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In 2025, as we look towards Nicola Willis’s second budget it seems everyone is talking about National’s unaffordable $14 billion tax cuts. In 2024, Whakatane was doing more than talk about them. The Postpone The Tax Cuts campaign by the Whakatane Act Local group were taking to the streets of our hometown calling for . . . → Read More: Wasteful Spending and Fiscal Responsibility, Coalition Style 
Every council in Aotearoa agrees and every economist accepts that government keeping the GST portion of our rates is a ‘tax on a tax’. Government needs to get back to basics and stop treating ratepayers like a bottomless ATM . Return the $1.1 billion GST component of rates back to councils. . . . → Read More: Government Needs To Return $1 Billion GST To Councils 
I think we are all focussed as a community, as a world even, on what divides us and what we disagree on. We stand far apart from each other and shout across a huge divide, no one prepared to give an ideological centimetre to their opponents. But what good is that doing? . . . → Read More: Why Support Dave When You Don’t Agree With Him? Request for Support – Dave Aid Benefit Concert Tēnā koe I’m writing to ask that you consider taking the opportunity to support my campaign to become elected to the Whakatane District Council in the local body elections in October this year. I have been an enthusiastic participant in our democracy since me teenage years, . . . → Read More: Dave Aid – Benefit Concert For Whakatane 
The solution has to be based on users of the service and I think the proactiveness of the Chamber of Commerce in this leads to the solution. At the same time all users will most likely have to accept less competitive fares. The first step is with the airline itself. The airline has to have a business friendly timetable at the heart of a solution however. Then I think the business community needs to step up and form some sort of compact with Air Chathams where business users agree to pay ‘business class’ tickets. These are the same tickets as regular passengers but are more expensive and offer Air Chathams practical support from those most able to provide it, to the people who will benefit from it the most – our businesses. . . . → Read More: Air Chathams and Whakatane 
Gearing up for the local body election campaign where I am running and have the opposition scared witless. A local poll was held last weekend by my opponents and I was winning so my opponents deleted my name off it. The wont be able to do that in the real world. Follow me on . . . → Read More: Connect On Instagram If you have spent about 5 minutes on the pages that are promoting the National led coalition government’s local council agenda you’ll have heard them swoon when the PM addressed the local council conference and told them his lot were going to amend the law and insist councils stopped doing things other than collecting . . . → Read More: Government calls on mayors to boost school attendance and wellbeing 
Source Australia is now in the thick of a federal election cycle, the United States just came out of one and in New Zealand, the fallout from the last national election has brought into focus a part of the political machine often out of view. To a voter’s naked eye, the impact . . . → Read More: How Atlas Network amassed a global network of free market think tanks and reached into Australia and New Zealand My coalition aligned opponents are forever finding new electoral promises that they say will reduce our rates, but they never cost them. In reality they’re just regurgitating decades old neoliberal nonsense that, at the end of the day, just hands over public assets to private enterprise operators. Our holiday park, something that is central . . . → Read More: Government In Wellington Are Treating Ratepayers Like A Bottomless ATM 
Apr 11, 2025 Everyone in the world knows Benji Marshall is from here. We own him. Dame Lisa Carrington is our queen. Adored and respected by a whole new generation of would-be gold medal winners on our awa every morning. We have orchestras, brass bands, choirs, poets, dancers, kapa haka and other performing artists of every description who are among the best in the land. Art and recreation have a place in our civics and it’s the job of the council to support this. Critics will argue that we don’t need it, and it doesn’t give anything back. But it’s a fallacy to say that. . . . → Read More: Arts and civics, Whakatāne -style Apr 9, 2025 The rest of the world is getting grumpier and grumpier and old men with bushy eyebrows and trillionaires for aides are talking about taking over countries to boost security. Just steal them, plonk an army onsite and take over. Like Vietnam, or Afghanistan. What could possibly go wrong. . . . → Read More: Letters: We really do need some good news Source Korero Author – Jack Karetai-Barrett Māori wards in New Zealand have been a big topic in local government, especially when it comes to fair representation and Te Tiriti obligations. These wards give Māori a dedicated voice in decision-making, similar to Māori electorates in Parliament. But their introduction has been controversial, with laws . . . → Read More: The future of Māori wards
Apr 2, 2025 The Enhance Coastlands Art Project saw 19 power boxes painted by artists, including up-and-coming names, school students and art class participants. . . . → Read More: Coastlands Art Project launches this weekend Source Yes, it’s flat, but there’s another crucial reason why so many Christchurch residents ride – the city’s extensive network of cycle lanes. Simon Kingham’s 9km commute, from Beckenham in south Christchurch to the University of Canterbury west of the CBD, is mostly on cycle lanes. “It’s only the first 400 metres on the . . . → Read More: What has Christchurch done right to get so many people on bikes?
Mar 21, 2025 If you hear a bigot attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, ask them what it is they are against. Is it diversity, is it equality, or is it inclusion? And then ask them to tell you what they have against any of these things. I promise you it’s a conversation that will bring a smile to your face. . . . → Read More: Letter: How times have changed Source Here’s a classic example of Wellington telling local councils what to do but not funding it. Auckland ratepayers will have to fund $4 million because of the National led coalition government’s deal with the minority ACT Party to remove Safer Speeds from around schools. With rates rises reaching eye watering levels as a result . . . → Read More: Explained: Why are speed limit changes costing over $8 million? There are a few big reasons I want to be involved in the local body election campaign, and I haven’t looked past the campaign itself really. There’s so much silly talk being talked, especially in Whakatane with the kind of nonsense being floated. I’ll go into those in greater detail as the campaign proper . . . → Read More: Shake-up of council infrastructure funding announced Source It’s time for councils to have a respectful and mature conversation with central government about underfunding and undermining local democracy. Expect a call, Minister. New Local Government Minister Simon Watts. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro New Local Government minister Simon Watts announced to councils across the country today to speak up if . . . → Read More: Local Government Minister Simon Watts tells local governments to ask for help if needed Source Simeon Brown MP Simeon Brown Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The new government’s Transport Minister has pulled the brakes on dozens of council projects designed to encourage cycling, walking and use of public transport across the country, sparking confusion in local authority ranks and fury amongst cycling advocates. In a letter . . . → Read More: Minister pulls brakes on cycling and walking initiatives
Feb 21, 2025 Thank you for putting your name forward to lead our community, Dave. Thanks, regardless of the outcome of the election, I will still lead in the same way I always have, by speaking truth to power. That can be in a council chamber, a letter to the editor, or on a roundabout. . . . → Read More: Ko Wai Koe? |
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