If you want it
Here’s the biggest issue in the upcoming election season: TRUST.
Trust between our communities and their representatives has eroded significantly. The hundreds of comments and emails BayBuzz receives confirm this—ratepayers are frustrated, angry, suspicious, and demanding accountability.
Our current BayBuzz poll (releasing later in June) reveals deep voter dissatisfaction with council performance.
For reasons both personal and political, already 11 current councillors and a mayor have signalled their intention to step down. And the official nomination window hasn’t yet opened. We could see the largest opening for new leadership in recent memory.
Meanwhile, those incumbents who ARE seeking re-election face a challenging environment. Voters are in no mood to reward business-as-usual politics.
The issues driving this discontent are complex and consequential: Council budgets under extreme pressure. Contentious debates over rates, water services, and dam projects. Ongoing tensions around Māori representation. Difficult decisions about managing regional growth while protecting our environment. The desperate need for better collaboration between councils.
This creates an extraordinary moment: New candidates have a real chance to win, but they’ll inherit these massive challenges on day one. Meanwhile, voters have an unusual opportunity to reshape their councils’ direction—if they know enough about the candidates to choose wisely.
The Problem We’re Solving
Here’s the hard truth: nearly 60% of eligible Hawke’s Bay voters won’t participate in October’s election. They’ll opt out entirely.
Those who do vote often struggle to cut through candidates’ mushy platitudes to understand where they truly stand on the issues that matter most—rates, water services, dams, regional growth, environmental protection, and council collaboration.
But where will you find quality, in-depth local election reporting? The answer is increasingly “nowhere”— unless we act.
Our Solution: Election Central
BayBuzz is committed to changing this dynamic. We’re planning to launch ‘Election Central’ on our website—a comprehensive, one-stop resource featuring:
- Dedicated sections for each council with issue analysis and candidate profiles
- Direct candidate submissions on their qualifications and positions (unfiltered by us, but perhaps ‘graded’)
- Interviews and Q&As where we press candidates on key issues
- Issue briefs that cut to the chase on choices each council uniquely faces
- Responses from candidate forums and surveys conducted by community organizations
- Enhanced weekly reporting in The Buzz newsletter, tracking campaign developments and holding current councillors accountable during the pre-election period
Why Your Support Matters
This isn’t just about better journalism—it’s about better democracy. When voters have access to thorough, factual information about candidates and issues, they make better choices. Better choices lead to better representation. Better representation means councils that actually serve your interests.
But we need your help to make this happen.
The additional budget required for this expanded election coverage is $20,000. This investment will fund the research, interviews, website development, and dedicated reporting time needed to create Election Central and provide the depth of coverage this crucial election deserves.
What’s At Stake
The mayors and councillors elected this October will spend the next three years making decisions that directly affect your daily life and your community’s future. They’ll determine:
- How much you pay in rates
- Which infrastructure projects get priority
- How well-prepared we are for future emergencies
- Whether regional collaboration improves or implodes
- How effectively we balance growth with environmental protection
Voters say they want smarter decisions on these issues. That requires smarter voters!
Your Role When It Matters Most
BayBuzz has always been your independent voice for accountability and insight in Hawke’s Bay politics. Now we’re asking you to invest in that mission when it matters most.
Help us help you make informed choices. Your contribution to our Election Coverage Fund isn’t just supporting quality local journalism — it’s supporting more responsive local government.
Every dollar you contribute goes directly toward ensuring Hawke’s Bay voters have access to the comprehensive, trustworthy election information they need to choose wisely. The election window closes October 11. But to build this capacity we need to get started now.
Together, let’s turn voter frustration into constructive action.
Tom Belford, Editor
BayBuzz
P.S. Remember: the candidates who win in October will be making decisions about your rates, your infrastructure, and your community’s future for the next three years. Isn’t it worth investing in the reporting that helps you choose them wisely? Donate now.
Hi Tom
64% of the NZ population live off net $50k or less a year and a 3 bedroom house is $750 per week ($39k per year) it doesn’t work Tom. And this is inter generational. You’re welcome to do the maths on purchasing a house for a family to live in with all the known benefits that brings.
The Govt keeps increasing tax along with the barons of power , fuel etc and the real wages don’t move up to get ahead of the fiscal curve of the increases of 20% plus in the costs and they keep coming. The reality is real wages track backwards at a rate of knots which is unbelievable giving the stats of what Kiwi’s earn annually.
Simple stuff Tom.
If you get $20k can you provide a framework that clearly shows a discernible increase in a households cash margin re income verses expenditure for a sustained period as surely that is the outcome after summarizing this article. You’re talking a quality of outcome we all want.
That’s the kind of framework we’d all invest in happily.
Personally I am in disbelief that any council could blithely demand such enormous rates increases, year upon year, and turn a blind eye to the very real stress and hardship this is creating. Rates increases should be tied to inflation, anything else is mismanagement. Over $100 per week in combined rates is unaffordable. Get out and vote everybody…..
Hear, hear….not only ‘get out and vote everybody’, but demand from councilors to use their power for the benefit of the people they represent….by putting their name on the ballot paper they asked for and were given our trust put citizen’s interests first…..turning a blind eye to the ‘very real stress and hardship this is creating’ is simple not good enough!
Council needs to change. It is no longer a fair representation of the people. Watching people disheartened by Council’s proposed decisions in the Proposed District Plan Hearings shows the majority, including the ‘independent’ hearing panel are not willing to listen to the people. They will happily listen and do the work on the ratepayers dollar for Mana Ahuriri though, next stop 12m buildings on Auckland Road and Napier Hill. No doubt the flood plain Ahuriri Station will get the nod too. For everyone else, 12-19m buildings whether you like it or not, noise that keeps you up all night with no firm plan on how Council will manage it (ring noise control and see how that goes) and no consideration for intensifying flood prone areas and the risk to existing areas/infrastructure. Councils priorities are completely out of whack. Spending your money like there is no tomorrow. May you all be cast from your ivory towers into the abyss in October.
The Councils need to explain the exact formula by which they set rates as currently they just pull figures out of thin air…10%, 20%, 50%, 100%.
The low incomes of kiwis is staggering and they all know this but keep coming.
It is obvious to any rational person the system is broken and the price is getting more expensive by the week with no end in sight thanks to weak politicians who have no interest ensuring tax payers are getting the right terms now and for the next generations.
Laws need reforming across the board to stop collapse which may sound dramatic but it is very real.
Take a bow the Councils of Hawkes Bay for the work you have done for all other than the majority of your constituents must make you very proud.
NO more debt!