identify opportunities for better use or development

I believe we can do this ethically, transparently, and sustainably, by making decisions now that meet the needs of our current population without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This means:

Environmental sustainability

Protecting natural resources (like water, soil, air)
Reducing waste and emissions
Planning housing and infrastructure that work with the environment, not against it (e.g. flood-safe areas, energy-efficient buildings)

Economic sustainability

Using Council funds wisely to avoid unnecessary debt
Supporting Council’s plans to champion local businesses and create job opportunities
Investing in projects with long-term benefits, not just short-term wins

Social and cultural sustainability

Ensuring housing, transport, and community services are inclusive and accessible
Recognising and supporting the diverse needs of people (e.g. rangatahi, youth, kaumātua, seniors, tangata whenua, and people with disabilities)
Strengthening community resilience, wellbeing, and connection

It’s about planning for the big picture – environmentally, socially, and financially – so the district thrives for generations to come.

Why This Matters

By growing our income outside of rates and including sustainability in our decisions:

We can keep rates more affordable
Fund better infrastructure, youth programs, community housing, environemntal projects and services
Make Horowhenua more self-sufficient and forward-thinking
Build resilience to economic amd environemntal shocks and inflation

As your councillor, I will push for diversified investments and a clear strategy to explore and implement ethical, sustainable income options, so our district is not just surviving but thriving. Sustainable planning makes sure we don’t just fix short-term problems, but plan for long-term solutions, like safer housing, better transport, cleaner waterways, and stronger support for all ages. It’s about creating a Horowhenua where people and nature thrive together, now and in the future.

2). Priority Two: A Healthy Council Culture for a Healthy Community

One of the key priorities I bring as a candidate is to support a more open, transparent, and people-focused culture within Council. I’ve been approached by multiple members of our community and former or current staff who have shared concerns about the internal culture within Horowhenua District Council. These concerns include issues such as workplace bullying, lack of professional development, poor communication, cost-cutting measures that compromise staff wellbeing, and pay stagnation for lower-income staff, all of which point to wider structural issues.

While elected councillors do not manage staff directly, we are responsible for setting the tone at the top, and the Chief Executive (CE) is the one employee who reports directly to councillors. We are accountable to the public for ensuring that leadership within the organisation reflects our community’s values of fairness, respect, and wellbeing.

The wellbeing of Council staff is directly linked to the wellbeing of the wider community. When people inside an organisation are struggling, it inevitably impacts how well the Council serves the public. If the culture is not functioning as it should internally, this can manifest in poor decision-making, delays in service delivery, and weak communication with the community.

This is why I believe we must take a top-down look at how the organisation is working:

Are we over-reliant on bureaucratic management structures?
Is the current leadership team ensuring fairness and equitable treatment for staff?
Are we investing in the long-term capacity and wellbeing of our team?
Are salary increases and executive pay decisions in step with community values and expectations?

For example, we’ve recently seen redundancies impacting some of the lowest-paid workers in our Council – reportedly around the $25,000–$30,000 annual income level – at the same time that the CE reportedly received a $38,000 pay increase on top of a salary believed to be in the $320,000–$350,000 range. While these figures may be based on external recommendations, we have to ask: do they reflect the reality of our local economy, where the average wage sits around $33,000–$35,000?

While councillors do not manage day-to-day operations, we do oversee the performance and remuneration of the Chief Executive, we do have oversight of leadership decisions. Are we prioritising frontline staff and community wellbeing – or rewarding top-level management while others are struggling?

I want to be clear that this is not about blaming any one person or position. I hold deep respect for our Chief Executive and staff, many of whom are doing a stellar job under immense pressure. This is about making sure we, as a Council, move forward as a united team. If some of us are feeling the pinch from constraints, restructuring, or policy shifts, then we all must be willing to look at how we share both the burdens and the responsibilities fairly.

Council must operate as a team where transparency, accountability, and consistency are core values. It’s reasonable for our community to ask whether executive pay is aligned with local realities, especially in a district where many households earn under $35,000 per year.

If we can’t have these conversations openly, about the fairness and functioning of our public institutions, then we are not truly serving the public at all, and we’re not running a truly democratic council.

The reality is that community trust in Council – its leadership, decisions, and direction – has been eroded to varying degrees. People want to feel heard, respected, and confident that decisions are made in their best interest. I believe this last term’s council has made important progress in that direction, and we now have an opportunity to build on that further, extending transparency and accountability from the top down. Rebuilding trust isn’t a one-time fix; it’s a long-term commitment to consistently acting in the public good.

As a councillor, I will advocate for a fairer and more transparent pay structure, a healthier workplace culture, and greater unity across all levels of council. We cannot build trust with our community if we’re not building trust with each other from the inside out.

How will I achieve this?

Push for a full, independent audit of council salary structures and internal pay equity

So we can understand where disparities exist, including between contractors, staff, and leadership.
Promote transparency around remuneration policies (while respecting individual privacy).

Advocate for a council-wide code of fairness and accountability

This includes expectations around fair decision-making, consistent rules for everyone, and accountability from the top down.
Encourage clear communication to staff and public on how decisions are made and why.

Strengthen internal workplace culture and communication

Propose regular staff and community feedback mechanisms (e.g. anonymous surveys, drop-in kōrero sessions).
Promote staff wellbeing initiatives and professional development opportunities.

Improve public access and transparency

Support clear public reporting, and easier access to documents (in plain language).
Hold quarterly public forums where leadership answers community questions openly.

Support strong leadership, not blame

My aim is not to target any individuals, but to ensure that all of us – councillors, CEO, staff, and community – are rowing in the same direction, with fairness and integrity.

Starting Points if Elected:

Call for an open review of staff policies and contractor arrangements
Work with fellow councillors to implement a fairness charter
Introduce a “Trust Tracker”: a community-facing dashboard showing progress on rebuilding trust
Launch a “Council Open Day” where residents can come meet staff and councillors and ask questions face-to-face.

3). Priority Three: Protecting Our Community from Top-Down Changes

What’s Changing:

In 2024, the National/ACT coalition removed the “four wellbeings” – social, cultural, environmental, and economic – from the purpose of local government under the Local Government Act. This means councils are no longer legally required to consider the wellbeing of their communities in decisions.

At the same time, central government is:

Refocusing Councils on ‘core services’ only (roads, water, rubbish),
Increasing compliance, scrutiny and reporting,
Repealing Three Waters reforms, shifting responsibility back to Councils with less national support,
Changing Resource Management laws to allow central override if local decisions are seen as restricting economic growth.

Why This Matters:

These reforms weaken local democracy, strip councils of flexibility, and undermine our ability to meet the real needs of our people.

They limit:

Investment in local mental health, community connection, and cultural initiatives,
Our ability to plan for climate change, resilience, and safe housing,
True partnerships with iwi, hapū, and community organisations,
The space for Councils to lead on local wellbeing – which affects whānau, tamariki, kaumatua, renters and ratepayers every day.

Council must not become just a “budget manager” for central government. We are here to serve people — and wellbeing is not optional.

What We Can Still Do

Although the wellbeing mandate is no longer required by law, it is not banned, and there is still plenty we can do locally:

Keep wellbeing front and centre in Council planning

We can embed wellbeing in:

Our Long-Term Plan (LTP) and Annual Plans
Community Outcomes goals (e.g. “a connected, thriving, resilient Horowhenua”)
Council strategies (e.g. climate action, youth development, inclusion, housing)

This allows us to frame vital work under existing powers like:

“Community development”
“Infrastructure resilience”
“Parks, libraries and recreation”
“Public safety”
“Arts and events”

We can also push for Wellbeing Impact Assessments on major decisions – just like environmental ones – to ensure social, cultural, and community outcomes are factored in.

Create local tools for accountability and resilience

We can’t rely on Wellington to protect Horowhenua. Let’s take charge of what we can control:

Launch a Community Wellbeing Tracker: Transparently show how rates and council activity support quality of life outcomes.
Establish a Wellbeing Advisory Group made up of community reps, iwi, youth, seniors, health professionals, and educators.
Look at community grants for small, grassroots wellbeing initiatives.
Hold public wellbeing forums quarterly to hear directly from residents.
Set a local Wellbeing Charter – a voluntary commitment to uphold the spirit of the four wellbeings, even if it’s no longer mandated.

Forge stronger local partnerships

Central government may reduce support, but we can strengthen our networks:

Work closely with iwi, hapū, marae, schools, mental health groups, arts orgs, and local organisations to co-design and deliver local wellbeing solutions.
Develop youth-led initiatives and panels to give voice to young people in shaping Horowhenua’s future.
Embed tikanga Māori and mana whenua partnerships in all community development strategies.

Advocate and push back politically

Support those calling for the return of the four wellbeings to the Local Government Act.
Lead a motion from council to write to the Minister demanding the reinstatement of wellbeing in local government law.
Educate the public: Many don’t know that councils are no longer required to act on wellbeing. Let’s change that.
Work with other councils to lobby for flexible implementation of reforms that actually support -not hinder -local priorities.

My Commitment:

As a councillor, I will defend Horowhenua’s right to shape our own future -not have it dictated to us from Wellington. I will:

Embed wellbeing in all Council decision-making.
Advocate boldly when policies harm our people.
Collaborate locally to fill the gaps central government leaves behind.
Put people at the centre of Council – where they belong.

4) Priority Four: Make Community Engagement Real – Not a Box to Tick

Many community voices feel ignored and sidelined, or reduced to photo ops. Some feel that surveys go nowhere. While some steps have been taken to improve engagement, often our residents still tell us they aren’t heard, their complaints aren’t followed up, and decisions are made without real consideration of their lived experience.

Real engagement means more than just showing up for photos or collecting feedback. It means:

Listening deeply,
Following up honestly, and
Acting meaningfully.

It’s about building long-term trust, not just hosting one-off events.

As a councillor, I will:

Push for real accountability from every department on how community feedback is used, not just gathered,
Support co-design processes where we can reach most of the community and not just some to have genuine input into decisions,
Advocate for clear communication about how and why decisions are made,
Promote engagement strategies that build ongoing relationships- not just engagement moments, and
Help mend the distrust and broken relationships that exist in the community.

Horowhenua deserves a council that hears, responds, and delivers.

How to do it:

Neighbourhood Hui / Forums

Regular, localised meetings in different parts of the district- hosted by councillors and staff -not just in council chambers.
Held at accessible times and venues (e.g. marae, schools, libraries, halls).
Use skilled facilitators to make it inclusive and safe for everyone to speak.
Co-host with community leaders and groups people already trust.

Work with Groups Already Doing the Mahi

Te Whare Mahana, Kai Club, Levin Uniting Church, and the Salvation Army are some of our groups already delivering vital community support -let’s strengthen and fund what works instead of reinventing the wheel.
These groups already have the trust, infrastructure, and reach to deliver where Council often struggles.

True Listening on Real Issues

People want a say on:
- Stormwater and flood protection,
- What to do with the landfill,
- Better environmental care: Learn from projects like Zero Waste Ōtaki, and
- More sustainable recycling and waste options.
Consult on a project from the start, as its progressing and its nearly finished -involve people.

Participatory Budgeting

When possible, let the community vote on a portion of the local budget for local projects.
Workshops to co-design ideas, shortlist, and then let residents choose what gets funded on some projects.
Builds transparency, trust, and a sense of ownership.
Ensure working groups are well advertised and easy to join.

Follow-up Reports After Feedback

Always report back: “You said this… here’s what we did.”
Publish updates online and in community newsletters.
When the answer is “we can’t do this right now,” explain why clearly.

Two-Way Communication Tools

Use apps (like Facebook polls) where people can give feedback AND see responses.
Run online Q&A sessions with councillors and staff.
Translate key materials into Te Reo and relevant community languages.

Community Advisory Panels

Widen and continue groups that already meet to provide input.
Include more members of the community.
Support this great council intiative that’s already being tested.
Use diverse channels to communicate: social media, noticeboards, community radio, and trusted local groups.

Walkabouts and “Listen-ins”

Councillors and staff visit key areas (e.g. town centres, markets, kura, sports clubs) to listen.
Don’t make people come to council – we go to them.
Wear Council name tags, take notes, be visible and open.

Transparent Metrics

Publish community satisfaction data in plain language.
Show how decisions were made — and where public input shifted things.
Celebrate changes that came from engagement, not just internal decisions.

Creative Co-Design

Invite residents to help design policies, spaces, or services.
Use art, story-sharing, drawing workshops to involve people who may not fill out surveys.
This is especially good for youth and marginalised groups.

Engagement Champions

Train council staff and volunteers as “engagement champions” from different communities.
They can spread the word, gather feedback, and bridge communication gaps.

Independent Engagement Audits

Invite an external organisation or citizen panel to review how council engages -not just whether you did it, but whether it worked.
Publish the results and act on them.

It’s important to work hard and close the gap that creates mistrust and disconnection. Real engagement means: power-sharing, supporting trusted community leaders, being honest and transparent and listening before the decision is made – not after.