Whanganui Residents & Ratepayers Association

26/05/2026

Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association – AGM Results
AGMs are rarely the most exciting event on the calendar, but last night's meeting was well attended and reflected the strong interest our members have in the future of Whanganui.
Election Results
Chair: Rachael Woodhead
Deputy Chair: Warrick Funnell
Secretary: Anaru Meads
Treasurer: Timothy Stubbs
Committee Members:
Graham Holloway

Tracey Jarmen
Jason Bardell
Rowan McGregor
Sub-Committees
Housing: John Anderson, Hans Vanderschantz
Museum: Marianne Schumacher
Congratulations and thank you to everyone elected. We appreciate the time, knowledge, and commitment you are willing to contribute on behalf of Whanganui residents and ratepayers.
Thanks also to “Barracks Sports Bar” St Hill St, for your ongoing generous support in Providing a venue for our meetings.
A special thank you also to our members. Without your continued support, we would not be able to advocate for greater transparency, accountability, and value for ratepayers across our district.
Together, we will continue working to ensure the voices of residents and ratepayers are heard.

26/05/2026

Briefing paper on council direction
{Author Michael Law)
The establishment of new unitary authorities.
This is a huge issue and it will have intergenerational consequences.
Our sincere thank to Deputy Mayor Michael Law for sharing your very informative briefing paper .
The link to the consultation document is below. Please read it. It will be a huge part of the shape of our lives for now and future generations
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12Ir0jAn1OgVg0s4wTGQB3lUyX2bvi0Cl/edit
The final decisions are a long way from happening yet.
Though the planning and direction is certainly happening now.

24/05/2026

Just a quick reminder that the WRRA Annual General Meeting is on tomorrow.
📅 26 May | 6:30pm
📍 Barracks Sports Bar (Ammo Room), 170 St Hill St
If you’ve been thinking about getting more involved, now is the time.
Local government is heading into major change, and the more people we have engaged, the stronger our voice will be with Council.
Come along, hear what’s happening, ask questions, and be part of shaping the future of our city.
You can become a member on our web site
https://www.whanganuiratepayers.org.nz
or Join on the night.
Your voice matters — we’d like to listen

20/05/2026

Have Your Say – WRRA AGM | 26 May

We’re making progress — and Council is listening.

This month, the WRRA made 6 submissions on the Annual Plan and was asked by the Mayor to provide a summary of actionable points. That tells us one thing: our voice is being heard.

But we need more people involved.

Local government is about to go through its biggest changes in decades. Decisions made now will shape rates, services, and the future of Whanganui for years to come.

👉 Our AGM is your chance to be part of it
📅 26 May | 6:30pm
📍 Barracks Sports Bar (Ammo Room), 170 St Hill St

Come along, hear what’s happening, share your views, and see how you can get involved.
You can join on the night only $10 simple joining form

The more members we have, the stronger our voice — and the better outcomes we can achieve for our community.

Find out more: https://www.whanganuiratepayers.org.nz

Your city. Your rates. Your say.
This is an AI generated image

15/05/2026

Council annual plan submissions
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This week 6 Members of the WRRA made submissions to the council annual plan. Our thanks to the council and councillors for allowing such open discussion. That's how democracy should work

For the last few months, our group has worked together to identify practical, achievable ways Council can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and focus on what really matters.
_________________________________________________________

Here’s a summary of the key actions we’ve proposed:

1. Focus on Efficiency, Not Higher Rates

Improve how Council operates rather than relying on rate increases
Set clear performance targets and accountability across all activities
Require strong business cases for all projects

2. Cut Waste and Prioritise Spending

Defer non-essential capital projects
Reduce low-value spending and duplication of private sector services
Exit or fix loss-making commercial activities

3. Smarter Community Funding

Reduce overall grants and remove duplication
Fund organisations that deliver real, measurable outcomes
Tie funding to performance and accountability

4. Fairer Funding for Major Facilities (e.g. Sarjeant Gallery)

Introduce user-pays for visitors (with locals protected)
Reduce the burden on ratepayers
Improve commercial performance and oversight

5. Refocus Economic Development

Prioritise attracting businesses, jobs, and investment
Measure success by real economic outcomes
Examine Whanganui & partners real outcomes

6. Strengthen the Housing Strategy

Provide clear plans, realistic costings, and transparency
Protect ratepayers from financial risk

7. Practical Community Solutions

Review library services to avoid duplication
Reopen Whanganui East Pool at minimal cost if safe
Use partnerships and community support where possible
___________________________________________________

Our Core Message:
Council should focus on core services, spend wisely, and deliver better outcomes—without continually increasing the burden on ratepayers.

These are practical steps. None are extreme. All are achievable.

01/05/2026

SARGEANT GALLERY CAFE:

The LGOIMA is back with an added bonus of the provision of the cafe contract and now we have a clearer picture. The numbers available are from the 2024/25 year:

💰Revenue came in at $261,274
💰Total costs were $308,007
💰Includes $271,336 fee paid to the operator

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Pay attention : This isn’t a typical café model where an operator takes the commercial risk.
Under the contract, the operator is paid a fixed fee to run/pay the day-to-day service - staff / front-of-house / compliance. That's all council required them to do.
The Operator/Staffing fee is paid regardless of turnover.

❌No stock
❌No Utilities
❌No depreciation
❌No Wastage
❌No Supplier invoices
✅ Hire a few staff. Pay the PAYE. Order cafe food through council accounts at local bakeries/business. End of.

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Full acknowledgement that the operator is likely stuck between a rock and a hard place:
🚫The space is not suitable to be able to produce their own creations to reduce costs.
🚫There is no real way to improve profit without increasing the price of the cafe food/drink.
🚫There are real limitations on growth / expansion / margin
...There is a positive - It’s GREAT to see local suppliers/bakeries/business involved...long may this continue!!

Key questions:
❓What does success actually look like here?
❓How closely is financial performance being monitored?
❓And if this doesn’t improve, what is the exit strategy plan and what will it cost?

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If the café was always part of the Sargeant vision - did anyone attempt to play a timeout card to reassess viability, costs and demand before committing further?

At what point do we stop and ask:
• Is this working?
• Is it sustainable?
• Is it delivering value for ratepayers?

Why do we just keep pushing forward because we’ve already started?

Genuine question for the community - What does Whanganui think?

**photo credit to AI**

20/04/2026

🔥🔥LOGO Refresh Update🔥🔥

Here’s what we now know:

❌No Whanganui design studios were invited to take part in the Request for Quote process. Instead, the project team selected the same design company used for the Sarjeant Gallery, at a cost of $61,800 (excl. GST) for design and files.

❌Internal staffing costs - Council has also advised it is difficult to quantify the internal staff time spent on this work. Additional contractor costs were incurred:
• Toi Māori Arts Advisor: $10,192.50
• Brand Advisor: $37,683.38 over two years

❌More than $100,000 has already been spent. There are no identified savings from the logo change and there is no lifecycle cost, no complete asset list and no system in place to track the full cost as the rebrand is rolled out.

❌The reason for the rebrand remains unclear with no demonstrated benefit to ratepayers.
This work was initiated under the previous Chief Executive David Langford.

We have since spoken with the current Chief Executive - Doug Tate - who has confirmed that any further proactive brand changes have now been paused.
We welcome the direction signaled by the new Chief Executive and look forward to seeing a continued focus on financial discipline, clear priorities and prudent stewardship of ratepayer funds.

❌This is not about a logo.
❌Its never being about a rebrand.
✅It is about ensuring ratepayer funds are managed with discipline, transparency, accountability - like its their hard-earned money that they are spending.

For anyone who would like a copy of the LGOIMA and associated documents - Please head over to our webpage, click 'Join' and include a note for the LOGO Documentation. Membership means you always get the full story, a voice, involvement and a vote at the AGM.
www.whanganuiratepayers.org.nz

20/04/2026

🔥🔥LOGO Refresh Update🔥🔥

Here’s what we now know:

❌No Whanganui design studios were invited to take part in the Request for Quote process. Instead, the project team selected the same design company used for the Sarjeant Gallery, at a cost of $61,800 (excl. GST) for design and files.

❌Internal staffing costs - Council has also advised it is difficult to quantify the internal staff time spent on this work. Additional contractor costs were incurred:
• Toi Māori Arts Advisor: $10,192.50
• Brand Advisor: $37,683.38 over two years

❌More than $100,000 has already been spent. There are no identified savings from the logo change and there is no lifecycle cost, no complete asset list and no system in place to track the full cost as the rebrand is rolled out.

❌The reason for the rebrand remains unclear with no demonstrated benefit to ratepayers.

This work was initiated under the previous Chief Executive David Langford.
We have since spoken with the current Chief Executive - Doug Tate - who has confirmed that any further proactive brand changes have now been paused.

We welcome the direction signaled by the new Chief Executive and look forward to seeing a continued focus on financial discipline, clear priorities and prudent stewardship of ratepayer funds.

❌This is not about a logo.
❌Its never being about a rebrand.
✅It is about ensuring ratepayer funds are managed with discipline, transparency, accountability - like its their hard-earned money that they are spending.

For anyone who would like a copy of the LGOIMA and associated documents - Please head over to our webpage, click 'Join' and include a note for the LOGO Documentation. Membership means you always get the full story, a voice, involvement and a vote at the AGM.

www.whanganuiratepayers.org.nz

19/04/2026