Mayoral Candidates

Marcus Buddo
Rates should rise by about inflation, otherwise they become ever more unaffordable for people. Getting rates increases down will be the biggest focus of my mayoralty, and I have a financial plan available here: baybuzz.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/e25-marcus-buddo-Finance-Plan-for-Hastings-District-Council.pdf to achieve this.

While I support the principle of a cap, any legislation must be workable. It must allow councils the flexibility to respond to major disasters. A rigid cap that stops us from rebuilding after a cyclone would be a reckless, short-sighted policy.

Steve Gibson
Yes — I support rate caps, and it’s a key policy in my campaign. Councils must live within their means, just like households. Without a cap, they treat ratepayers like an open chequebook. A legislative cap tied to inflation would force smarter spending and stop the cycle of double-digit increases all the current councillors voted for.

Damon Harvey
We simply need to reduce the burden on rate payers! My immediate focus will be delivering a revised 2026 annual budget with a lower rate rise. We’re a large land area at over 5000km2 and it’s expensive to maintain. If there’s a rate cap – then we need Government to also step up and help us deliver the essentials. We should also lobby government to pay rates on their assets (they don’t!) in Hastings and also that we get a local-share of GST on new land developments. That’s worth more than $10m in revenue a year. It is vital too that we don’t stop the momentum of supporting and growing the economy and backing local businesses. There’s been significant investment into the CBD’s of Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere and it’s now time to maximise this and attract new businesses and the higher earning jobs that come with them.

Wendy Schollum
Pressure on councils to deliver value is entirely fair. Families across Hastings are hurting from the rising cost of groceries, fuel, power – and rates. But rate capping is a blunt instrument that takes away local choice without fixing the real problem.

In the very places on which this idea is being modelled (New South Wales and Victoria) capping rates has led to deferred infrastructure, crumbling services, and less local say. That’s the path Hastings can’t afford, especially during cyclone recovery.

Here in Hastings, we’ve shown what happens when decisions are made locally, with our people. When New Zealand was in the grips of a housing crisis, our Council brought together government, iwi and private industry to unlock millions in external funding and speed up housing delivery. The result? The number of people in emergency accommodation reduced by more than 75%. That’s fewer kids growing up in motels and more homes for seniors to downsize to, creating supply for families.

Rate capping would hand bureaucrats in Wellington the power to override what Hastings people ask for in their own community. If locals want to prioritise fixing pipes, building housing infrastructure, or protecting services, those choices could be blocked if they fall outside a government-set cap.

What I support is genuine accountability, not caps. Hastings’ ratepayers deserve to see where every dollar goes, to hold us to account, and to expect discipline with their money. As Mayor, I’ll keep squeezing waste out of the budget and make every dollar work harder, but I won’t back a cap that forces Hastings to ask Wellington for permission before we can invest in our own future.

Darrin Wilson
No reply

Council Candidates

Kevin Watkins
No…but there could be a good argument to look at capping spending on Non core Council spending.

Jacqueline Supra
The issue isn’t rates – it’s spending. Rate increases are outpacing inflation and household incomes. I support minimising spending and rates by prioritising water, roads, and essential infrastructure. Responsible spending, not rates caps, is the real solution.

Derek Nowell-Usticke
No, as every single council in NZ will have different challenges that sometimes will require huge expenditure and sometimes will be able to make huge savings. Councillors must be fiscally responsible and not look for ways to spend money that is not necessary.

Bevan O’Connor
No — we should cap wasteful spending, not rates. A blanket cap risks cutting essential services.

Siiam Daniel
Unless central government is willing to provide genuine financial support, I do not believe rates should be capped by legislation. There are too many variables at play, a growing population that needs infrastructure, the rising costs of materials and services, and the impacts of inflation. 

Growth comes with a cost, and it’s unrealistic to expect councils to deliver for expanding communities under a legislation cap. According to BayBuzz, Hastings, the district’s population grew by 5.4% between 2018 and 2023 (an additional 4,428 people) and is projected to increase by 16% by 2048, reaching almost 94,600 people the fastest growth rate in Hawke’s Bay, That growth requires major investment in housing, roading, water, and community infrastructure. I do believe councils must think outside the box to reduce the burden on ratepayers. 

This means exploring new income streams, shared services agreements, regional collaboration, joint procurement, and targeted cost reviews. By diversifying revenue, improving efficiency, and building stronger partnerships with iwi, central government, and private investors, we can meet the needs of a growing district without unfairly loading costs onto households. 

A blunt legislative cap would only weaken services and delay investment.

Rion Roben
On paper, capping rates, whether it is tied to inflation or GDP, sounds appealing. But in reality, it’s a pipe dream.With the historical debt we’ve already incurred and the level of underinvestment in infrastructure, I don’t believe a blanket legislative cap is practical or realistic, not without someone else stepping in to foot the bill.

Instead of rate caps, what we really need is a culture shift inside the council. One where we prioritise core services, and stop chasing feel-good legacy projects that we can’t afford. I think residents (myself included) are tired of seeing rate rises year after year while still wondering whether the basics are being looked after.

The truth is, core services aren’t glamorous. There’s no photo op in front of a new water pipe, no ribbon to cut when you upgrade a stormwater system. But those are the things that keep our communities functioning and for too long, we’ve placed too much emphasis on the visible, the ceremonial.

If there’s one message I keep coming back to, it’s this. We need to live within our means.

Pagen Goldstone
I don’t think council rates should be capped by legislation. However, I do believe rates should increase gradually and in line with inflation, so they remain fair and predictable for ratepayers while still allowing councils to fund essential services and infrastructure.

Yvonne Lorkin
This is such a prickly one, but I feel rate capping should be a last resort, not something legislated by central government. Absolutely we need to keep rates affordable, but not at the cost of letting our infrastructure crumble or of hollowing out local services. You’re never going to please all sides, but a one-size-fits-all cap kind of undermines local democracy don’t you think? Councils (should) know the realities of their own communities, whether that’s coping with population growth, preparing for climate impacts, or recovering from natural disasters like Gabrielle or the Napier floods. Tying their hands through legislation risks leaving them unable to respond to local needs in the way we need them to. But shoot, my latest rates bill for the year was $5612. The year before it was $4135. That’s one heck of a 36% bump right? So I get why capping council rates appeals. Who doesn’t want relief from steep annual hikes? Who doesn’t want certainty if you’re on a fixed income? Who doesn’t want their local council to be more efficient with their spending? But the evidence from places like Victoria, California, and the UK shows that rigid caps can end up costing communities like ours far more in the long run. Why? Because when you don’t let councils grow revenue, they’ll tend to defer essential infrastructure work, cut community services, and potentially (but hopefully not) shift costs into less transparent fees and charges. Over time, this erodes the very things that make our district livable. Things like safe roads, functioning stormwater and sewerage systems, libraries, public toilets, sports facilities, and well-maintained parks and pathways.

Sarah Greening
The question of whether council rates should be capped is not simple. Every council faces unique challenges and priorities, and a one-size-fits-all cap could be unfair or limit essential services. I believe this is a decision the public should have a say in through a referendum, so that communities can weigh the pros and cons based on their own needs and circumstances. Rates should be fair, transparent, and reflect the needs of each community—not dictated by blanket legislation.

Bernard Hickey
No as a universal legislation cap is not going to work for all Councils unless all are treated equally, which we know they cannot. If HDC can manage its fiscal budgeting and actual spend more prudently than it has in the past, then Rates can be held at inflation or CPI. HDC needs to spend within its means like a normal household and look at preventative measures and manage its risk better.

Nick Ratcliffe
I grew up in a town that was killed by commercial rates rises following the global financial crisis. I never want to see that happen here. That’s why my focus is on building wealth in the community so we can all afford to pay our rates. If we think that rate rises need to be capped to inflation by legislation in Wellington, then what we actually need is for real wages to improve at or above the rate of inflation. That’s how we pay off our debts and afford the things we want and need as a community.

John Bennett
“Let’s be honest, no one has enough money and every department, home and business needs more. But there is no point getting worked up over these increases, they will never go down and I see that the % increases for the next 3 years have already been decided we can’t fight or change this we need to find ways to firstly put enough money into family pockets so they can afford it while we look at ways the council can cover its own costs. And we need to do this now. And those who can afford it should pay it, so the council can redistribute it to those who need our help the most. Think of it as doing your part for your community . And let me be clear here. I will not let a single family lose their homes because of a debt to the council rates but we do need to work together and pay for what we can with what we can”

Cappers

Michael Fowler
It is central government’s right to govern, and introduce legislation, such as rates capping which will occur at the end of 2025. I am not fazed by this at all – and would happily work with this legislation. With many things in society there is often sound rationality in why they are introduced. Hastings District Council’s Long Term Plan signals two 10% rate rises for the 26/27 and 27/28 rating years. This cannot occur – with rate-capping or not, people on fixed incomes and low incomes are struggling.

If I am elected, and hopefully one of three present councillors standing for mayor are as well, they would allow me to lead this work like I did with councillors approving more than $5.4 million of council operational savings over the 24 to 26 financial years. Looking for the additional savings needed in these years does not mean “cleaning out the building” as at least one mayoral aspirant seems to be advocating – but targeting areas and looking if we should be doing an activity ‒ and who should be paying for it. However, keeping rate rises to the level of Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation will likely result in a reduction of services beyond our core activities, and ratepayers should be fully consulted about what they would like to lose or have reduced as part of this process. This is because local government inflation can be very different from the CPI figure e.g. bitumen, water infrastructure of pipes etc. Therefore, if these costs cause council spending to exceed CPI inflation or the rate capping amount, some tough choices will have to be made, unless the legislation allows to rate beyond a consumer CPI figure in special circumstances – including another weather event.

Simon Nixon
I think HDC rates have become unaffordable for many. Certainly Cyclone Gabriel has contributed significantly to cost increases but something does need to be done to control rates. Rates capping is one option but another might be to give citizens more power on spending decisions especially on nice to have non essential projects. Typically submissions number perhaps 1% of ratepayers or residents and a polling system such as was apparently employed by Wanganui some years ago would more accurately guide council on spending proposals.

Henare O’Keefe
If council rates are able to be capped I think they should. Helps prevent sharp increases in household expenses, especially for low – income and fixed – income residents.

Hanna Montaperto-Hendry
Capping our rates – sure in theory HOWEVER unless central government will inject more money into local government alongside the legislation that they so lavishly pour onto council I’m unsure how this would work at all in reality. After government assertion or direction of, must do “core services” (YTBD) being provided has been obliged, the choices of what to cut, may leave a deeper wound than one expects.

Alwyn Corban
What is the detail of this proposal?
Is it all rates?, including targeted rates for response to crises (such as Cyclone Gabrielle or the Havelock North Water crisis) or new and special projects that have community support through consultation (such as a Coastal Hazards response)?
If so, then I don’t think rates should be capped by legislation. That would mean Council (and the community) couldn’t hold the line. If it is capping rates, at a workable level, for Business as Usual, then OK.

Lucie-Jane McElwee
I do. Council spending has got out of control and residents are under pressure to pay rates and daily essentials like food and power. If we have a social conscience we must limit rate rises to the inflation rate. This would go a long way to reining in council, stop non-essential spending and bring back financial discipline. In addition residents have a strong awareness that continued and excessive rate rises are contributing to the inflation rate. Fair rates increases must be at the inflation rate.

Rizwaana Latiff
Rates are rising faster than many households can afford, so I do believe there’s a strong case for capping them through legislation – but only if it’s done sensibly. A cap would force councils to prioritise spending, improve efficiency, and look for alternative revenue streams instead of automatically turning to ratepayers.

Any cap must still allow flexibility for genuine emergencies, such as natural disasters, where additional funding is unavoidable. In those situations, councils should be able to advocate to central government for extra funding – after all, central government is sustained by our taxes, and it should step up to support local communities in times of need.

The real solution is better fiscal discipline, transparency, and innovative funding – so councils live within their means while protecting ratepayers from relentless increases.

Wafflers

Heather Te Au Skipworth
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.

Elisha Milmine
This is a complex issue, and in my opinion, there are strong arguments on both sides. While rate caps can offer financial relief to ratepayers and encourage greater fiscal discipline within councils, they may also limit a council’s ability to deliver essential services and lead to delays in critical infrastructure maintenance and repairs.

No reply
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