The Ahuriri Ward is the most highly contested ward in this year’s local body elections, with nine candidates competing for three seats.

Last night, the Ahuriri Business Association and the Rotary Club of Ahuriri Sunrise hosted a candidates debate at the Napier Sailing Club, moderated by outgoing Deputy Mayor Annette Brosnan.

Only six of the nine candidates were present, with Karl Goodchild, Louise Burnside and Benjamin Newport all absent. Those attending all made a brief two-minute introductory pitch to the audience outlining why they had chosen to run for council, before a series of curly questions was put to them.

First up was ACT candidate Iain Bradley, a former policeman, pilot and officer in the Royal New Zealand Navy. He emphasises that these roles all involved trust and leadership. Today he works in commercial real estate. He argued that rate payers are being let down, with declining services and rising rates. “Get the basics right, fix roads, water, rubbish first. Stop wasteful spending. No more vanity projects.”

He was asked about balancing fiscal responsibility and property rights with natural hazard risks, to which he said we must build on safe grounds that can be proven beyond all reasonable doubt to be safe and that the developer bears the cost of any safeguarding works. He added, “We need to target other areas … the flat land is at risk.”

Juliet Greig was second up, and said her top three priorities were clean and safe streets and roads, improved intersections and protecting the environment from pollution and rubbish. To save money council could let go of commercial facilities and reduce funding for external organisations. 

She was asked about Māori wards and said the wards system was the fairest that councillors could make it given all the factors. Māori Wards were democratic and were needed to redress the balance of the historical lack of Māori representation.

Keith Price, a former police investigator and two term councillor for the Ahuriri ward noted he was currently the chair of Sustainable Napier and also on the roading transport committee. He talked about upcoming changes to the transport network and why keeping some experience on council was important. “It’s a big truck to drive,” he said.

He was also asked about safety concerns on high-traffic streets, to which he responded that he would undertake a traffic and parking survey of the Ahuriri area, which he said didn’t “flow” and could be made safer and more user friendly.

Lyndal Johansonn was next, a first-time candidate and Napier local who has worked on road safety education with council. She emphasises economic common sense, accountability for spending and evidence-based decision-making. She would be a “fresh voice” who would implement the recommendations of the Cyclone Gabrielle inquiries, make roads safer, expand housing and address homelessness.

She was asked about how she would be effective in her first term, to which she said she would be a team-player on council and had no personal agendas.

Then came Roger Brownlie, a retailer and local who emphasised his business and governance experience. He talked about fiscal responsibility and rates rises: It wasn’t a “fair go” and that council had been irresponsible. He did not support expelling waste and stormwater in the Bay and said that instead it ought to be stored and used for other opportunities.

He was also asked about how he would support economic growth. He said resource consents could be done more quickly and efficiently.

Last up was sitting councillor and small business owner Sally Crown, who emphasised her strong governance experience both inside and outside council, including as the current chair of the HB Hawkes. She recounted the deliveries made during her two terms including water investment and the long-term investment fund. 

She commented that “It’s really concerning to me to hear standing councillors talk about a lack of transparency and really misguide people I feel, around the fact there may not be collective decision-making happening at Council. We totally embrace the latest Ombudsman’s report.”

Quick-fire questions followed for all candidates. All agreed that housing developments on at-risk land should go ahead as long as all the necessary engineering and mitigation works were feasible but some noted it was a “big question”.

All agreed that user-pays water metering should be introduced, but there was a disagreement over the question of Māori wards. Iain Bradley and Roger Brownlie opposed them, while Juliet Greig, Lyndal Johansonn and Sally Crown all supported them. Keith Price said he would go with whatever the results of the referendum were. 

Each candidate was offered one minute for closing remarks, and this is where some of the strongest comments were made. 

Sally Crown said that the next term was going to “define local government in New Zealand”, given central government’s rhetoric around regional councils. “Ninety-six point-one percent of our expenditure is already allocated and being used for core council business, and that is as defined by the coalition government”. Keith Price supported Crown’s comments about core services by saying that Napier was “miles ahead” of other councils in that respect and spoke about the improvements already made to the city’s waters.

Iain Bradley, on the other hand, said we were at a crucial point in Napier’s governance, which was was fundamentally spending more than it’s bringing in. “We are $67 million dollars in debt now, forecast to grow to greater than $300 million in the next five-to-six-years. That is a legacy that will pass to our children and our grandchildren. As we look at cities around the world that go bust, we have to have a steady hand and be sensible and make the right choices … it should be reflected upon, we are where we are today with our current sitting councillors, but we must look to a new group to move this city forward on a sound financial footing.”

The debate can be viewed on the Ahuriri Business Association’s Facebook Page.