1. NCC plans to spend $701 million through to 2034 to improve water infrastructure. Is this appropriate and who should pay?

Unfortunately, years of underinvestment in Water infrastructure, Water reforms and mandates by Central government have resulted in very large Capital projects in the pipeline for Napier. As a low-lying coastal city, we are faced with very costly issues to keep our water clean, keep our city dry and remove our waste water effectively. So yes, the spend is appropriate, as what is the alternative? As to who should pay, it needs to be intergenerationally loan funded.

2. Does Napier need a new aquatic centre? If so, where?

Napier will need a new aquatic centre in the next 10-15 years. The upgrades to the Onekawa pools will keep us swimming until then. As to where I support the Ahuriri Rock pools project.

3. Do you support NCC continuing to dump partially treated wastewater into Hawke Bay?

Napier’s waste water discharge meets its current consent requirements. In the future more advanced treatment may have to be added to as Standards change and this will all come with significate costs.

4. Name 2-3 specific NCC projects, policies or spends over the past three years with which you personally disagree.

I didn’t agree with the Ocean Spa pool price increasing so much and fought for a local’s discount (which I personally think should be discounted more) I believe the Emerson St upgrades Stages 2-4 are nice to haves and should be deferred to future years. Some roading projects, including random speed humps, planter boxes and
poor-quality work such as Prebensen drive reseal.

5. Do you support building homes in these two areas – Riverbend Road, Ahuriri Station?

Both are in high risk hazard areas, which are not ideal places to build. A lot of work has been put into plans for mitigation at the Riverbend Rd site but there are still many gateways to get through for consent, but in its favour it is close to existing city infrastructure. Ahuriri Station has much work to do to plan for hazard mitigation and its cost and it is not close to existing city infrastructure. Due to its low lying/high water table the costs would be very high to connect city infrastructure.

6. Should residential water metering be introduced in Napier?

I think this will come as part of Local water done well reforms. Napier residents are some of the highest water users in the country, and this has an effect on our Aquifer. The introduction of metering has many benefits such as water conservation and prevention of backflow.

7. Do you personally support retaining Māori seats at your council table?

Having a Māori voice around the council table has been a positive experience for me so yes, I support them.

8. Do you believe councils’ rates should be ‘capped’ by legislation?

Rates capping has had some unintended consequences on community’s where it has been introduced. I agree that high rates rises are unstainable for rate payers and we need to look very hard for cost savings within council. I also support finding alternative income streams and funding tools for councils other than rates. This could include working with central government to return the GST on rates and on new builds. Also charging rates on government buildings which they currently don’t have to pay. I feel an important point has been missed in the whole rates capping discussion and comparing it to inflation. Inflation is measured on the CPI basket of goods that households spend money on. The majority of Councils capital spend is on building and maintaining infrastructure and much of these costs have risen over 50% since 2020.

9. Does Hawke’s Bay need five councils, or do you support amalgamation, in any form?

I don’t support amalgamation, but I do support HB councils working together as region on projects, shared services, economic growth, and any other areas that make sense for us to work together for the betterment of Hawkes Bay.

10. Would you support Councils appointing an independent “Hawke’s Bay Auditor General” to monitor councils’ spending and programme performance?

No, councils already pay a costly amount to get Audited, why would we want to put even more costs onto the ratepayer.