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 (three times) 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.