http://www.whanganuiratepayers.org.nz/

Whanganui Residents & Ratepayers Association, Whanganui (2026)

28/09/2026

WRRA Public Bus Survey
Thank you all for your concern and participation in our Whanganui Public bus survey. the survey is now closed. We finished just a few short of our target of 300 replies. That number is hugely significant Thank you

The general and overwhelming sentiment is “something has to change”

Your feedback on small buses, hop-on-hop-off services, flat fares, on-demand options and more will help shape what we take to Council as the Horizons contract comes up for renewal in 2028.

We really appreciate everyone who shared their views. Whanganui’s bus service can work better for all of us — thanks for helping make that happen. Follow us on Facebook or visit our website at whanganuiratepayers.org.nz for further updates.

24/09/2026

LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM PAUSED — AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT RIGHT

The Government's decision to pause the current local government reorganisation process will understandably cause frustration across councils that have already invested considerable time and effort responding to very tight deadlines.

There is a human side to this which shouldn't be overlooked.

Council officers and elected members have been required to undertake this work while at the same time dealing with Long Term Plans, Local Water Done Well, RMA reform and the normal business of serving their communities.

To have put considerable work into meeting those requirements and then have the process paused must be frustrating. The WRRA recognises the pressure this places on both elected members and council staff.

There is also the wider community to consider. Considerable public resources have already been committed to this process, and ratepayers quite reasonably expect that the work undertaken will ultimately contribute to a better outcome.

Rather than seeing the pause simply as a setback, perhaps we should regard it as an opportunity to get something this important right.

Before Whanganui is asked to consider any future restructuring, there are some straightforward questions that deserve clear answers:

What will it cost? What will it save? Will services improve? Will duplication be reduced? And will Whanganui retain a strong, genuinely local and accountable voice?

Reform of this magnitude needs time. Councils need the opportunity to properly assess the options, elected representatives need reliable information on which to make decisions, and communities need a genuine opportunity to understand and contribute to what is proposed.

Few would argue that local government does not face significant challenges. The important question is how change can deliver measurable efficiencies, better services and better value for our communities.

Hopefully, the additional time now available will allow Government, councils, elected representatives and communities to take what has already been learned and develop a better way forward.

Ultimately, we all share the same objective: strong, effective local government that serves its community well and uses the resources entrusted to it wisely.

WRRA — Whanganui District Residents and Ratepayers Association

Democracy works best when we work at it.

19/09/2026

MORE OF THE SAME WILL PRODUCE MORE OF THE SAME
Did you read Mayor Andrew Tripe’s article in this morning’s Chronicle?
The Mayor compares the Council’s financial position with a household whose income has remained the same while electricity, insurance, fuel and grocery bills have increased—and the roof and refrigerator need replacing.
It is a useful analogy, but what would a responsible family actually do?
It would examine every expense, cut luxuries, defer what was not essential, work more efficiently and seek additional income. It would not begin by taking a child out of school, stopping visits to the doctor or living on potatoes and rice.
Yet the Council’s survey largely asks ratepayers which services they would accept reducing to limit future rates increases.
Where is the equally serious examination of Council efficiency?
The WRRA has never claimed efficiency is a magic wand. However, even savings of 5–10 percent across an organisation receiving more than $120 million annually would be significant. More importantly, they would establish a new direction and create continuing savings.
A business facing these pressures would examine its staffing, overheads, contracts, duplication, underperforming activities and capital commitments. It would protect its core services while finding better ways to deliver them. It would also seek new income through innovation and productive economic growth.
That brings us to Whanganui & Partners.
Tourism deserves recognition, but it cannot conceal our wider economic performance:
• Whanganui’s median income is approximately $47,000, compared with about $57,000 nationally.
• Average household income is approximately $110,000 in Whanganui, compared with $147,000 nationally.
• Our youth unemployment rate is reported to be more than 30 percent.
Those are not small differences—they are economic chasms.
Having a substantially ratepayer-funded economic development agency reviewing its own performance does not provide the independence Whanganui needs. We need measurable results: more productive businesses, more skilled jobs, higher incomes and a stronger rating base—not merely reports about activity.
Unless the Council changes direction, we risk more of the same: higher rates, reduced services and continued economic underperformance.
Please complete both surveys. Tell the Council which services matter—but also tell it that efficiency, accountability and genuine economic growth must be placed firmly on the table.
Council choices and trade-offs survey
Whanganui & Partners review
Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

18/09/2026

DID THE COUNCIL GIVE AWAY LAND AT CASTLECLIFF TO TŪPOHO INVESTMENTS?
At a meeting today it was suggested that the WRRA had claimed Whanganui District Council lost or gave away approximately $4 million through the sale of three parcels of Castlecliff land to Tūpoho Investments Ltd.
That is not the WRRA's position, and it never has been.
Because we value our relationship with elected members and the community, we do not want rumour or half-truths replacing the facts.
So, for clarification, this is what we can establish.
The three parcels were independently valued in late 2020 at a combined $1.4 million. Council staff and Tūpoho Investments discussed the proposed purchase during 2020 and 2021, and the sale eventually settled in June 2022 for $1.4 million.
There is evidence that the wider Whanganui property market moved considerably over that period.
REINZ figures show the Whanganui District median residential sale price increased from approximately $400,000 in September 2020 to $534,500 in June 2022 — an increase of about 33.6%. The June 2022 figure was based on 38 residential sales.
That does not mean the three Castlecliff properties increased in value by 33.6%.
Those figures relate to residential property sales across Whanganui District. They are not a valuation of these particular parcels of land at Castlecliff.
They do, however, show that the wider property market had moved substantially between the original valuation and settlement.
There is also another possible explanation which needs to be acknowledged.
Council's current account confirms that discussions over the proposed purchase were taking place during 2020 and 2021. It is therefore possible that the $1.4 million valuation formed the basis of an agreement or understanding reached much earlier in the process, and that the time taken until settlement in 2022 reflected the time required to complete the transaction.
If that was the case, Council may simply have been completing a transaction substantially negotiated earlier rather than deciding in 2022 to sell the land at a two-year-old valuation.
We do not presently have sufficient evidence to say that was or was not definitely the case.
It is nevertheless a reasonable possibility and should be considered before anyone concludes that Council simply sold the properties too cheaply.
The purchase was financed through a Council vendor loan, with the interest rate reported at 3.6%. At the time of the June 2022 sale, the Reserve Bank Official Cash Rate was 2.0% — well below the 3.6% being charged on this transaction.
The OCR is not directly comparable with a commercial lending rate, so this comparison by itself does not establish whether 3.6% represented a commercial market rate. It does, however, provide useful context when considering the financing arrangement.
The loan repayment date was subsequently extended, and Council currently states that the repayment deadline is 10 February 2027.
There has also been discussion about $1.9 million of Government funding associated with development in Castlecliff.
That funding was announced through the Government's Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for transport and three-waters infrastructure associated with extending Carson Street and enabling further housing.
It should not be confused with the $1.4 million purchase price for the three properties.
What the available evidence does not establish is that Whanganui District Council simply "gave away $4 million".
The WRRA has not made that claim.
There may also be differing opinions concerning Tūpoho, Council policy or wider iwi matters. Those are not matters the WRRA intends to become involved in.
Our interest is straightforward: were proper processes followed, were ratepayers' interests protected, and can the decisions be supported by the facts?
Hopefully this puts the Castlecliff transaction into its proper perspective.
Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

17/09/2026

Last call for the WRRA bus survey.
If you havnt completed the survey on the Whanganui Bus service please do so today. The survey is set to close on Mondaty 21 st September.
The link to the survey is https://forms.gle/JDBkbKkx1Sqq9JYz6

Thanks to all the people who have completed the survey. Your input has been a valuable contribution in making our bus service a better and more efficient service for our city.

08/09/2026

WHO WILL OWN WHANGANUI'S PENSIONER HOUSING?

Whanganui District Council is proceeding with establishing an independent housing trust.

There may be good reasons for doing so. Whanganui needs more affordable housing and much of our existing pensioner housing needs upgrading.

But there are some very important questions that ratepayers deserve answers to.

Council currently owns 275 older-person housing units across 16 complexes. The pensioner-housing portfolio is listed by Council as a strategic asset.

Is that entire portfolio going to be transferred to the new trust?

If so:

• What is it worth?

• Will it be sold, gifted or leased to the trust?

• Who will own the land?

• Who are the trustees and who appoints them?

• What does the trust deed say?

• How much control will ratepayers retain?

• Who will undertake the housing developments and how will they be selected?

• How much Central Government funding has actually been committed?

• Who carries the financial risk if developments cost more than expected?

Perhaps most importantly — when will the public be consulted?

When Council consulted in 2025, it asked whether it should continue to explore establishing a standalone housing entity.

Council also said that before decisions were made about transferring the existing housing portfolio, the community would be consulted.

The WRRA supports finding sensible solutions to Whanganui's housing shortage.

But transferring significant community assets into an independent trust is a major decision. Before that happens, ratepayers and particularly the people who call these properties home deserve the full facts.

The WRRA is currently seeking those facts.

Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

07/09/2026

𝗪𝗥𝗥𝗔 — 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗨𝗜 𝗕𝗨𝗦 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗬

Our survey on Whanganui’s bus service continues to gain support and responses.

The more completed surveys we receive, the stronger your collective voice will be when we present the results to Horizons Regional Council and Whanganui District Council.

If you haven’t completed the survey yet, please do so today.

You can:

• Use the QR code below
• Use the survey link https://forms.gle/JDBkbKkx1Sqq9JYz6
• Send us a PM on Messenger and we will arrange a paper copy
• Collect a paper copy from Age Concern Whanganui, 164 St Hill Street

Every completed survey adds weight to the final submission.

Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

07/09/2026

DID WDC GIVE AWAY CASTLECLIFF LAND?

There has been considerable discussion about Whanganui District Council's sale of three Castlecliff properties to Tupoho Investments Limited for $1.4 million.
Some have described it as Council “giving away” valuable ratepayer-owned land.

WRRA has obtained and examined the valuation, Sale and Purchase Agreement, mortgage information and a subsequent LGOIMA response.
Here are the facts we have established.
The properties were 24 Cross Street, 45 Carson Street and 70 Bamber Street, comprising approximately 8.6 hectares altogether. The Sale and Purchase Agreement was dated 29 June 2022, with a price of $1.4 million plus GST if applicable.
This transaction occurred before the October 2022 local elections, during the term of the previous Council and Mayor Hamish McDouall. It should therefore not be attributed to the present Mayor, Andrew Tripe.
WDC had commissioned an independent valuation from Morgan Property Advisors. That valuation was effective 6 November 2020 and assessed the combined market value at $1.4 million.
The rating valuations applying when Morgan prepared its report were:
24 Cross Street — $740,000
45 Carson Street — $960,000
70 Bamber Street — $122,000
Total — $1.822 million.
Morgan was fully aware of the development potential. The valuation was based on a proposed subdivision of 84 residential lots, and Morgan described intensive residential subdivision as the property's “highest and best” use.
Morgan used three valuation methods. They produced figures ranging from approximately $1.38m to $1.45m, which Morgan reconciled to a market value of $1.4m.
The report even modelled the 84 sections producing a future gross realisation of about $11 million. But after allowing for GST, selling costs, development costs, holding costs and developer profit and risk, Morgan calculated a residual block value of approximately $1.4 million.
That is an important fact.
The latest rating valuations supplied to WRRA total approximately $4.885 million. That large increase understandably attracts attention. However, comparing today's CV directly with a 2020 market valuation can be misleading. Rating value and market value are different measures, and Morgan expressly warned that rating valuations do not necessarily represent market value.
There are nevertheless questions that deserve answers.
The Morgan valuation was approximately 20 months old when the sale agreement was signed. Morgan itself warned that values could change significantly over relatively short periods and recommended that its valuation be periodically reviewed.
Was an updated independent market valuation obtained immediately before the 2022 sale?

There is another interesting part of the transaction.
WDC provided vendor finance for the $1.4 million purchase price. A mortgage registered in September 2022 records Tupoho Investments Limited as mortgagor and WDC as mortgagee, with a priority amount of $1.4 million plus interest.

In its recent LGOIMA response, Council advised WRRA that the entire $1.4 million principal remained outstanding, with principal and accumulated interest totalling approximately $1.652 million at 30 June 2026. The loan was stated to be repayable on 10 February 2027.
We understand that an extension of that repayment date may now have been sought. We have not yet independently confirmed that and therefore make no assertion that an extension has been granted.

So, what is our conclusion?
Based on the evidence presently available, WRRA does not believe the claim that Council simply “gave away $4.8 million of land for $1.4 million” is established by the facts.
There was a professional independent valuation supporting the $1.4 million figure, and that valuation specifically took residential subdivision potential into account.
There are, however, legitimate questions about why a November 2020 valuation was apparently relied upon for a June 2022 sale, whether an updated valuation was obtained, why Council financed 100% of the purchase price, why the full principal remained outstanding nearly four years later, and whether a further extension is now being considered.
Those questions deserve answers — but they should not be confused with conclusions that the evidence does not support.
Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

06/09/2026

EFFICIENCY — PERHAPS IT IS TIME WE MEASURED IT

When WRRA talks about Council efficiency, we sometimes hear that efficiencies won't make much difference to rates.

Perhaps not next year.
But what about the next ten years?
WDC's own Long-Term Plan provides an answer.
Council budgeted for $1 million of operational efficiencies in year one and approximately another $1 million in each following year.
Because those savings accumulate, WDC calculated the ten-year saving at approximately $51 million.
Initial savings included reducing the vehicle fleet, deferring projects and managing staff vacancies. A later organisational restructure budgeted for another $1.2 million in annual efficiencies.

So efficiency clearly matters.
But there are questions we should keep asking.
Much Council maintenance is outsourced. That may be the best option — but how often is it tested against the cost of doing some work in-house?
The cheapest tender shouldn't necessarily win. Quality and risk matter. But when Council pays more because a tender promises better value, does anyone later ask:
Did we actually receive that extra value?
And when projects exceed expected costs, do we examine why and learn from them?

Efficiency isn't about automatically cutting staff or services.
It is about continually asking:
Can we achieve the same result for less?
That becomes increasingly important as Government moves towards rates capping while Council must continue providing essential services and infrastructure.

WDC's Long-Term Plan must be reviewed again in 2027.
WRRA believes measurable, continuing efficiency improvement should be a cornerstone of that plan.
Before cutting services, let's make sure they are being delivered as efficiently as reasonably possible.
WDC's own projected $51 million saving shows why.
Efficiency isn't a dirty word. It is becoming a necessity.
What do you think?

Democracy works best when all of us work at it.

Whanganui Residents & Ratepayers Association

28/09/2026

24/09/2026

19/09/2026

18/09/2026

17/09/2026

08/09/2026

07/09/2026

07/09/2026

06/09/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request