SUPPORT LETTERBOX

Letterbox is a copyright-free citizen press, produced by Democracy Northland. If you would like to receive LETTERBOX by email contact us with “e-letterbox” in the subject line. Back issues are available from our website.

If you would like to support us bring about better local government, please consider donating to the cause. Our bank account is: 12-3238-0590622-00.

GARRICK TREMAIN CARTOOM - W.A.I.T.A.N.G.I.

 

REDUCE RATES - REDUCE STAFF

A comprehensive review of costs will save New Plymouth District Council ratepayers $10 million a year. By doing the council reduced what would have been a 17% rate increase to 11%. To achieve the savings, staff numbers have been reduced by 10% and cutting the use of “consultants and external lawyers”.

What a shame the Whangarei District Council has not done the same and followed the advice of central government when it increased rates by 17.2%!   

VOTER TURNOUT - silence from Cr Harding

 

The WDC Mayor Vince Cocurullo recently asked why voting turnout was declining.

In 2022 turnout for the WDC local election was just over 43%, down from 45% in the previous two elections.

Voter participation on the Māori roll was just 23.8%. Half of those who identify as Māori choose to be on the general roll, which means only 1 in 8 Māori voted in the Māori ward.

When this was pointed out to councillors, Cr Deb Harding defended the poor turnout by saying Māori participation in voting had been as low as 2%. She did not disclose the source of her information or when that was, so we have (twice) written to Cr Harding and asked for clarification. We have yet to receive a reply.

MAORI WARDS

A requirement for councils to vote either for or against the retention of their Māori wards has brought mixed results for Northland.

Download Letterbox - ready to home-print

Click... print... and distribute to letterboxes near you! 

Ready to home-print. The latest and previous issues of LETTERBOX. 

(Reminder - When distributing, please respect "no circulars notices")

Frank Newman: Councillor shows why Māori wards are not needed

I recently attended a meeting of the Kaipara District Council and was one of several people who spoke during the Public Forum session, which is an opportunity for a member of the public to address councillors on whatever their topic of interest may be.

The topic of interest was a motion to either retain or disestablish the Kaipara’s Māori ward.

I was part of a team from Democracy Northland who in December 2020 set about gathering signations to force the Council of the day to hold a binding referendum. Some months earlier the council had created a Māori ward without consulting the community at large.

The outrage that followed was such that we set about challenging that decision by using the petition right available at the time.

Craig Jepson and Ash Nayyar led the team in Kaipara and did a sterling job. Both subsequently ran for office and were elected, Craig as mayor and Ash as a councillor representing Dargaville.

How they voted - Kaipara District Council - Disestablish the Maori ward

HOW THEY VOTED

"That the Kaipara District Council agrees to disestablish its Māori ward, Te Moananui o Kaipara, and undertakes a shortened representation review for at least the 2025 triennial elections." (Extraordinary council meeting, 7 August 2024)

GARRICK TREMAIN CARTOON - Hospitals

 

MAORI WARDS - update

The Maori Ward Amendment Bill has been passed into law.  Councils will now be required to vote to either disestablish Māori wards created after the public petition right was removed by Nanaia Mahuta, or vote to hold a binding referendum at next year’s local body election. They must decide either or.

How councillors vote will be watched closely and published on LETTERBOX website in the “How they Voted” section.

By the time the local body election comes around, we will have a detailed voting record for each councillor so voters can judge the councillors seeking re-election on their actions, not their weasel words.