Housing is one of the big issues in Hastings. Photo / NZME
We asked each candidate contesting Local Government elections in Hawke's Bay what the biggest issue in their ward was.
The resulting answers are a fascinating cross-section. In Hastings it was largely focused on housing, Napier and HBRC's focus seems to still be water, in Wairoa it's governance, and in CHB it's infrastructure.
But there's plenty of variation too - check out what your council wannabes have to say below.
Keith Price - NCC Ahuriri
Climate change is a big issue for the Ahuriri Ward. We have a large coastal area that is directly affected by erosion and sea level rise. Our estuary is also affected by contaminated stormwater runoff and carbon emissions. The people within this ward will all feel the effects of Climate Change. We need to take action now, working on plantings and waste reduction. We need to consider the environment in every decision made at council.
Hayley Browne - NCC Ahuriri
Climate change and what that means for coastal erosion, water table rise and an increasingly unstable climate.
Leanne Cotter-Arlidge - NCC Ahuriri
Dealing with climate change and its impacts on very coastal land in our ward some of it below sea level. How we adapt our infrastructure to deal with this fact is crucial to our survival should an impact of climate change affect us directly. Mechanisms for evacuation and getting to high land whilst ensuring that new homes are less impacted.
Karl Goodchild - NCC Ahuriri
Crime is a major issue, especially in Westshore, Bayview and Napier Hill. I'm tired of Napier being treated as a second-class city. Napier Police Station has downgraded to a satellite station to Hastings. Napier City should have a fully working police station open to the public 24/7 with full custodial facilities and processing.
Sally Crown - NCC Nelson Park
Housing. My ward has been rocked over the last 10 years with a lack of housing and is now on the cusp of being a key development area for the city. This brings hope but also challenges.
Nigel Olsen - Nelson Park
Getting people out of motels, cars, garages and sheds and into warm, dry, safe homes. Health outcomes improve, folk start to feel safe and secure and are in a better position to make a life for themselves and their family. Proper homes make for stronger, cohesive communities.
Greg Mawson - Nelson Park
Flood risk. 9th November, 2020, is firmly entrenched into the minds of our community. Napier is a fish bowl, and we need to act to ensure the risk is mitigated. The Regional Park concept with its storage should be a game changer, but that's a way off yet.
Maxine Boag - Nelson Park
Poverty and hardship. Housing and income stats reflect this: 62 per cent of Nelson Park residents earn less than $29,000 pa; and 49 per cent rent, rather than own their homes (vs 34 per cent city wide). Many are struggling to put food on the table. Our residents have borne the brunt of the housing crisis.
Juliet Greig - Nelson Park
Blocked drains and brown water. Blocked drains mean some streets are flooded during heavy rainfall. Given the Napier flooding event of 2020, it is not surprising many Nelson Park Ward residents are nervous every time there is a downpour. Also, many houses have brown water due to sedimentation and antiquated/rusty mains water pipes.
Te Kira Lawrence - Onekawa-Tamatea
Stormwater management, in particular the industrial area. Also the state of roading and the Aquatic Centre - the people of Napier want to know when this is going to happen and at what cost.
Annette Brosnan - Onekawa-Tamatea
I think water is still top-of-mind for everyone as we continue to work on the investment needed in our Three Waters infrastructure. Parts of our ward still experience dirty water on occasion as well as the effects of chlorine in the system, so working on this issue this coming term and investing strongly in our infrastructure is a top priority.
Richard McGrath - Onekawa-Tamatea
The biggest issue in this ward is Three Waters, specifically providing clear, preferably chlorine-free water to our residents. Thankfully, we have a $404 million plan in place to move us closer to meeting these outcomes. Two new bores have been commissioned to replace the problematic bores causing dirty water issues.
Maria Roberts - Taradale
Banks are closing in Taradale shops, which impacts badly on our elderly and disabled community members. I have created a petition, asking New Zealand Banking Association for a Regional Bank Hub in Taradale, where 26 per cent of the population is aged 65+.
Ronda Chrystal - Taradale
I feel the biggest issue in the Taradale ward is developing a master plan for the future of Taradale. With climate change, sea rise and a housing shortage in Napier, much of the future greenfield growth will be into the hills surrounding Taradale. We need good planning for this.
Graeme Taylor - Taradale
Napier's future development is towards the hills and away from the coast. This future development needs to be well planned and the appropriate infrastructure developed to meet the needs of this development. 1000 new sections on the land behind Mission Estate - what effect will this have on roading, traffic flow, waste water disposal, water storage for consumption and storm water capacity.
Kirsten Wise - Mayoral candidate
Housing is the biggest issue in our city, we have one of the highest social housing wait-lists per capita in the country. There are more than 150 families living in motels, including 140 children. There are dozens of people living in their cars and our forecasting shows there will be approximately 2,500 over-65s needing affordable rental housing over the next 20 years. Council has a key role to play in resolving this issue.
John Smith - Mayoral candidate
Water - the provision of healthy water and its regular and adequate consumption unadulterated is the foundation of good health. Therefore, if possible, I will hasten the return to reticulated chlorine-free water. But the looming threat is the coming "forced" fluoridation.
Nigel Simpson - Mayoral candidate
The biggest issue for Napier is the wellbeing of our community. Our community will be strong when everyone feels included and that they can contribute. After a couple of difficult years, we can achieve this by growing our economy, encouraging businesses to establish themselves here and ensuring our tourism offerings attract domestic and international travellers.
Kaye Harrison - Ruataniwha
The amount of rates that are being charged now and which will be increased each year is too high for many residents. During my campaigning I have had many emails from local residents in Central Hawke's Bay, a lot of them are pensioners and they are stressed and worried about their financial wellbeing and are struggling with the high rates demands.
Pip Burne - Ruataniwha
I believe the biggest issue in Central Hawke's Bay continues to be our ageing infrastructure. We are a small ratepayer base trying to service a large network of services. In the 2021-2031 Long Term Plan we "faced the facts" and promised no more Band-Aids. The recent opening of the Otane to Waipawa wastewater line was a major milestone.
Kelly Annand - Ruataniwha
Affordability and Covid recovery which is adding pressure to everything.
Gerard Minehan - Ruataniwha
For the CHB district, it is the continuing significant capital and renewal works programmes that we are undertaking, while juggling ever increasing inflationary pressures, supply chain issues and trying to retain our skilled staff.
Marcelle Raheke - Flaxmere
Safety is people's lives. We all here in Flaxmere just want to feel safe that our homes and vehicles are not welcoming uninvited manuhiri into our homes while we are working, sleeping, socialising, or having family time.
Hohepa Cooper - Takitimu Ward
Rates increases shouldn't be the norm. The cost of living has increased for everyone, people have to tighten their belts to make ends meet. I think the council needs to do the same. Yet it recently announced funding a $500,000 loan to build more stables at the showgrounds so rich people have better facilities for their horses.
Ana Apatu - Takitimu Ward
The biggest issue for our communities is the impact of climate change and our lack of investment in infrastructure to cope with our changing whenua. Brave decisions need to be made to safeguard the future for/of our tamariki. The cost of inaction is much higher than the cost of action now.
Alex Cameron - Hastings and Havelock North Ward
The biggest issue in Hastings is the skyrocketing cost of living. Our pockets are being hit from all sides. First, and foremost in the short term, council needs to avoid putting more costs onto the community.
Melanie Petrowski - Hastings and Havelock North Ward
Three Waters. The Water Services Entities Bill if passed, will add greater costs to ratepayers. At a time when people are already struggling, with the cost of living and housing at an all-time high, this is incredibly unkind for the central government to implement. Ultimately it's an undemocratic asset grab for ownership, to control and to have selling rights. These reforms will add multiple layers of unnecessary bureaucracy also. A regional body, a selection panel, and an entity board, which will be difficult to hold to account for any arising problems. I oppose Three Waters and will focus on solutions.
Michael Fowler - Hastings and Havelock North
The required growth in housing is a major issue, and with this the issue of encroachment on the productive soils our area is well known for. Housing new industries, and people will put a strain on resources, and especially the supply of water for agriculture, horticulture and viticulture.
Malcolm Dixon - Hastings and Havelock North
The ever-increasing number of people who are ending up in struggle street. I have real concerns around their health and wellbeing and that of their children. The conditions that they are expected to live in, and there is no real end in sight. We now have a third generation of families who only know unemployment and the perils of needing to rely on a benefit.
Wendy Schollum - Hastings and Havelock North
Everyone deserves a warm, safe place to call home. With over 800 people living in motels, we have a housing crisis in Hastings. We can deliver homes for our people and protect our fertile soils by completing our Regional Spatial Strategy and making changes to our District Plan to make it easier to build more well designed, sustainable, higher density homes in our residential areas.
Kevin Watkins - Hastings and Havelock North
Biggest issue in my view is a basket of social deprivation, housing, education, employment, with generations of younger people seeing welfare dependency as a normal way of life, with alcohol and drug abuse.
Rion Roben - Hastings and Havelock North
The biggest issue facing Hastings is the need to place the demands of urban infrastructure growth with consideration to the protection of our agriculture sector and rural communities. It's not as simple as whacking down dozens of sections to fill the quota. With urban development comes the need for infrastructure, and it's not as simple as drawing lines on a map and reclassifying its use.
John Roil - Kahuranaki
The biggest issue facing our ratepayers are the potential rate increases going forward due to the amount of spending that has occurred in the previous three years. Whilst it is acknowledged that the cost of the infrastructure upgrades caused a significant cost to implement, the timing to upgrade the Opera House and Municipal buildings is concerning. Council needs to seriously consider what its core responsibilities are to the public.
Marcus Buddo - Kahuranaki
Rates and roading. Over 70 percent of our rural rates go into our roads, which are under huge pressure. It has been a very wet winter, with many potholes popping up. There is also an increase in forestry harvesting and associated increases in heavy traffic along with the damage this causes.
Waka Kotahi/NZTA have not funded what the Hastings District Council roading team has asked for, leaving a $22 million funding shortfall. Their reasoning is that our roads are better than in other regions and we need to "sweat" our assets. This will be a disaster in our rural areas and will put massive pressure on ratepayers and our economy.
Simon Nixon - Hastings and Havelock North
Deprivation. Too many people have poor housing, crime and addiction problems, earn too little, lack literacy and numeric ability, and formal qualifications.
Kim Priest - Hastings and Havelock North
The environment. Challenges, ranging from keeping control and decision making around keeping local resources 'local', where the knowledge is, to gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption/drilling to recycling and improved practices and mantras around how we as a community can not only meet global recommendations - but why can't we exceed them? Let's be world leaders and innovators when it comes to protecting our own backyard.
Eileen Lawson - Hastings and Havelock North
Managing growth whilst protecting our environment and fertile soils. We need to continue working with developers, Government, iwi and others to create the right housing in the right place for the growing needs of our community. We also need resilient, fit for purpose infrastructure that is suitable for today and into the future.
Rizwanna Latiff - Hastings and Havelock North
The biggest issue for the district is probably housing – councils needs to look at inner city living, which will boost foot traffic in our city and add to a more vibrant city centre. We need to maintain a fine balance between residential land and agricultural land.
Gilly Lawrence - Hastings and Havelock North
I believe one of the biggest issues facing our region is safe, accessible and affordable housing which I believe can be achieved without disrupting the agricultural strengths of our region. There is wonderful potential to develop inner city housing to be built up on where there is existing infrastructure.
Damon Harvey - Hastings and Havelock North
We need to work hard to both protect our fertile soils - which create food for the world, jobs for our people and ultimately enhance our unique district. We are also challenged by housing needs - and this creates tension. We need to move forward with a spatial plan for Hawke's Bay which should protect the land that's needed for food but also identify where houses can be built and the style of housing for the future - which will include apartment-style living in our CBD and on the edge of the CBD.
Mark Barham - Ahuriri
There are many issues which are as important as each other, namely water quality and availability, coastal erosion and lack of suitable ablutions placed at beaches, rivers and parks, and the maintenance of our rural roads. On top of that we have 3 Waters
being a real threat to the local ownership of our infrastructure paid for by rates and loans over a very long time, we don't need another level of bureaucracy based in Wellington. We are facing a future dictated by climate change, the whole community and local councils need to work together well into the future investing to protect all of our communities.
Martin Williams - Ahuriri
The biggest issue facing the Ahuriri/Napier Ward (as with any other) is undoubtedly climate change. The Napier flood in 2020 highlighted just how real and current the risks presented by climate change are, not least for Napier itself (flooding, hillside erosion).
Neil Kirton - Ahuriri
The devastating November 2020 storm flooded much of Napier, causing over $100 million in damage to houses and businesses. Climate change is upon us. Storm events of increasing frequency and intensity threaten our properties and our lives. Our councils must accelerate efforts and invest heavily in protecting our communities.
Hinewai Ormsby - Ahuriri
Water quality continues to be a big issue for Napier, both in the source water we drink and also where we swim. I'm really proud to see a mountain of work being done. I've personally grown, gifted, and planted more than 11,000 natives in the Ahuriri Estuary catchment alongside our community in the last 5 years to support this work.
Jock Mackintosh - Heretaunga/Hastings
Water, water and water, both quality and quantity. We have just had the wettest winter most of us can remember and the opposite is likely in summer. This is extremely important to Hawke's Bay. Water is the "fuel" of our prosperity, both from an environmental and commercial perspective. The solution lies in sensible storage.
Sophie Siers - Heretaunga/Hastings
The biggest issue facing our region is how to engage our whole community in meeting and overcoming the challenges that lie before us, and there are many: water; equity, governance, quality, quantity, storage and protection. Environment; protection and enhancement of biodiversity. Climate change; extreme weather events and the consequences are the issues that the people of Hawke's Bay tell me they are concerned about.
Craig Foss - Heretaunga/Hastings
I will continue to drive for much more usable, cleaner, safer urban waterways. Rural water gets most of the attention, yet our most polluted waterways are in our own backyard. The Herehere stream is a total shocker. It is simply unacceptable that kids cannot safely play in and around Te Karamū and its tributaries.
We need much more urban water pollution and water quality monitoring sites producing data available in real or near real time alongside long - medium - short term water quality targets that can be used to hold councils and polluters to account.
Steve Gibson - Heretaunga/Hastings
Three Waters is probably the biggest current issue. I am opposed to taking away democratic representation. Central Government does not know best about local issues. I believe our region has safe drinking water and chlorine free depots. Yes, councils have work to do to replace aged piping. I am a big supporter of closing off waterways and planting them with natives and predator control and giving our birds a pathway.
Xan Harding - Heretaunga/Hastings
Water security/clean streams – the requirement to set new water quality and quantity limits and respond to climate change under the challenging new national framework of Te Mana o Te Wai (water allocation for its intrinsic health first, essential needs of people second & everything else last), via HBRC's new Kotahi Plan, all by December 2024.
Di Roadley - Maui ki te Raki Māori Ward/Wairoa
Undoubtedly climate change is the most pressing issue facing us all: Wairoa is in an incredible position to actively respond to the impacts of climate change. The council is already actively working with landowners and I want to see this increase to the next level; the Right Tree, Right Place partnership has huge potential, while the erosion control scheme needs more investment.
Nick Hill - Mayoral candidate
Democracy. I wish more people would vote.
Tracey Collis - Mayoral candidate
Fixing Dannevirke's impounded water supply is the highest priority. Residents and businesses need confidence that the council is working diligently and at pace on this issue. The impact of anticipated growth on infrastructure requires a robust plan to ensure we have sustainable growth in the right places and the infrastructure to support it.
Sharon Wards - Mayoral candidate
Dealing with regulatory changes and proposed reforms while still trying to address the key priorities around infrastructure, especially related to supply of safe water and storage.
Scott Gilmore - South Tararua Ward
Tararua is growing and I believe that growth will be supercharged with the opening of the new road. The challenge for council is going to be preparing for that growth so it benefits the entire district.
Ensuring our local voice is heard on central government matters, including local government reform, 3 waters and RMA changes will also be a huge issue in the district over the next 3 years.
Vicki Priday - North Tararua Ward
The Dannevirke water supply. Ongoing issues with the reservoir are worrying residents greatly, especially with summer right around the corner. Communication has been poor and there has been no transparency or accountability. We also have some massive issues around the repairs and maintenance of our rural roading network.
Craig Little - Mayoral candidate
Rising costs and limited external funding combine to correct one issue ie affordability, impacting the Wairoa district. Central Government is pushing centralisation which is eroding localism as we know it. Examples are the Three Waters Reform proposal, RMA reform and Local Government review. The solution to these issues is more Government funding where the burden is taken away from ratepayers.
Murray Olsen - Mayoral candidate
The biggest issue in the district is inequity. There is inequity in housing, incomes, access to council services, and in representation by council. RocketLab USA, for example, has more access to the levers of power than anyone in Wairoa.
Simon Mutonhori - Mayoral candidate
Deprivation due to government social policy or lack of it. There is abject poverty in Wairoa, with people living in squalor in unsanitary conditions, derelict houses and lack of employment. As a result there is general dysfunctionality in the community, with high dependency on drugs, alcohol and smoking. Health facilities are lacking.
Roslyn Thomas - General ward
Local government is heading into three significant reform and review processes, Three Waters, Resource Management Act and The Future of Local Government. These have significant impacts on our district and need to be worked through very carefully to understand all of the positive and negative implications these processes may have.
Waipatu Winitana - General ward
If you are a ratepayer it's high rates, if you are community driven it's the methamphetamine problem, and if you are somewhere in between, it's what is the future in the current uncertain times?. Especially the shortage of homes.
Denise Eaglesome-Karekare - General ward
I think the biggest issues facing Wairoa are the impacts of climate change, our ageing infrastructure and housing (including social housing) supply and quality.
Ngaire Culshaw - General Ward
The biggest issue is the excessive unnecessary spending by council and unaffordable rates. The rating threshold is over 5 per cent of the average income for Wairoa which is making the average family struggle. Farm conversion to forestry is a matter of concern. It is increasingly hard for farmers to do their job.
Jeremy Harker - General ward
Improving understanding, co-ordination and communication between Central Government and council. Local Governments have the ability to provide good local solutions to assist with Central Government achieving its stated goals, far better than what is currently happening.
Wayne Taylor - Māori Ward
My answer to every question is, "Get stuffed and no comment".
* All candidates on contested wards were approached for this feature - not all have replied.
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