Grey Power Hutt City Assn

19/02/2026

Déjà vu all over again
– once again we’ve got people claiming that paying NZ Super at age 65 is ‘unaffordable’. The first and most immediate problem is that people in the world of finance claiming disaster lies ahead get air time. Saying that things are OK isn’t news. Secondly, the pundits waffling on about unaffordability are the lot that wine and dine with politicians and hence get to expound their views into ears receptive for anything that might get more money for the well off rather than the un deserving poor.
So at the risk of boring you all, I do think we need to keep repeating facts ad nauseam until it seeps into politicians heads that older people matter.
OK Boring fact No 1. In politics nothing is ‘unaffordable’. It’s all about choice. “Unaffordable” is code for ‘we want to spend the money on something else, that we think is more important’.
Boring fact No 2. Currently NZ Super is, by design, set at a rate that covers the bare minimum – just. For forty percent of older people it is their only income. It is of course those least well off who have the lowest life expectancy and who are physically worn out by age 65 that need NZS most.
Boring fact 3. The amount we as a country pay to fund NZ Super is below the average for developed nations, and funnily enough those countries haven’t collapsed economically.
Boring fact 4 Net spending on NZS is projected to be 5.5 per cent of GDP by 2050 - still below the OECD average!
So who is the latest to push the ‘unaffordable’ idea? Oh! What a surprise, it’s the CEO of a ‘wealth management’ outfit that wants you to invest with them – so obviously an independent view – Hah!

23/10/2025

Last Friday, 17 Oct we had an interesting presentation by Rebekah Dewar (left in photo) and Carlie Gilmour from Westpac about Scams and Fraud. These are becoming a major problem and it was great to have more info about them so we could safe guard ourselves more.

10/05/2024

20/02/2024

As outlined below Cr Karen Morgan attended our meeting with Mayor, Campbell Barry. A photo of Karen and our President, Pete Matcham is below

19/02/2024

FEBRUARY SPEAKER - CAMPBELL BARRY

We were pleased to welcome Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry as our first speaker for 2024. Campbell went over the principal points of the Council’s Long Term Plan, which sets the priorities for the next 10 years, and then answered a wide range of questions from the floor.

Infrastructure and Water
Infrastructure and Water in particular are of huge concern. He explained how in the previous years only 1 or 2 kilometres of piping were being replaced each year, but that Hutt City is now facing up to the problem with 14.5 kilometres replaced in the last financial year, contrasting with a total of 2.5 kilometres in the rest of the Wellington region.

He noted that the sewage treatment plant was also 60 years old and in need of upgrading.
Water meters are in the plan as they have demonstrated in other areas that consumption actually reduced. Meters have the added benefit of highlighting the location of underground water leaks which form the biggest percentage of our water loss. This makes fixing them far quicker and cheaper.
Roads
Campbell urged us to mention the Cross Valley Connection to Chris Bishop when we next see him as this is listed as a Road of National Significance.
The Melling Interchange contract is still being negotiated, but work on the flood prevention work outside of the interchange has already been started by both Greater wellington and Hutt City.
Members raised concerns over the closure of the Melling line during construction of the Melling bridge replacement, and Campbell noted that he has written to Greater Wellington about the impact this will have on the Western Hills suburbs.. He noted that a figure of $20m has been circulated as the savings derived from the closure and the resulting simplification of traffic management etc.
Members also raised the issue of the extension of the Melling line to at least Kelson but it is outside the scope of Riverlink as currently defined.
Green Spaces
In reply to members concerns at the loss of green space in the city, Campbell noted that Included in the draft LTP was provision for the planting of 114,000 trees in the Hutt.
Rates Relief
One suggestion which would please members is the idea of a $250 rebate for pensioners with no income but NZS, on top of the government contribution in rates relief. The challenge will be in how to deliver this to tenants, since they do not pay rates directly.

There are some meaty issues there and we will be making a submission on the LTP when it is available.

We would also like to thank City wide Councillor Karen Morgan for attending and for her support.

06/02/2024

Our first meeting for 2024 is on Friday, 16 February. The Mayor, Campbell Barry, will be our guest speaker. Non members also very welcome. 10AM at Senior Citizens Rooms which are on the left as you enter Queensgate Countdown car park.

28/01/2024

Our contact details and meeting venue/times are
President - Pete Matcham - Phone 021 525 849
Membership - Kevin Willis - Phone 04 567 3794
[email protected]
We meet on the third Friday of each month at 10AM from February to November. Our meetings are held at the Senior Citizens Rooms, ground floor, Forsyth Barr Building, 45 Knight Rd, Lower Hutt. This is on the left as you enter the Countdown Queensgate car park. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BECOMING A NEW MEMBER, YOU WILL BE MOST WELCOME. PLEASE MAKE YOURSELF KNOW AT A MEETING.

11/10/2023

Non members are very welcome to join us for our meeting at 10AM on Friday, 20 October at the Senior Citizens Rooms. These rooms are on the left as you enter the Queensgate Countdown car park. Our guest speaker will be Cr Simon Edwards. Simon is chair of the Infrastructure and Regulatory and District Licensing Committees, and deputy chair of the District Plan Review Committee. His particular interests are Riverlink and bringing alive central Hutt’s inner-city apartment, hospitality and retail scene; maintaining a high standard of core infrastructure, meeting the challenges of climate change; and giving people more options for healthy and environment-friendly transport (including cycling, micromobility and public transport). Simon is going to give us a Powerpoint presentation covering many Council matters. We are offering FREE membership until 31 March 2024 to all who join Grey Power Hutt City. From then our subscription is currently $25PA. We are sure that you will find Simon's presentation to be very interesting so please do not hesitate to come along.

10/10/2023

We are offering FREE membership to all until 31 March 2024. From then our subscription is only $25PA. You are welcome to join us and if you wish, you may bring friends or family members along too.

13/08/2023

FREE MEMBERSHIP UNTIL 31 MARCH 2024 AND DO YOU HAVE AN ISSUE THAT GREY POWER CAN ASSIST YOU TO LOBBY FOR?
Grey Power is an advocacy organization that represents the interests of older adults (aged 50+). We aim to improve the quality of life for seniors and address issues that affect them, such as healthcare, pensions, and social services. Grey Power advocates for the rights and well-being of older adults and works to ensure their voices are heard in matters of policy and legislation. We do this mainly by lobbying Wellington and Lower Hutt decision makers and encouraging them to improve the lives of older people. Grey Power does not lobby for individual causes but we are happy to be involved in actions for specific cases that benefits a lot of people either locally or nationally.
If you can think of a matter that meets the above criteria, please do not hesitate to contact us with the details. We will consider your matter and may be able to assist with lobbying. Our email address is [email protected].
Grey Power was established in the 1980s by people who wished to have means testing removed from National Superannuation. With vigorous lobbying by ourselves and with support from others, means testing was eventually removed. We have found it to be much more effective if lobbying is carried out by groups rather than by individuals.
FREE MEMBERSHIP UNTIL 31 MARCH 2024.
At the moment Grey Power is accepting new members applications. If you would like to join a group that benefits the public by lobbying for change, provides members with lower cost electricity, discounts with some companies and local monthly meetings with interesting guest speakers, please do not hesitate to complete the form at this link https://membership.greypower.co.nz/ Our next meeting will be on Friday, 18 August. An employee from Corrections will be the guest speaker. If you join now, your subscription will be waived until 31 March 2024.
For more information, please phone Kevin Willis on 04 567 3794.