1. HDC has struggled over allocating land to housing/industrial development versus protecting productive soils in the district. Do you believe the right decisions are being made?
Yes I voted to protect our productive soils
2. HDC plans to spend $80 million over the next three years to improve water infrastructure? Is this appropriate and who should pay?
Water infrastructure is critical to the health, resilience, and future growth of our communities. While our council has already made significant investments in upgrading this infrastructure, it’s clear that ongoing support is needed. Ideally, the Government should be a stronger partner in this space, and I believe Council must actively advocate for greater central government contribution to ensure we can meet both current and future demands.
3. Name 2-3 specific HDC projects, policies or spends over the past three years with which you personally disagree.
- Development contributions need revising to reflect growth paying for growth.
- Local Waters Done Well, I voted against this, because water is a human right and should never be used as a monetary resource.
4. Should residential water metering be introduced in the Hastings District?
Access to water is a human right therefore I have grave concerns:
- There is a huge cost of living crisis
- If the people can’t afford to pay for their water meter bill, will that get cut off like if you don’t pay your power bill.
- Water is a source of life, not a resource for making money.
- Water meters should only be used to detect water leaks
5. Do you believe councils’ rates should be ‘capped’ by legislation?
I believe we cannot continue increasing rates at the pace we have been. With many households already under financial pressure, it’s vital that we approach the next Annual Plan and Long Term Plan with care and discipline. We must also take a hard look at where savings can be made—revisiting current spending and ensuring that every dollar is delivering value for our community.
As a flood-stricken region, there is still significant recovery work ahead following Cyclone Gabrielle. While we’re closer to the end of that journey than the beginning, key infrastructure and community assets still need to be repaired. Council must continue to strongly advocate to central government for additional funding to help us finish the job and build greater resilience for the future.
6. Do you personally support retaining Māori seats at your council table?
I wholeheartedly support Māori Wards,
“Having Māori at the decision-making table isn’t about inclusion as a favour—it’s about honoring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and embracing the deep knowledge and responsibility Māori bring to protect our people, our land, and our future. It’s not just about representation; it’s about transforming our systems to be more just, inclusive, and truly reflect Aotearoa’s shared heritage.”
There is beauty within Te Tiriti o Waitangi that is yet to be explored.
7. Does Hawke’s Bay need five councils, or do you support amalgamation, in any form?
I believe the conversation around council amalgamation is both timely and necessary. As our region continues to face complex challenges—from climate resilience to infrastructure and growth—it’s worth revisiting the potential benefits and opportunities that a more unified council structure could offer, particularly in improving coordination, efficiency, and long-term planning..
8. Would you support Councils appointing an independent “Hawke’s Bay Auditor General” to monitor councils’ spending and programme performance?
Rather than focusing on creating another oversight role, I believe we first need to look at how well we’re engaging our communities in the processes we already have—like the Annual Plan and Long Term Plan. I’m not convinced we’ve exhausted all avenues to ensure our people truly understand what these plans are, how they work, or how they can have a say.
While I acknowledge that council staff have made genuine efforts to communicate with the public, we need to do more. We should be investing in better, more accessible ways to connect with a wider cross-section of our community. Building understanding and trust starts with meaningful engagement—not just monitoring.
