By DaveForCouncil, on October 3rd, 2025
Source Diane McCarthy PDF
REAL Rates Reform is upon us and the way to get is to make it an election issue in 2026
You can stand on the sideline and rubbish the idea, or you can roll up your sleeves and support the campaign to bring real relief to unaffordable rates.
Who’s side are . . . → Read More: Article: Candidate promises to focus on rates reform
By DaveForCouncil, on October 1st, 2025
Source Dave Stewart PDF
I feel I must respond to Keith Melville’s latest letter “GST refund not the answer” (Beacon, September 24).
Mr Melville has been vocal in claiming he wants the council to offer ratepayers a better deal but supports only candidates who offer very little in the way of substance.
Nationally, the local . . . → Read More: Opinion: Real reform required, not tinkering
By DaveForCouncil, on September 17th, 2025
Vote for Dave Stewart for Whakatāne / Ōhope Ward
Vote for Dave Stewart for Whakatāne / Ōhope Ward
1/. What makes me the best person to represent the Whakatāne / Ōhope ward?
You can’t keep politics out of politics, and I bring a lifetime of real-world political action, understanding and advocacy to the . . . → Read More: Vote For Dave Stewart
By DaveForCouncil, on August 30th, 2025
Rates are going through the roof and people are struggling. Even so, I’m going to say something that most mayoral candidates won’t admit. Rates are going to keep going up and anyone who promises that they can stop that happening is lying to you. The Government would sack the council and install commissioners if we did what it would take to stop rates increasing. . . . → Read More: Opinion: What the heck is happening with rates?
By DaveForCouncil, on August 28th, 2025
Barry told The Post he was concerned that some candidates in the coming local government election were suggesting that shifting water services from council balance sheets opened up new spending or debt to invest. “It’s a dangerous position because there will potentially be the desire to load up with additional spending, additional debt ‒ councils may want to do that because their financial or balance sheet may look a lot better. “But of course, it will be the ratepayers who get hit with that, because they will still have to be paying water bills.” He said with rates rises already unaffordable in many places, there should instead be a corresponding drop in rates, in line with that of water bills. For example, he said if the new Wellington water provider had already been created, the rates rise at Hutt City Council would have dropped from 12.6% to 7.6% — a 5 percentage point decrease. Any decrease in rates less than 5 percentage points would therefore actually be an increase to the ratepayer. . . . → Read More: Article: Hutt mayor Campbell Barry warns against council spend-ups after water reforms
By DaveForCouncil, on August 25th, 2025
National’s hidden agenda was unaffordable rates. And now we are having to address it. National’s supporters in this campaign here in Whakatāne are telling us to pay for National’s $440 million water alternatives we must sell our publicly owned assets and privatise everything that moves. This means we will pay the same of higher rates, and then pay again for the services our rates used to cover. . . . → Read More: Don’t Vote For Wellington – Vote For Whakatāne
By DaveForCouncil, on August 18th, 2025
Wellington City Council did support several parts of the bill, such as measuring council performance, strengthening transparency and accountability and providing regulatory relief. Core services have been defined in the bill as network infrastructure, public transport services, waste management, civil defence emergency management, libraries, museums, reserves, and other recreational facilities. While museums were listed as a core service, festivals, live performances, stadiums, concert halls and large theatres were not. The submission points to the economic benefit of events such as the council-supported World of WearableArt show, which contributed more than $31 million to the city last year. . . . → Read More: Article: Wellington City Council pushes back on Government’s ‘back to basics’ bill
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