Introducing citizens’ assemblies will “bring real people into the big
decisions”, says district council candidate Nick Ratcliffe. “Fewer
councillors and more public participation will save money, give better
outcomes, and strengthen our democracy in the long run.”

Keeping council spending local is another policy of father-of-two Nick’s,
who will be standing in the Hastings-Havelock North General Ward.

“Any candidate who tells you that they are going to reduce rates is lying.
I’m 42 years old, I’ve lived in 5 different countries on 4 different
continents, and I have never seen rates go down anywhere. This
Council tells us they’re in $400m of debt, on track to $700m by 2030, as
if that’s OK. It’s not OK. Wages are miserable for ordinary people and
now they don’t even keep up with inflation. Council can’t keep pumping
the gas pedal if the tank is empty. We need to fill up the tank.”

Nick advocates for the “Preston Model” of Community Wealth Building,
named after the English city that urgently revitalised itself following the
global financial crisis. That revitalisation was driven by a Council that led
a coalition of local institutions in prioritising local businesses and Living
Wage employers in their training and procurement policies. In just 4
years, wages in the city went up, then kids started doing better in school,
while unemployment and in-work poverty fell. Nick believes a similar
approach could help Hastings recover from its multi-million-dollar
cyclone debt.

“Hastings can be a place where everyone thrives together but currently
there are systemic barriers holding us back, primarily an eye-watering
wealth gap and supply chains that extract wealth from the hard work of
Hastings people and send the profits elsewhere.”

He says the answer is to elect “future-focused leaders with bold,
community-first ideas”.

“My vision for Hastings is simple and achievable,” Nick says.

“An attractive, thriving city where people want to live, work, and go out.
Where everyone is treated fairly, and we all live long, healthy lives. A city
of vibrant public spaces, safe transport options, clean air and water, and
wealth dispersed through the community. An economy that serves the
community, not a community that serves the economy.”

Ratcliffe brings with him a background in Sustainable Land Management
and customer service, with experience working in agriculture and the
trades. These days, he works for a local charitable trust supporting
families in need. A former Playcentre dad, he describes himself as a
“dedicated tangata Tiriti and a tireless advocate for fairness and equality
in the community.”

In the 2023 general election he stood for the Green Party in the Tukituki
electorate and achieved a ranking of #25 on the party’s list.

“I’ve chosen to stand in this election because I love Hastings, it is the
town that I call home, and it is the town that my kids will always call
home.”