Whanganui's mayoral candidates go head-to-head at public forum

Mayoral candidates (from left) DC Harding, Hamish McDouall and Andrew Tripe. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui's three mayoral hopefuls have squared off in a public debate with just over three weeks until voting closes.

A "good clean fight" was expected by Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford and that is what transpired.

Incumbent Hamish McDouall and challengers Andrew Tripe and DC Harding agreed on a number of points throughout the mayoral forum at the War Memorial Centre on Wednesday evening.

Issues such as the future of local government, the Three Waters reform, Resource Management Act reform, housing and homelessness, rates and climate change were all on the table.

Harding said he predicted councils would place a bigger emphasis on community wellbeing in the future but central government needed to allow for a "devolution process" that would shift power back to local government.

Council couldn't control a lot when it came to issues such as housing and health, but the community expected it to, McDouall said.

"We want to be able to make local decisions and distribute money according to our needs and our priorities," he said.

"There isn't a single bureaucrat working on The Terrace whose responsibility is to worry about Whanganui. That's why we are here."

Tripe said if elected he would conduct a "wide community consultation", something that hadn't taken place since 2015.

"That will ultimately shape what our social, cultural, economic and environmental wellbeing requirements are for our future."

DC Harding is running for both council and the mayoralty. Photo / Bevan Conley

Housing was the "crisis for now" but climate change would remain a crisis for the rest of people's lives, McDouall said.

In terms of housing solutions, McDouall said the council was pulling as many levers as it could.

"Sprawl is the enemy. We need to be looking at adaptive reuse of buildings, brownfield sites, and infill.

"We do not want to stretch our infrastructure and increase our emissions."

Harding said if community wellbeing was to be a top council priority then housing should be a part of that.

"When we house our people we remove barriers. From there we can concentrate on education and employment."

There were around 50 people who were homeless in Whanganui at any one time, Tripe said.

"Housing is a simplified word. For me, it starts with homelessness, then emergency housing, right up to affordable housing and so on.

"When it comes to social housing, I don't see that as a core council role but I see council facilitating with social housing providers for a solution."

All candidates agreed that the Three Waters reforms needed more work.

The first option was never the best option, Harding said.

"Whanganui is doing well in that (water) space already and it's well known that assets have already been sold off. What is going to happen with that? Are we going to get refunded?"

McDouall said the reforms were an example of "poor policy making".

"You've got the water regulator, give them the space to breathe and start pinging councils that are deficient."

Tripe said he believed the council should sign up for C4LD (Communities 4 Local Democracy) because it provided alternative models to the ones the Government was proposing.

"I think there is some really good stuff in there to look at and investigate, and the Government needs to allow time to view that."

The council voted against joining C4LD by a margin of 9-3, McDouall said.

"I didn't trust the people involved, it's as simple as that.

"The councils who have signed up have wastewater treatment plants that have never met their consents in any reporting period."

Harding said one idea he had to address the reforms was to sell 49 per cent of Whanganui's water assets to local iwi.

"If Whanganui as a council didn't own all the infrastructure, how could it then be taken?" he said.

"I don't know how that would work legislatively but it was an idea. I'm an ideas person and I'll continue to bring them to the table."

Hamish McDouall is aiming for a third term as mayor. Photo / Bevan Conley

Another topic presented to the candidates was co-governance with iwi.

Nothing but good could come out of those relationships, Harding said.

"As we continue to build our partnerships with iwi and tangata tiriti, we will see examples like the Christchurch library.

"Ngai Tahu invested in that space and now with Environment Canterbury we are seeing that relationship blossom."

McDouall said co-governance had already been in effect in Whanganui for decades and it was working.

Examples included The Whanganui Regional Museum, Pakaitore and the Whanganui Resource Recovery Centre, and Te Puwaha.

"Something like Te Puwaha is working because it's involving the entirety of the community in design and support."

On the issue of Māori wards, Tripe said he believed iwi would rather have early engagement and consultation processes with the council.

"My understanding, and I'm not sure it's a common view, is that there is a preference for iwi not to have Māori wards.

"They want to be involved right up front and feeling like they are included."

Tripe and McDouall backed the Sarjeant Gallery redevelopment project and agreed that roofing the velodrome needed to be funded predominantly from outside of council.

There were a lot of things that needed to be fixed before more large projects were undertaken, Harding said.

"[The Sarjeant] is wasteful when you have homelessness and when you need housing.

"You need to take care of your own backyard first."

Andrew Tripe used his speech to announce a plan to explore the feasibility of a Commonwealth Games co-hosted by Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

Tripe's opening address included a plan for the council to lead the exploration of a Commonwealth Games co-hosted by Whanganui, and if feasible, to develop a bid for 2034.

"This will not only give us renewed confidence and energy, it will invite government and commercial investment, new jobs, and generally supercharge our economy."

McDouall said he wanted to avoid "big... projects" that didn't have a clear business case.

The Dublin Street Bridge had to be replaced within a decade, and smaller projects such as a skatepark on the corner of Springvale Park could be transformative.

"We are going to have to tighten our belts," McDouall said.

"Council couldn't have put out a 3.8 per cent rate rise in a time of heavy inflation if we weren't running pretty lean."

Tripe said if mayor he would request an activity and service review.

"That means we can provide better services," he said.

"There will be ways to free up cash for our community."

Audience questions involved homelessness, the replacement of the Wakefield Street bridge, activities for young people, the velodrome, and whether candidates should have prior council experience before running for mayor.

McDouall agreed they should, while Harding and Tripe did not.

Voting papers will be delivered to properties from today with voting closing at 12pm on election day, October 8.