1. NCC plans to spend $701 million through to 2034 to improve water infrastructure. Is this appropriate and who should pay?
Yes, this investment is appropriate as water infrastructure is a core responsibility of the council. The costs will ultimately fall on ratepayers, as maintaining and improving essential services like water supply and wastewater is fundamental to community wellbeing.
2. Does Napier need a new aquatic centre? If so, where?
Napier does need to consider a new aquatic centre, but it remains a contentious issue due to the high cost and the pressure it places on ratepayers. Although the project has been approved, I believe it is appropriate to delay it for now. With many families struggling to cope with rising living costs, committing large sums at this time doesn’t seem fair.
Given this is a significant investment and considering the council has already spent a large amount maintaining the current aquatic centre, we have time to postpone the project until financial conditions improve.
From a financial perspective, building the aquatic centre on a new site not only saves between $50 and $70 million (costs ratepayers simply cannot afford), but it also means the community would continue to have access to the existing aquatic centre and its services. Ultimately, this approach would provide the community with an additional free-to-use area in Onekawa, such as a park or sports grounds.
Decisions like this should be supported by a community referendum. The current council is also working on a citizens’ assembly focused on the aquatic centre, which is a form of engagement and is due to start in September.
Any project costing over $10 million(or an amount to be decided) should be put to a public vote to ensure it has genuine community backing.
3. Do you support NCC continuing to dump partially treated wastewater into Hawke Bay?
I understand concerns about wastewater dumping, but it’s important to note that Napier uses biological trickling filters and milliscreens to treat wastewater, with solids removed and sent to landfill. There are four types of wastewater treatment, and
currently, Napier’s system is one step down from the best.
The system has been designed to allow for tertiary treatment in the future, which would involve adding UV treatment. I support moving toward that when feasible.
Wastewater management is core council business. While it’s essential we get these systems built right, we also need to be pragmatic. Budgets aren’t unlimited, and we may have to make sacrifices in other areas to fund essential infrastructure properly.
4. Name 2-3 specific NCC projects, policies or spends over the past three years with which you personally disagree.
● Representation Review – The decision to keep the ward system instead of moving to a vote-at-large system. I believe the at-large system is far better as it gives voters more choice rather than being confined to voting only a small number of candidates within their ward. We could have up to 11 choices out of a pool of 22 candidates, instead of 3.
● As a resident of Napier, I have had, like most of us, real concerns about the Civic Building and Library Project, particularly around the necessity and escalating cost of the rebuild. While I acknowledge that the current council inherited this project, I do believe there has been sufficient time to pause, reassess, or amend.
I also understand that council is working on communicating a clearer breakdown of the project’s costs. This will be important for residents, as greater transparency will help the community see exactly how the money is being allocated.
Since 14 February 2023, the financial landscape has changed significantly. With many ratepayers already struggling, we must reconsider some of our future projects and whether they are still appropriate to proceed as planned. It’s essential to question if we can delay certain projects or find ways to reduce costs. The situation has changed, and our planning needs to adapt accordingly. At the very least, we need to seriously consider adjusting our approach to ensure we are acting responsibly and fairly toward our community.
5. Do you support building homes in these two areas – Riverbend Road, Ahuriri Station?
I support the need for more housing in Napier, but I don’t have enough detailed information yet about the specific Riverbend Road and Ahuriri Station sites to fully endorse or oppose development there. My main concern is flood risk, and I want to be assured that any housing built in these areas will be adequately protected from events like a 1-in-500-year flood.
We can learn from examples like the North Sea Flood in the 1960s in Holland, where despite massive devastation and loss of life, the community rebuilt with strong engineering solutions to protect their land. This shows it’s possible to manage flood risk effectively with the right planning and infrastructure.
6. Should residential water metering be introduced in Napier?
I do not support charging households for water usage. Water is a precious resource and it shouldn’t be commodified or charged for at the residential level.
That said, I do support introducing residential water meters as a tool to help conserve water and identify leaks in the system.
Personal water use is relatively low compared to industrial and agricultural consumption, so charging households may not significantly reduce overall water use, but metering can still promote better management.
7. Do you personally support retaining Māori seats at your council table?
If my fellow Māori candidates were running in a general ward, I have no doubt they could be successfully elected. They are strong candidates with a lot to offer, and I know that people – regardless of background – would see their qualities and vote for them. At the end of the day, we can’t appeal to everyone, and sometimes decisions come down to something as simple as whether a voter likes our photo or not.
I realise this answer won’t appeal to some without a definitive yes or no. However, we are not a monolithic people, and having a more balanced view does not mean I am against Māori wards. On the contrary, I fully support Māori representation in all its forms, and I believe we have many strong pathways to achieve it.
I do not wish to influence anyone in the upcoming referendum. Ultimately, I will support whatever outcome the people of Napier decide, whether that is to keep the Māori Ward or to remove it.
If the ward is removed, I do not believe this will negatively affect Māori representation. We live in 2025, in a far more progressive country than in decades past, where Māori are excelling and representing all of us across communities. Māori are already stepping forward into leadership and governance roles, and doing so successfully. It’s important we recognise that too.
I don’t believe designated seats are the only way to ensure Māori have a strong voice at the table, because that representation is happening. We have capable leaders who are stepping up, and the only limits are the ones we place on ourselves.
Most importantly, we as Māori need to continue raising our children with the knowledge that they are capable and can achieve anything they set their mind to, while supporting them to do so. With that strength, our future generations will continue to confidently step into leadership roles and change the way things “once were.”
Whatever the referendum result, I believe Māori will continue to succeed in open elections and contribute strongly to leadership in our communities.
8. Do you believe councils’ rates should be ‘capped’ by legislation?
Yes, I support capping council rates through legislation. I understand some councils are concerned that a cap could be limiting, but the public’s frustration with rising rates shows we need stronger safeguards particularly while times are tough. A cap would help ensure councils focus on core responsibilities and avoid unnecessary duplication of government services. While there will always be important local projects, ratepayers deserve assurance that their money is spent wisely and within clear limits particularly while times are tough.
9. Does Hawke’s Bay need five councils, or do you support amalgamation, in any form?
No, I don’t support amalgamation. Both the 1999 and 2015 referendums showed a clear “no” from voters in Napier. My focus is on reducing costs and improving services, not on revisiting an issue the community has already decided.
10. Would you support Councils appointing an independent “Hawke’s Bay Auditor General” to monitor councils’ spending and programme performance?
No, I do not support appointing an independent “Hawke’s Bay Auditor General.” There is already a national Auditor-General in place, and adding another layer would increase costs unnecessarily. We don’t need more councils or additional bureaucracy; we need existing councils to focus on keeping costs down.
A local audit office risks duplicating functions already handled by central government, which is something we should avoid.
