Democracy Northland

13/05/2026

A 74-year-old Whangārei man was left lying in a pool of blood outside a fish and chip shop after allegedly being coward-punched by a stranger in broad daylight.

The Whangārei man has spoken about his ordeal that left him with a brain bleed.

08/05/2026

𝗧𝗘 𝗔𝗥𝗢: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴ā𝗿𝗲𝗶 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶
Whangārei District Council has taken a step closer to strengthening how it embeds the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi across its organisation, after a proposed implementation plan was presented to a key standing committee.

The council’s Te Kārearea Strategic Partnership Standing Committee on Tuesday heard about the proposed plan, which responds to improvement recommendations from a council‑wide Te Tiriti o Waitangi health check commissioned by Whangārei District Council (WDC).

The health check examined how effectively the council’s systems, decision‑making processes and relationships reflect its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and where improvements were needed.

WDC manager Māori outcomes Mark Scott presented to the plan to the meeting to seek strategic advice about its approach, priorities and governance settings.

He said it would be further refined following committee feedback.

The proposed plan would then go to full council for consideration at either its May or June meeting.

Whangārei Mayor and committee member Ken Couper said the strengthening move was about creating a win‑win outcome for Māori and the wider community.
More...

Whangārei District Council has taken a step closer to strengthening how it embeds the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi across its organisation.

01/05/2026

𝗙𝗔𝗥 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗜𝗠 𝗔𝗧 𝗖𝗢-𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗘

A political dispute in the Far North has drawn national attention after councillor Davina Smolders publicly challenged her council’s approach to Māori representation.
At the centre of the controversy is a decision by the Far North District Council on 13 April to appoint 10 external hapū and iwi leaders to its Te Kuaka Committee for Māori Strategic Relationships. These 10 unelected members will sit alongside six elected councillors (four of whom were elected in Māori wards). The unelected members can participate fully in discussions and have full voting rights.

Nine councillors voted in favour of the motion to appoint external, non-elected representatives, with only Cr Smolders voting against it and one abstention.

Smolders has strongly opposed the arrangement, arguing that granting decision-making influence to unelected members undermines democratic “one person, one vote” principles. Concerns have also been raised that allowing iwi or hapū to appoint a person of their choice may be in breach of the Local Government Act; critics argue that councillors should make such appointments.

Mayor Moko Tepania downplayed the criticism, claiming the committee is simply “advisory.” While the committee’s decisions must be ratified by the full council (which has a majority of members of Māori descent), it is misleading to describe the committee as advisory when its members have full voting rights—advisors advise; they do not make decisions.

Given Te Kuaka’s powers and responsibilities, there is little doubt that the committee could become a political arm within the council, embedding the Māori interpretation of the Treaty, including its associated claims of sovereignty, throughout the organisation. It is this shift in control that is causing Cr Smolders and others to raise concerns.

In a recent blog post, King’s Counsel Gary Judd expressed it this way: “Clearly, therefore, the mayor of FNDC and the members of its governing body, apart from Ms Smolders, have engaged in processes which corrupt the purposes and principles of local government. They are engineering a transfer of power to iwi and hapū, no doubt in pursuance of the claim to have sovereignty over the north…”

The debate has quickly moved beyond the Far North, tapping into a broader national conversation about co-governance and the granting of full voting rights to unelected committee members.

The issue has reached the highest levels of government, with the Minister of Local Government, Simon Watts, being called upon to intervene. He responded by saying the situation does not yet meet the high legal threshold required for central government intervention, but has instructed his officials to engage with the council and report back to him. Watch this space.

The Minister will need to tread carefully. Co-governance and iwi influence within local councils are live election issues. National’s stance on these matters is already causing it to lose support to its coalition partners. How it handles the Far North District Council will be yet another test for the National Party.

Cr Smolders was elected on an ACT Party ticket, on a platform “focused on building a council that’s fair, balanced, and transparent—one that protects property rights, ends race-based policies, and restores fairness to local decision-making.”

She stands alone as a member of a council that is, by many accounts, heavily—some say entirely—influenced by Māori leadership, with critics arguing this is to the detriment of non-Māori. Cr Smolders has demonstrated that she is tenacious and does not shy away from publicity. We can expect to hear a lot more from Davina Smolders.

Further information

Gary Judd, Dare to be Daniel https://garyjuddkc.substack.com/p/dare-to-be-a-daniel?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true&utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e223_tv0&fbclid=IwY2xjawRYlupleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeGulUaVrnRWJmHQfAY7a8yYNJa8FOpLJDvq4FwfxVCnhQYWN_XIf78Y9SueY_aem_O1-vFDwkfkysoJr5d2qKCw

01/05/2026

𝗧𝟮 𝗠𝗔𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦

When the 6km bus lane between Kamo and Whangārei was first proposed in October 2023, LETTERBOX questioned why a bus lane (T2) was needed in Whangārei.
At the time, Cr McKenzie (now Deputy Mayor) said Whangārei needed T2 because Auckland and Wellington have them, and it “provided interesting and innovative public transport options.”

The Whangārei District Council (WDC) website is a little more specific. It says: “The T2 transit lane helps to keep Whangārei moving, reducing congestion and improving travel times by separating buses and vehicles with more than one occupant.”

The problem is it isn’t doing any of those things. A February 2026 report to the Whangārei Passenger Transport Working Group, run jointly by Whangārei District Council (WDC) and Northland Regional Council (NRC), found no improvement in bus running times. It states:

“The T2 Lane became operational on 4 July 2025. To date, there has been no improvement to scheduled running times. Early indications suggest that this may be linked to the five additional pedestrian crossing lights installed along the route to ensure pedestrian safety. There has also been a slight decrease in passengers using the buses, but this could potentially be due to the general fare increase implemented on 1 August 2025.”
(Chris Powell, Transport Manager – Northland Regional Council)

The cost of “policing” the lane is estimated to be in excess of $200,000 a year, which council staff say will be financed from fines.

Let’s be brutally honest about the T2 bus lane. It is fanciful madness that does not provide the promised benefits promoted by we-know-best ideological fools. Instead, it is creating traffic congestion, making Bank Street less safe, and causing financial damage to business owners.

We say Cr McKenzie and the other councillors who support this nonsense should front up to ratepayers and explain why T2 should not be abandoned. They should also front up to the business owners along Bank Street, who are reported to have suffered a significant loss of business as a result (as reported by the Northern Advocate).

There are six members on the Whangārei Passenger Transport Working Group: NRC councillors Amy Macdonald (Chairperson), Jack Craw, and Joe Carr; and WDC councillors Brad Flower, Nicholas Connop, and Stephen Martin.

Given that three members are dedicated greenies, including the chairperson, we believe there is little prospect of common sense prevailing unless the more grounded WDC councillors step in. It is more likely that the scheme will escalate and be extended to include Tikipunga and Riverside Drive, which is currently under consideration.

Common sense needs to prevail, and that may require some councillors to get off the couch and put an end to this failed experiment.

Further information

Northern Advocate: Whangārei stores report Covid-level slump because of T2 lane parking fines

Traders report losing tens of thousands of dollars in morning trade.

01/05/2026

𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗦𝗞𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗖𝗘

Hamilton CBD shop owners noticed a significant decrease in business after the previous council reduced free parking from two hours to one.

LETTERBOX suggested that if the WDC is serious about attracting people back into the city, it could start with two hours of free parking across the entire CBD during normal business hours, and unrestricted parking outside those hours.

We believe the solutions to reviving the CBD are straightforward. The number of vacant shops shows that retail alone is no longer viable. The obvious answer is to enable and encourage mixed-use activities: business (small-footprint retail and predominantly hospitality), offices, and residential apartment living. How that is achieved is the issue, and the WDC has a critical role in enabling that outcome.

Whangārei is not the only city in the world that has faced this problem. CBDs everywhere are shrinking because the nature of retail has changed. Other cities have addressed the issue with varying degrees of success.

The very first question the WDC councillors on the Mayoral Taskforce for City Centre Revitalisation should have asked is: “How have other cities successfully dealt with this issue?”

A five-minute chat with AI would have given them an answer that would take them a long way towards a solution for Whangārei. With a plan in place, they could then enlist the support of the public and various community groups to make it happen.

Instead, Mayor Couper says, “This is not a council project, it’s got to be a community project…it will be possible as the community works together.” Instead of taking responsibility, the Mayoral Taskforce has set up an array of six “workstreams” to identify issues and engage with the public. They are:

• Social support and community services, led by Rena Hona, Ministry of Social Development regional commissioner.

• Health, mental health and addiction, led by Jensen Webber, Mahitahi Hauora chief executive.

• Community safety, policing and regulatory, led by Northland Police Area Commander Inspector Maria Nordstrom.

• Infrastructure, lighting and urban environment, led by Deputy Mayor Scott McKenzie.
• Housing and inner-city living, led by Toa Faneva, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development regional director.

• The business and hospitality sector, led by Tim Robinson from NorthChamber and Julia Morrison from Hospitality NZ.

For decades, the WDC has failed to halt the decline. Instead of passing the problem onto the “community,” Mayor Couper should do what mayors are elected to do: lead. It is the WDC that must come up with a solution and then inspire the community to support it. While these “workstreams” talk, and talk, and talk, retailers continue to leave the CBD.

The one positive on the horizon is the often-mentioned redevelopment of the Forum North site into a Knowledge, Education, and Arts Hub. To date, proposals for the site have not progressed beyond press releases and memorandums, but hope was renewed recently when Northland MP Grant McCallum announced that $34 million has been earmarked for the development, subject to a detailed business case being accepted.

Photo credit: NZ Herald. Whangārei's CBD 'is rotting away': shop owners, landlords, shoppers, 27/12/19.

Further information

Northern Advocate: Whangārei CBD taskforce moves to revive city centre as more shops close https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/whangarei-cbd-taskforce-moves-to-revive-city-centre-as-more-shops-close/R3OQZCCQM5HTPMHIJ47XH5VMFM/

Stuff: ‘Ghost town’: Why businesses are abandoning this city centre https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/360968486/drugs-crime-and-alcohol-why-city-centre-becoming-ghost-town

Exodus of shops and services from the CBD has triggered a ‘mayoral taskforce’, with vacant spaces causing ‘depressing’ domino effect, locals say

01/05/2026

𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚Ā𝗥𝗘𝗜 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦
A new commercial property and investment arm established by the WDC is hoping to replicate the success of Far North Holdings Limited, which has accumulated total assets of $211 million and produced a net profit of $13 million last year, $5 million of which was paid out as a dividend to the council to offset rate increases. The council says Whangārei District Holdings Ltd (WDHL) is to “manage the development of council-owned property that has commercial or strategic opportunities.”
WDHL chairman Murray McCully has identified the knowledge and education hub on the Forum North site as a key priority. Let’s hope McCully and his fellow directors can achieve what councillors and council staff have not been able to achieve to date.

The other directors are Northland Toyota director Bryce Woodward, Kerikeri-based independent governance and strategy consultant Nicola Faithfull, and Ngātiwai Trust Board chief financial officer Angela Waetford.

01/05/2026

𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗔𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗔 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞

Local Government Minister Simon Watts is not happy with the Kaipara District Council (KDC). He says it needs to commit to the Government’s local government reform programme, and has directed officials to “work” with the council on the matter.
Although the Minister is touting the reform as a local initiative, in practice it is a Government directive with a predetermined outcome. Neither the councils nor the public are likely to have a genuine say on the matter. The Minister has previously signalled that he would step in where regions fail to produce a plan outlining how their councils will work together as part of major reforms. He expects the new local government governance structures to be in place for the October 2028 local elections.

The reform in Northland involves dissolving the NRC and transferring its responsibilities and assets to local councils, which themselves are to be consolidated into either one or two “super councils.” It is highly likely the KDC will be absorbed in the process.

The KDC is concerned that the amalgamation would reduce ratepayer representation (which it likely will) and have a detrimental effect on key infrastructure (which is also highly likely).

In February, the KDC suggested creating a combined Kaipara and North Rodney unitary authority, which would take in the northern two-thirds of the former Rodney District Council area that is now part of Auckland Council.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown rubbished the proposal, and the Government has made it clear that Auckland Council is not part of the current reform.

The WDC and FNDC councils would be the likely winners in the reform.

𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘
On the 24th of April, the Kaipara District Council released the following Media Statement:

"Kaipara District Council is responding to a number of inaccurate statements published in the article ‘Government works with Kaipara council amid uncertainty over Northland reform programme/Minister eyes Kaipara council after it baulks at Northland local government overhaul’ in the Northern Advocate and on RNZ yesterday.

"The article states that Local Government Minister Simon Watts has directed officials to work with Kaipara District Council as it considers joining a regional local government reform programme. Council has not received any direct communication from the Minister or central government officials regarding this matter. This has been confirmed with senior officials.

"The reform programme is still at an early stage. The deadline for public submissions on the proposal was 20 February 2026. Central government officials have indicated that government’s decisions are unlikely to be released before mid-2026, with any legislation expected to be introduced after the November general election this year. No decisions have been made on submissions, and there are no mechanisms or reasons for government intervention in relation to the proposed reforms.

"The description that council has “baulked” at the proposal is incorrect. Council has not made any decisions and has not adopted any position on the Simplifying Local Government reform programme beyond its submission made as part of the public consultation process. Given the early status of the reform and the lack of confirmed legislative direction, council has not yet discussed the proposal further or made any decisions in relation to it. Comments attributed to elected members in the article are personal views of individuals and not necessarily the consensus view of council.

"At the February Northland Mayoral Forum, it was agreed that a ‘by Northland, for Northland’ proposal to establish a Local Government Reform programme would be taken back to individual councils for consideration. In Kaipara, elected members will discuss the matter at a workshop scheduled for 6 May. A formal report will then be prepared and presented to the 27 May council meeting for a decision."
END

As of yesterday 2 May, the KDC has still not received any communication from the Minister on this matter.

𝐅𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Northern Advocate: Northland councils team up on local government reform https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-councils-team-up-on-local-government-reform/UMB472MNCZFUJKSVQF5PSPBRME/

1News: Supercity splitsville? Kaipara in breakaway plan with Auckland's north https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/02/09/supercity-splitsville-kaipara-in-breakaway-plan-with-aucklands-north/?fbclid=IwY2xjawP3FqlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeB_x_epUTF5ratZ5MqIjVyWvH3Kk4FTexDbkz2xq-Hi_PPR2O3g9Q8lD07eQ_aem_uF_BmRXtlYFi40TJqF_QvA

01/05/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄?

In the year ended June 2025, the 14 members of the WDC received $1,129,000 in remuneration.

In the year ended June 2025, the WDC lost $6,988,000 on derivative contracts. It held $256 million worth of derivative contracts.

In the year ended June 2025, the Northland Events Centre (2021) Trust that manages the Semenoff Stadium received an annual operating grant (including rent concession) from ratepayers of $1,432,007. Weren’t we told this facility would be self-supporting?

12/12/2025

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱-𝘰𝘶𝘵. 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘳a𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘵𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘰𝘳𝘪 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘰 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘪 𝘈𝘳𝘵 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳-𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 (𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 +$300 𝘢 𝘴𝘲𝘮 𝘱.𝘢.) 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰-𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘋𝘊 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘵 - 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴!

𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞’𝐬 $𝟏.𝟒𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦

Whangārei’s Hundertwasser Art Centre made a loss of $1.4 million in the last financial year but its chairman said much of that can be blamed on depreciation on the unique building.

The controversial centre, which opened in 2022, continues to underperform in visitor numbers, with just 34,000 people coming through its doors in 2024-25, less than half of the 70,000 expected.
It reported a loss of $1.42m for the financial year, compared with a $32,000 loss for the Whangārei Art Museum.

The two organisations are run by Whangārei Art Trust, a [Whangārei District Council-controlled organisation]. Trust chairman Bill Shepherd told the council’s community development committee on Thursday, a large part of the deficit was the $947,000 [depreciation on the Hundertwasser building]

More...
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/hundertwasser-art-centres-14m-loss-blamed-on-depreciation-low-tourism/Y2WTCPUNM5DXNDKQFBBHSZKCCM/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAYnJpZBExalhqOVh4WXdjZk1vYm42ZnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5wxWizhALgQpT07kCRsB7fupZIFuVFS61A8HvI4Bb2--CfygrpQIACbxTJ2A_aem_yYSSdeIi5jH9NW9dpfNn8Q

It is hoped new highway signs will help turn around the unique centre's $1.4m loss.

10/11/2025

𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗖 𝗣𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 - 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀

A reader has asked for assistance regarding the Northpower elections.

Here is our reply:

We understand the key issue is how the investment funds held by the Trust are to be distributed.

The status quo is that the income is paid out as a dividend to consumers in the form of a credit on their power bill.

We understand some candidates want to change that, and instead distribute the funds to what they consider to be worthy causes.

The candidate statements in the Election Handbook don’t shed any light on this issue, as most have presented bland statements about themselves rather than their views on the trust funds.

However, it is not too difficult to guess who might want to change the status quo: Sheryl Mai and Carol Peters.

To counter this threat, our suggestion is to vote for the four incumbent candidates (Heatley, Durham, Wilson and Yovich) and any one of the others (excluding Mai and Peters).

We believe radical socialists like Peters and Mai should not be anywhere near public funds. Voters should look beyond the air-brushed smiling faces and think about the damage that can be done by those wanting to get their sticky fingers on other people's money to advance their favourite social causes.