Alex Beijen

This triennium has been one of disruption and fixing existing problems.

Since this Council took office, there has been a constant struggle to rectify neglect, underfunding and hidden problems. I feel we have got to a point where issues are identified, and addressed as opposed to ignored.

For over 10 years, SWDC rates have not kept pace with either inflation, or increasing compliance from Government. As a result, rates needed to be radically adjusted, and fast. This has been done and should be on an even keel for some time.

It is important to note that SWDC rates are nearly the lowest in the country for rural properties, and middle of the pack for urban – these rates rises are only bringing us back to a normal state.

It is also important to note that the District, 1/3 of the Wellington region with only 12000 people, has 3 towns, 3 libraries, 3 swimming pools, 4 waste water treatment plants and 3 town water supplies to maintain and improve.

In this election year, you will hear much rhetoric about doing more whilst reducing rates. This is illogical and frankly uninformed. There are no ‘vanity projects’ in our long term plan, only work that needs doing.

Additionally, in the past 3 years, transparency of Council decisions has been overhauled – with the disillusion of 7 committees to enable easier access to agenda, live streaming all our meetings, releasing as much financial information as legally possible during Annual Plans, to appointing an independent auditor to comment on the reasonableness of public excluded meetings. Some people still complain despite all this!

It is also important to recognize the role of Mayor in decisions of Council. Decisions are made by Councillors, not the Mayor. As Mayor, my role is to build a team and ensure meetings have information, robust discussion and good behaviour. For this triennium, I am proud this Council has excellent attendance at meetings, collaborative discussion and unified voting – something absent in other Councils.

Beware of candidates saying they will fix things they have no powers over. They don’t understand the role.

As an aside, I am totally against Labour’s proposal for 3Waters reform – it is misguided, illogical and undemocratic.