Paekākāriki – meet your candidates!

Every community has challenges and strengths particular to their place. Paekākāriki is no exception. We asked the village what questions they’d like to know answers to before making their votes in the local body and Paekākāriki Community Board elections this October, and in response candidates introduced themselves and provided answers. We hear from those standing for both the Paekākāriki-Raumati seat, district wide seat, mayoralty and Community Board. Candidates are listed alphabetically.

Paekakariki.nz managing editor Mark Amery has edited this article to avoid the declared conflict of interest for editor Holly Jane Ewens.

Make sure you’re enrolled to vote — it’s super quick and simple! Check your details are correct here or enrol.

Want to know where you can vote? Check out this super handy map of all the places you can cast your vote. Voting papers will arrive via post from September 20-25, and they must reach the Council office by 12 noon on October 12 at the latest to be counted. If you are posting your voting papers, you should do this by 5pm Tuesday 8 October to ensure they arrive in time. After this, you should drop them off in person.


Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward (1 seat)

Guy Burns — Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward

A Raumati resident for over 50 years, I have an excellent knowledge and awareness of Paekākāriki’s issues and concerns. Currently, I’m Deputy Chair of the Paraparaumu Raumati Community Board and have an excellent knowledge regarding local government.

My focus is on keeping costs down for ratepayers; a goal I have been actively undertaking for the last several years. Recently, I highlighted KCDC plans for borrowing money to invest in the risky financial market; this attention helped Council to adopt a more prudent strategy.

I will ensure that the planned seawall for Paekākāriki is built. This wall is essential for the protection of Paekākāriki’s infrastructure.

My commitment is to transfer the former Perkins farm to community/public ownership. This land must never be built on and is necessary for Paekākāriki’s flood protection; it will be an ideal area to regenerate back to native bush.

I will work towards an efficient Council that puts the public first, and will strive to reduce red tape, and unnecessary rules and regulations. My vision is for a Council that delivers long-term sustainable core-services; satisfying the needs of a dynamic and growing community.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Because of the current rating methodology that KCDC uses.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? I will lobby for a rating review of Kapiti rates that is fair for all residents.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? The current system works well. A reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki has problems regarding location and the concentration of effluent in one location.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? Overall, traffic flows well. There are issues regarding parking for those walking the escarpment track. I would work closely with the Paekākāriki Community Board to identify any potential changes.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? By building and increasing non-vehicle infrastructure.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? 100 percent; this land needs to be in community ownership.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? No, but the current system can be improved by the use of a tendering process.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? No, but a sustainable long-term solution in needed.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Kapiti Coast District Council does not pay staff less than the Living Wage.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? No, KCDC needs to align with central government targets. Any steps for KCDC to take a lead on climate change will lead to rate increases.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? By regularly engaging with Paekākārikians in their community, going to fairs, social events, and having regular coffees at the village.


Sophie Handford — Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward

Tēnā koutou, ko Sophie Handford ahau. 

I have grown up here on the Kāpiti Coast, attending Paekākāriki School and Kāpiti College. I served as Head Girl and student representative on the Board of Trustees, and am currently a national youth leader in the climate change action space. I am passionate about my Paekākāriki-Raumati community, its social and cultural diversity, its vulnerable coastal environment, and its vocal activism. I am also concerned about those in our community that struggle to have their needs met. I support the Council carbon neutral resolution and will actively tackle climate change planning, continued development of community housing, and Council support for local workforce initiatives especially for young people. Let’s work together to ensure that this community supports our diversity, shows aroha to our most vulnerable, prepares us well for the future, and encourages a flourishing local business scene. I look forward to working with you.

As I am based in Paekākāriki, I encourage you to come and chat when you see me around! I am very open to having conversations and I have a lot of learning to do from all of you so I will be keeping my mind and heart open throughout this process.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? General rates help to pay for the costs of a broad range of services and facilities – either critical (e.g. roading, street lighting, waste/stormwater, coastal management and cemeteries) or deemed beneficial to the community as a whole e.g. libraries, swimming pools, community/sports halls, social housing, parks and reserves, cycleways/walkways, planning and development, dog registration, noise complaints and projects including the Paekakariki sea wall, Mahara Gallery and Waikanae Library, Paraparaumu and Waikanae town centres, and earthquake prone building assessments. The costs of most things are increasing all the time, so this causes rates to go up too. 

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? I would work with the community to make sure rates are being charged equitably and support a review of the rating system to ensure this is the case. We obviously want to make sure that Paekākāriki residents are being charged fairly so I would support this in principle, yes. 

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? For me, a big factor would be checking out the environmental impacts of both systems. I am interested in exploring and seeing how the council can support better management of septic tanks and composting toilets. I think this would need to be very much a community decision with a decent community discussion to back that up. 

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I think around Paekākāriki School. It is crucial that traffic is calmed and slowed to ensure the safety of our youngest community members, our tamariki. We must make sure that everyone is safe and I think traffic calming has a role to play in this.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and the use of public transport? Walking, cycling and the use of public transport brings so many benefits. I would ensure initiatives such as the Bike Library are supported adequately but also make sure that the roads and pavements are safe. I also think public art and community events could further encourage walking and active modes of transport. The bus service which goes around the village to collect people and then up to Coastlands is very infrequent so I would advocate for this to more regular for those who have difficulty getting to the train station.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I have a very high level of support. I believe it’s a fantastic chance to develop a real asset for not only Paekākāriki but the whole Kāpiti district. We must realise the potential of the Transmission Gully surplus land and acknowledging the Wainuiwhenua project as a chance to restore this area for the betterment of our communities, the environment and future generations. I think it is crucial for Council to show leadership in this project.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? I would be committed to finding out which system would have a lesser impact on the environment and this would be the one I support. I am led to think at this point though that the number of rubbish trucks on the road is nonsensical. We want to be supporting our communities to reduce their waste. One way to do this could be returning waste and recycling to Council management.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes, I will.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes, this is something I will support. 

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? Yes, 100%. I think the establishment of a climate change committee is extremely necessary and should be a committee of the whole Council to ensure all business as usual decisions are being looked at through a climate change lens.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I plan on hosting kai and catch up sessions to hear from Paekākārikians about the issues they see but also to be present at community hui and meetings to listen and then work with the community to best represent the views of those in this wonderful village at the Council decision making table. I will also be present at gigs and down at the Parrot and the Deli for anyone that wants to chat. I plan on using social media as a tool too.


Bede Laracy — Paekākāriki-Raumati Ward

I believe that strong communities build a vibrant District, and that people need to be at the heart of all key decisions.

I have lived in Kapiti since 1979 and raised family here. I am a local business owner, and for the last couple of years have worked to raise the profile of Raumati Beach with Council. That experience has highlighted the need for better investment in the village.

I have a deep interest in politics, and hold a Masters Degree in Democracy. I have taught small business management at Te Wananga O Aotearoa for 10 years, and I have 11 years legal experience in the employment law field.

As someone with a long personal and business connection to the areas within the Paekakariki Raumati Ward, I relish the opportunity to be part of ensuring these communities continue to be strong vibrant places to live, play, and do business.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? KCDC have no profit-generating assets such as ports. So rates are almost the only source of income that Council have. Previous Councils have borrowed to the eyeballs to pay for the promises they made in elections to the detriment of the current rate payer. This problem should never have been allowed to occur. It is clear that the current Council have worked hard to get the borrowing down, but that work needs to continue. And once the finances are back under control, we need to ensure measures are there to prevent future Councils from over-borrowing. At the same time, general spending needs to be controlled. The level of some of our rates rises are not sustainable for the wider population. Councils need to learn to live within their means. That is a lesson we have all had to learn in our private and business lives. I see no reason why we can’t have the same expectation of Councils. (see below re: septic tanks)

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? As one voice at the Council table, I will not have the power to change how rates are assessed. But I definitely support a wide-ranging rates review. A Grey Power paper from 2015 states that a change to capital value rates is detrimental to superannuitants. That position may conflict with the position stated in the question, which means there would be competing interests. If the Grey Power paper is correct, then how would the suggested change affect the superannuitants in Paekakariki? Considerable consultation and advice will be needed to make any decision about a change in rates. But I do believe that rates should be assessed with the needs of people in mind, and not simply the needs of the Council structure.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? When I was a kid every couple of years my dad would have to clean out the soap pit. All of us kids would have to lug buckets of shingle up the sand bank in Paekakariki to fill it. So I sympathise with those who struggle with being on septic tanks. But modern septic tank systems aren’t what they used to be, and a continued reliance on them acts as a protection against uncharacteristic infill housing development. They also have strong value in terms of climate change protection. I understand that the sewage component has been removed from the rates of Paekakariki properties. However, if it turns out that Paekakariki residents are paying for waste management that they don’t use, then the rates ought to be adjusted to reflect that fact.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? One of the obvious issues with speed in Paekakariki is that drivers often have to race through a dangerous intersection and across train tracks to get into the town. If they don’t have to stop for a train, they can suddenly find themselves racing through the village if they aren’t careful. So that intersection needs attention – and now would be good.

In and around the Village, one death has been one death too many. I support implementing a proper consultation process to work through best options for sensible solutions.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Paekākāriki residents were conscious of environmental issues long before it became popular politics, and they are well practised in walking and cycling. The train system is something that always needs to remain on the table for improving, but the locals use it heavily. Cycle stands etc. on the station are useful and encouraging, and more should be added if demand grows. The bike track to Raumati South allows for easy access to the northern parts of the coast – and people are using it heavily, which is great!

However, there are two things that would improve ease of use in regard to public transport. First, there needs to be an improved bus service to take Raumati residents to Paraparaumu station, so they stop filling up the Paekākāriki station carpark. Second, the trains need to allow more bikes on the trains.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?
I support the Wainuiwhenua vision, including the call for KCDC to be the lead agency on the project. Paekākāriki will never have an opportunity like this again. With land being freed up after NZTA has completed Transmission Gully, the question is what happens to that land? One of the key factors here is the question of character and identity. Developers will no doubt be keen to subdivide and get as many houses in there as possible. But a brand-new modern suburb would dramatically change the character of Paekākāriki overnight – and not for the better. The Wainuiwhenua plan is an exciting vision. Developed by locals, the plan allows for some housing development but also ensures it fits in with the existing environment and community. And the developers of the plan are not seeking direct financial investment from Council. There is much detail to still be worked out with the plan, but I am happy to commit to supporting it through whatever processes are required.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes – I never thought the service should have been outsourced in the first place. As terrible as ‘council management’ sounds, the reality is that outsourcing rubbish collection is not necessarily better. We have three companies on our street that each have two trucks. That’s six trucks per week collecting rubbish and recycling. Surely one rubbish and one recycling truck is more economic and better for the environment?
My suspicion on the issue though is that the practicalities of returning the service to Council would put huge pressure on rates (see below on waste management). So it should not be seen as a simple problem with a simple solution.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? In a perfect world, Kapiti would take control of its own waste management. However, there is no clear local solution and that means any alternative is not going to occur within the next Council term. Resource consents and community consultation alone will take considerable time, effort, and finances. So while I would like to cease outsourcing our waste to Hokio (as well as Marton and Porirua) immediately, it could create a real problem for us here in Kapiti.
I am happy to commit to seeking an alternative to the Hokio landfill, and I hope to see proper consultation to ensure a sound solution is found. We can’t keep making our rubbish someone else’s problem. We just need to make sure we can deal with the problem ourselves.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer?
In principle – yes. However, a sudden rise in the Council wage bill would mean an increase in our rates bills. That is simple economics. While it’s nice to think that staff working for Council will receive better pay, the people who pay for it through rates don’t necessarily receive the living wage themselves. So we need to make sure that a living wage is brought in sensibly. The review of Council currently in the pipeline may help to identify how feasible the idea is, and how quickly it could be implemented.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? I support providing support to the declaration of a climate change emergency, but it needs to be a solution that is fit for purpose. Committees are not always the most effective way to ensure progress. So I support a committee only if it is going to be the best option, but I am also open to other means of supporting the declaration.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village?As Ward Councillor I would be sitting on the Paekākāriki Community Board. That means I would be heavily involved in the real affairs of the town, and I’m excited by that prospect. I spent a large chunk of my life growing up in Paekākāriki, and four of my siblings went through Paekākāriki School. As a community, Paekākāriki is strong, and it knows how to stand up for itself. The village is currently being well served by a highly competent community board, and that looks to continue after the upcoming elections. So Paekākāriki doesn’t need me to tell it what to do. How I view my role if elected is that I am available to help with whatever matters arise through the board, and then to promote those interests at the Council table – and further if required. People will also be able to contact me directly if they wish. Paekākāriki residents can be assured that in me they will have a loyal and dedicated servant. And there are still a few long-time Paekākāriki residents in my life who will give me a flick in the ear if I drop the ball!?!

Paekākāriki Community Board (4 seats)

Holly Jane Ewens — Paekākāriki Community Board

Tēnā koutou, ko Holly Jane Ewens ahau. I’ve lived in the village for 23 years raising children, teaching and performing music while volunteering time to various community initiatives.

I’ve learnt much over last three years as a Paekākāriki Community Board member; listening, engaging and advocating on behalf of this village. We have some large projects coming our way this triennium — the seawall upgrade, the opening of Transmission Gully and the challenges and opportunities that presents us; the NZTA disposal of surrounding land and the transfer of the current SH1 to local Council. 

I look forward to providing continuity in a new and progressive team to ensure the interests of the village are kept front and centre on the appropriate agency tables. Paekākāriki is fierce, smart and caring and I’m unafraid to uphold those values in the Council chambers.

I’m passionate about communication and engagement and proud of the steps we’ve taken as a Board, and as a community, to develop trustworthy consultation with our Treaty partners, Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki. There is still work to be done to widen engagement and hear a diversity of voices at our meetings and I anticipate a creative strategy approaching.

I don’t build seawalls or state highways but I do build relationships. I’d like to strengthen and expand those foundations over the next three years. Together, let’s create a Paekākāriki Community Board that is more representative, more accessible and close to the heart of our village.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Rates are based on land value — and as we all know, land in Paekākāriki is very valuable. We also have large sections here — larger than many other areas of the coast (thanks in part to our septic tank system). We are also getting a $17m seawall. As overdue as it might be.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? As a Community Board member I don’t have the power to make these changes but I will advocate for a rating system that is equitable.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? I believe the cost negates this as a real possibility. I’m also unsure of the community appetite. I know there is much pride in the village that we’re so self-sufficient; we have our own water supply, we take care of our own sewage, soon we may have our own power generation and we even have our own Wifi. This independence puts us in a pretty good place in an emergency.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I commend the working group from the kura who propose safety measures around the school. This issue has been discussed for many many years — when my eldest attended Paekākāriki School some 18 years ago. I understand the rise and fall of Wellington Rd makes it difficult to find a short (less expensive) traffic calming solution, but I believe something must be done. There is no safe way for our tamariki to cross the road to Campbell Park. The seawall upgrade will see increased traffic along Wellington and Tilley Roads and once complete, will see more people accessing the beach via Campbell Park. I would like to see steps to make our Beach Road a character precinct with a pedestrianised feel, slowing traffic down at entry.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Ensuring our roads are safe (see above) and by continuing to support initiatives like our wonderful Bike Library. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? We need to seize this opportunity with both hands. We have an obligation to ensure that this land, of Māori and settler significance remains in public ownership. The flood mitigation, wetland restoration, recreation and housing opportunities will enhance and future-proof the village. I can’t think of a better model for what is an ambitious and brave undertaking and I sincerely hope the KCDC will stand up and be a progressive leader in securing this land through the Public Works Act.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes. I understand we currently have the cheapest alternative but it doesn’t appear to be working for waste minimisation, customer care, or responsible disposal solutions.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes. I don’t know all the history of this but it’s a disgrace.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Absolutely, KCDC are so behind. It’s time to for KCDC to lead by example on multiple issues and this is one.

Do you support the establishment of a Climate Change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared Climate Change emergency declaration? I’m in two minds about this one — in principle, yes but I’d hate to see just another box ticked without real action: improvements, research, strategy and fundamental change.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I’ll continue my cafē chats with whoever happens to be around. We’ll talk at the milk fridge in Bhavesh’s. Have the occasional beer with you at the Bowler. Dance with you in the front row of a gig. Take your phone calls. Catch you at the school disco. Facilitate hui. Listen. 


Jess Hortop — Paekākāriki Community Board

My name is Jess Hortop and I have lived in the village for 14 years. I have three children (aged 24, 21 and 17) who all went to Paekākāriki School. I have worked at the school as a teacher for 11 years. I love my home, my job, my community and our surroundings. I have experience in governance from my nine years on the school board. I am passionate about keeping our community a place that is affordable, healthy, safe and inclusive of all people of different backgrounds, ages, incomes etc. I am interested in affordable housing, public transport and infrastructure, the future of SH1, the seawall, water quality, what will happen to Wainuiwhenua/excess Transmission Gully land, opportunities for young people. However, most of all I feel the community board should be actively engaging with, listening to and representing Paekākāriki. I would like to consider different ways the board could be more accessible and engaged with more people to better understand needs, wants and new ideas. I would seek to support existing initiatives and activities that are aligned with the communities values and goals. I would ensure that what is important for us is considered district and region-wide.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? I believe rates are based on the valuation of properties rather than the exact amenities used. 

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? As a community board member I wouldn’t have the power to make this change, however as a representative of the community and a resident I would always be lobbying for fairness and affordability across our district.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? I would want to know a lot more about the options before I formed a strong opinion. I would want to know costs, how it might disrupt the village, where the sewerage would be treated and how it would affect properties. 

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I would really like to see some measures implemented to make our roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists, especially younger ones.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? I would like the roads to be safer, trains/buses to be cheaper and more frequent.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I am wholeheartedly in support of this project. 

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? I would oppose this and be pushing for environmentally sustainable waste management in the district.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer?Absolutely, anything less than a living wage for anyone anywhere is unacceptable.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration?  I would support this and anything that supports effective, immediate action.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I think we should be finding different places and ways to engage. This might be making members of the committee available at monthly markets, at the library, sporting events or drop-in times with coffee. I think it would be good to find times and places that encourage all Paekākārikians to feel comfortable and able to share what’s important to them.


Steve La Hood — Paekākāriki Community Board

Tēna koutou e te whanau o Paekākāriki. I’m Steve La Hood – standing for Paekākāriki Community Board. 

Robina and I are new to Paekākāriki – we bought the lovely house at 72 Wellington Road just 20 months ago – but we have lots of friends, family and acquaintances here and across the Kāpiti district. 

I’ve stepped back from my 40 year career in the film, television and exhibition industries to enjoy my family, community, environment.

My company, Story Inc, has worked closely with Wellington City Council through three consecutive mayoralties – both as partners and as contractors – so the processes of councils are not foreign to me… and those processes can always be improved!

I have considerable experience on trust boards and advisory boards (Clyde Quay School, Toi Whakaari, Te Auaha etc) and I understand that the key statutory task of the community board is to ‘represent the interests of the community of Paekākāriki’ at District Council. 

I believe that the board should assert the interests of Paekākāriki. The Community Board has to be sure it is representing the interests of the community of Paekākāriki… so let’s participate fully in the discussions around each of the issues the community faces. Consensus gets action, however long it takes to work the issues out.

And there are plenty of issues at hand:
– Wainuiwhenua – the post-expressway proposal – more housing – wetland restoration – design for the future…
– A marae and kāinga for Ngati Haumia ki Paekākāriki – with affordable housing for whanau…
– The sea-wall – a climate change emergency?
– More action in the commercial heart of the village
– Infrastructure and safety (Beach Road and the Highway)
– Managing our waste
– Are we getting value for our rates?
– What will Paekākāriki look like in ten years, twenty years…

We could be leading the Kāpiti District by example – representing the many interests of the Paekākāriki Community – pro-actively – thinking ahead for our community, our rangatahi and the whenua.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Interesting… do we want our rates to come down – or do we want a reticulated sewerage system? I can’t see ANY council responding positively to either position. What’s the science of a reticulated system? Is it even possible? We should do a comprehensive analysis of how our rates are spent (proportionate to this community) – and investigate the sewerage options at the same time. I actually didn’t know that Paekākāriki had a privately-owned separate water supply. What’s the story behind that? Who manages the water supply now? I honestly don’t know the answer to this question – but it’s obviously important to the community, so let’s talk about it and come to a consensus.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? Again – as above – saying we’re overcharged for rates just makes councils dig their heels in. Is there a precedent anywhere in NZ for shifting the rateable value from land to capital? I’ve paid rates for nearly 40 years – it’s always been a composite of land and capital value. Is this a fight we could win? If not, is there a better way of approaching this issue?

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? As above again. I’m not sure of the science in a reticulated system. I guess it would have to be a stand-alone system for the current and future number of households that are locked into the defined borders of Paekākāriki. Surely we couldn’t run a ‘poo-pipeline’ through QE2 Park. Where would the treatment plant go? What would the environmental issues of such a plant be? How much would it cost and who would pay? If you think the rates are high now… 

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? From what I’ve seen, most local drivers respect the community and keep the speed down. But I worry that Wellington Road is a bit of a drag-strip for some and would like to talk to independent traffic planners about ways to manage a ‘village speed’ environment for the future. This is especially true around the school. As for the highway exit across the rail line… that’s a difficult and changing issue. We won’t really have a handle on that until after the expressway opens… but we certainly want it to be safer than it is now!

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? By example of course! No really – Paekākāriki’s accessibility from the north by cycleway and in both directions by train – as well as the fantastic walking tracks in our backyard – these are our true assets. We’re already seeing the benefits of the escarpment track on our businesses on Beach Road. What if there was an electric people-mover service from the station to the surf club and QE2 park?

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?100%. It’s a strong and clear vision for the future. It allows for growth in the compressed housing market – without creating ‘gated’ unaffordable mansions. It offers a carbon-sink in return for that growth by restoring wetlands and planting native trees. It buffers us from the expressway. Wainuiwhenua’s bi-cultural development is a beacon for future development across the Kāpiti district. We should demand it – not just support it.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Not if they’re going to just dump it in a landfill. We – our community – need to take responsibility for our waste and come up with a near-zero-impact plan we all agree to – then TELL the council how we want them to co-operate. 

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Of course – this is part of the above question. KCDC needs to lift its game on disposal of waste. The district is going to grow (maybe double the number of current residents). We can’t go on hoping the problem will go away – and we can’t trample on our Treaty partners as if we’re their masters. As a community, we need to demand a five, 10 and 20 year plan from our District Council that Māori and Nga Hau e Wha can be proud of – where we can say ‘we are kaitiaki of this land – together’. It’s an immediate problem – with a long-term set of solutions. It’s our problem.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Why aren’t they already? Yes – unequivocally.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? We don’t need another committee. We need to require that the Mayor declares a climate-change emergency across the district right now. Council needs to respond to this emergency at all levels of representation and service.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? Talk to us on the community board FB page. Come to the regular meetings. Chew my ears over coffee at the cafes. Knock on my door. If I’m elected, I’ll do my best to get around – kanohi ki te kanohi – ready to listen. We’ve already got a system – if you (the community) want more engagement – sing out, we’re not going anywhere.


Dan O’Connell — Paekākāriki Community Board

Hi I’m Dan O’Connell I’ve been a resident of Paekākāriki for approximately five years. I’ve been involved with the Community Trust for the last three, principally as the organiser of the monthly market in St. Peters Hall. Through that involvement I have become much more connected to the community and people of Paekākāriki.
I would like to see a community board, that is more engaged locally and one that advocates more strongly to the KCDC. Our previous board was happy to meekly accept an apology from K Gurunathan at every meeting and the one time, in my experience, the Mayor turned up it was a solely for a photo opportunity, after which he promptly left.
I would advocate that the community board:
              – have a communications budget (possibly a $1000 per annum) to be used via Facebook and local signage to promote achievements, call for submissions, advertise meetings, raise issues and generally engage with the community
– use www.paekakariki.nz as its main means of digital communication, while many people are on Paekakariki Tauhokohoko not everyone is and Paekakariki.nz is a great local initiative.  
– publish a concise readable version of the meeting minutes. The current board minutes are a formal document and, as such, are tedious beyond belief.
– promote the fact that they have funds to contribute to locals and local community groups so that these funds are distributed more widely across the community.
– invite a representative from Ngāti Haumia to be associated with the board to give local iwi representation. 
– strongly support the Wainuiwhenua development so that it will bring about a mixed-used development that provides community housing, more public open space, wetland and the exciting prospect of our very own wind farm. 
Historically I’ve worked in local and central government, media sales and recruitment and a long time ago in a distance universe, I completed a Degree in Town Planning.  
If you vote for me you will get a person who may make mistakes, could even cause offence, my tentative campaign slogan is a little bit of the Bard, “ I’ll so offend to make a offence a skill, redeeming time when men least think I will” Henry IV Part 1. I’ll also be diligent, thorough, a strong advocate for Paekākāriki, and happy to challenge the status quo. 
And of course, if you don’t vote for me, the world will still revolve and hopefully we can all continue to lead happy productive lives.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? While it’s understandable that some people may want to have reticulated sewerage in Paekākāriki, I believe this would always proof prohibitively expensive and a major civil project which could well run over time. The positive side of septic tanks in Paekākāriki is that it maintains a low level of housing density which contributes to the character of the village.  

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? I can always advocate for this, as it could well result in a fairer distribution of rates charged across business and domestic properties, however realistically this would be an issue more appropriately dealt with at the full Council level. That said I would be very happy to work towards a change in the rates structure. 

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki?Covered in answer above.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I commend the recent change to 30 kilometres an hour along Wellington Rd leading into Beach Rd and would advocate similar traffic calming measures be put in place adjacent to the school.  

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? I’m a walker, user of public transport and some time cyclist. Given that there are good walking opportunities, a cycling track through to Raumati and a very regular train service I believe that Paekākāriki is fortunate in its public transport, however if additional options are viable, I would be happy to explore them. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?This proposal to utilise land currently tied up with the motorway construction offers a great mix of uses, such as affordable housing, environmental protection and wind generation and is a very positive project, which I would support whole heartedly. 

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes, in general terms I do not favour outsourcing of council services, though again this may be a decision to be made at the full Council level. I would be happy to work with our Council representatives to push for this change. 

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae Yes, I would oppose the reckless disposal of waste and would be happy to be advised about this issue. At this stage I would need to familiarise myself with the background to the dumping of waste at Hokio landfill.   

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes, I would, there are enough people employed by Council who are on significantly higher than the living wage, that raising the wages of those who are paid below that rate would not have a great effect on the Council’s overall wage bill. Also, this comes down to a basic human right and something resembling a fair society     

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? Yes, I would support this, though the leadership of the current Mayor doesn’t inspire. To deal in anyway at all with the global climate change issues we need to act locally as that is the only realistically approach. Hoping someone else, somewhere else, sorts the problem is akin to burying your head in the sand. 

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? This is a broad question and I believe there are many local people who are very actively engaged in the community, everything from the local radio station, the Railway Museum, to the Bowling Club. As to having people understanding and engaging with issues that should be approached on an issue by issue basis. There may well be a number of approaches and ways of approaching particular sectors of the community. Apologies if this is vague, but this is a very general question.  


Tina Pope — Paekākāriki Community Board

Tēna koutou kātoa, ko Tina Pope ahau.

I’m passionate about this special village. I’ve been representing your views and working on your behalf since I arrived eight years ago – as chair of the Paekākāriki School Board of Trustees and co-chair of the Paekākāriki Housing Trust; as a founding member of Paekākāriki Orchard and Gardens group and Potty Potters; as a member of working groups for our local website Paekakariki.nz and the Wainuiwhenua project; as Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki patron, scout camp mother, plant sale wrangler, memorial garden developer, bulk orderer, greener neighbourhood group initiator, berm buster … and generally someone who stands up and does my bit for our community. 

I stand for strengthened relationships between the Community Board, the council, the Paekākāriki community and Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki.  I stand for a strong, connected and diverse community that’s welcoming and safe for everyone. I’m committed to securing the Wainuiwhenua (excess Transmission Gully) lands for the benefit of our environment,  our village and our district.

I’d be proud to represent you as a Paekākāriki Community Board member. Ngā mihi nui.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? I don’t know how rates are set.  Rates and many other issues are complex and without knowing the details, the reasoning for policy decisions, the trade offs etc, I can’t really take a firm stance on this. As a community board member I would inform myself and advocate on behalf of our community to ensure the best outcomes for Paekākāriki. 

Will you change the Districtwide General rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? See above. 

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? This is something our community as a whole has to decide. When I first moved here and found sewerage bubbling in my back yard I asked why the village was still on septic tanks.  I was told in no uncertain terms that there was no appetite for reticulated sewerage here. Personally I’d like to see something happen, as the old-style septic tanks don’t manage our waste in an environmentally acceptable way. But where would it get treated if it was reticulated?  Would it be piped to another place to be dealt with there?  Where would it be piped through to and what are the risks and impacts of doing that?  How would it be paid for? Would we have our own treatment scheme?  Where would that be? Would it be more effective and achievable to encourage a move to new environmentally sustainable technology?  What ways might we get that subsidised? Like many local body issues, it’s complex and I can’t take a stand without being better informed. What I’d do as a community board member is inform myself, ask these and other questions from a range of people, look at solutions other communities have found, listen to our community’s concerns and wishes, and advocate for the best solutions for our village.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village?  I think speeds need calming particularly near playcentre, Te Rawhiti kindy and Paekākāriki School, and along The Parade. How best that can be achieved I’m not sure. But I do know there are some committed locals who have done the research, sought a range of advice and are advocating strongly for traffic calming.  As a community board member I would support this local initiative unless there are compelling reasons not to.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? By supporting local initiatives that achieve this outcome. By advocating for better paths, traffic calming, connected and affordable public transport options. And by advocating that the design of any housing development that may happen here supports and encourages this. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?100 percent! This is the most exciting opportunity in a lifetime to take care of our whenua, achieve awesome environmental and biodiversity outcomes, sequester carbon, create sustainable energy, provide much-needed affordable housing, provide recreation and community spaces, protect our heritage sites, protect our village from flooding, gain economic and social benefits for our village and our district.  What’s not to like? I shudder at the alternative in which our community and mana whenua will have little, if any, say and we’ll lose all those benefits. 

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? In principle I absolutely support returning waste and recycling to council management.  I don’t think we’re well served by the council contracting this out.  I don’t think we’re encouraged to minimise waste. But I’m not well informed about the issue.  Again, as a community board member I will inform myself, listen to my community and advocate on their behalf.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? If that’s the case, yes, because that’s just wrong.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Absolutely. Everyone needs a living wage and that includes council’s contractors’ employees too. 

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? Absolutely. Without a dedicated committee the changes needed across the board will not happen.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? In multiple ways. By asking. By listening. By turning up. By being available. By looking at how we can better run our meetings so they are more welcoming to a diverse range of people. By advocating for Ngāti Haumia ki Paekākāriki representation at the table. By being out and about at community events, engaging with different community and interest groups, inviting comments and suggestions. By holding hui to hear from our community on a range of issues affecting us.


Paekakariki.nz managing editor Mark Amery has edited this article to avoid the declared conflict of interest for editor Holly Jane Ewens.

District Wide Council (5 seats)

Angela Buswell — District Wide Council

It has been a privilege to serve my community since 2016 as your district wide councillor. From helping bring Air Chathams to Kāpiti, progressing Otaraua Park and making the important decision to declare a local ‘Climate Emergency’, I have been working hard to front-foot the important issues at the heart of Kāpiti.

We need to reduce our environmental footprint and plan for the future. Kāpiti needs to reduce waste, look after our waterways and protect our marine reserve. Solid waste: collections currently only 12% gets recycled, national average is 40%.  I believe Kāpiti needs to ‘divert rather than dump’. The Solid Waste contract up for renewal in 2023; I want to see a commitment from council to educate our community and support innovative methods to deal with solid waste.

I will be advocating to enable small builds to be more affordable for developers. Smaller houses create better family interaction, minimises waste, reduces energy consumption and a better footprint on the environment. Council is currently doing two pieces of work to inform us of the state of our housing both residential, social and commercial land, and what could be possible. This will allow us to advocate strongly to central government and housing partners where our community need the most help and what that would look like. The foundation to a strong community is good housing; leading to better job, family prospect and overall wellness.

Customer service is too inconsistent across council operations – identifying a culture that needs to be tweeked. I want to see a more streamlined and consistent approach to this operational matter.  I am sure that the independent review being carried out will highlight this area of concern. Of which I have been very supportive of. 
Kāpiti has one of the largest volunteer communities in New Zealand.  We are so fortunate to have these people in our community gifting time, energy and knowledge to build and grow a better Kāpiti. I worked with the Friends of Otaki River to install a toilet at the estuary. This project highlighted the inability (in a timely manner) of our council to be flexible and work alongside community groups with the manpower, knowledge, money and time to build enhancements to our district that council has no money for.  As a result of my involvement a case study was done on this project, council will now be looking at a gifting policy to create a better process to manage these projects through council. Through out this entire project it really highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration with stakeholders; KCDC, GWRC, DOC, Iwi and community groups. All ended up working together to achieve and complete a 10-year plan set by GWRC with FOTOR, to result in a public toilet/asset for our community.

With your support, I will focus on delivering better infrastructure for our families and older people, helping town centres thrive and looking after our beautiful, unique natural environment.  

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise when we are on septic tanks and our own water supply? The main reason for this, I believe is due to the limited amount of land available in Paekākāriki, this in turn drives the market price up and then reflects on your rates each year. The sewage and water content of rates has been removed from your rates profile.

Will you change the District General rate from land value to capital to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? The rating system is harsh and difficult to balance across our diverse district. Rates are the Council’s main source of income and provide vital services. We do need to consider different funding methods over the next 10-20 years as our infrastructure ages and sea levels rise, to ensure rate payers aren’t left with the bill. There needs to be changes to Local Government funding driven and advocated for to Central Government, I am happy to do this… the system is broken.

What are your views on reticulated sewage for Paekākāriki? At this stage with the framework we have for funding it would be a difficult issue to get over the line in Council.  With enhancement of technology in this area we are seeing smaller units that are safer for the environment and take up less ground space. Paekākāriki is a special community that is very self-sufficient with its infrastructure or lack of public infrastructure which I believe adds to the unique character that we know as Paekākāriki.

What are your views on speed limits and traffic calming in the village?Paekākāriki has been very fortunate to have passionate advocates not only around the council table currently but often in the public gallery at council meetings. Our population is growing, and everyone seems to be in a rush to get everywhere… The traffic speed limit tool is tricky to truly understand and the scope of work carried out over the past year or so has not addressed some issues well, however this is an ongoing piece of work.  Several issues have been raised around speed limits in and around school areas.  There is some work that NZTA are carrying out to look at guidelines across NZ to create a consistent message on what is a safe speed around school zones.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Public transport needs to be regular, fit for purpose and easy access. We have had some failings from Greater Wellington Regional Council particularly with the bus routes, they did not listen to our most venerable on our community. The trains need to be more bike friendly. I have sat on the Accessibility Advisory group and the Cycleway, Walkway, Bridleway advisory group, these groups actively manage these areas and pain points for the community.

Kāpiti is very lucky with the beautiful walkways and cycleways we have.  However, I would like to see a change in habits to ‘ditch the drive’. I know of many people who just hop in their car to drive less than 1km to the train station car park… this is an achievable walk or cycle. The Stride and Ride project is about to be completed and this has provided some very good connections from the public transport hubs into residential areas, we need the public to use them.  The development of inner town centre living will also add to the ease of moving and vibrancy, informed by two pieces of work council is currently doing around housing, hopefully this will be highlighted and encourage further investigation.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? You know your town, you need great advocates that are well connected to your community to get your local projects and ideas over the line. Paekākāriki has a wealth of knowledge and passion that outsmarts other communities.  I will support your vision the best way I can around the table. I am always open and honest and have the ability to view both sides of an idea/argument. This is an opportunity for Paekākāriki to grow and achieve a bigger land base and variable housing stock while adding to your self-sustainability (power generation).  Wainuiwhenua currently has council support and due to the size and impact it could have on Kāpiti as a whole, I believe more resources and help will be needed.

Do you support returning the waste and recycling to council management? No, we have done this exercise and it is very costly.  However, the Solid Waste contract is up for renewal in 2023 and this is where I believe we can make some ‘front footed’ decisions on how our waste is treated.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes. This term I want to make some big changes to how our waste is managed and where it goes, we can do this with the renewal of the Solid Waste Contract.  I want to see better education for households and council working with the waste minimisation community and commercial projects more proactively. Currently Kāpiti diverts just 12% of waste from landfill compared to 40% national average. When we had water issues council offered water tanks, I want to offer subsidised worm farms or compost bins as a large percentage of our waste can be composted.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes. Wherever possible I believe the council is making steps to provide a living wage across the organisation. 

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? Yes.  This is a lens that I believe we should be using in all our decisions around the table.  More so at an operational level.  As we have seen in the past 12 months with the renewal of council vehicles and no thought was given to the diesel vs electric.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? Always happy to have coffee in the sun at any one of your lovely cafes on the main street. I have an active Facebook page to communicate with the wider Kapiti public and always looking out via social media for things that are happening around and about.


Mike Cardiff — District Wide Council

I have been a Kapiti Coast resident and ratepayer since 1975, a previous manager of Councils Parks and Recreation Department for 30 years, and a present councillor of nine years serving one term as Deputy Mayor.
I am currently chair of Council’s Audit and Risk committee, an experienced RMA commissioner and committed to ensuring Council engages exact science on the issues of coastal hazards, climate change and waste minimisation.
I am aware sections within the community remain unhappy with some of our consultation process and I remain committed to further engage community participation to make informed decisions.
If re-elected I will continue to listen, support democratic process and continue challenging unreasonable decisions. I remain committed to reducing expenditure wherever possible; stabilising rates and have a strong focus on debt repayment.
Kāpiti provides many opportunities, is a wonderful place to live and when re-elected I will continue to represent views of the wider community.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? While Paekākāriki is a special place, it is part of a district which has district wide contribution responsibilities.  The separate water supply has its own operating cost and needs to be maintained to statutory requirements. In addition, the rates are also contributing to the construction of a new $16 million sea wall.

Will you change the Districtwide General rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? Council has recently undertaken a review of its rating system which was predominantly based on land value. There is now a greater emphasis on capital value rather than land value in the way our rates are determined. This is already in effect.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? Ideally, all sewerage systems should be reticulated.  However, to do this in Paekākāriki would currently be beyond the financial capability of the local community and Council.  This suggestion would require a very complex and expensive environmental and consenting process that could take years. I do not believe that there is any political appetite at this particular time for a project as complex as this.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? Council receives specialist advice on speed limits and traffic calming installations which are set by regulations that are not determined by Council.  I am not against further traffic calming in Paekākāriki

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? In my view, there are ample opportunities to enjoy our walking and cycleways which are far more advanced than many other districts. These can be further promoted by Council.  While we do have good public transport through our train and bus services, we need to work closer with the Greater Regional Wellington Council to further promote these services.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? Whenever possible, we should be involved in consultation over Wainuiwhenua’s vision.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? No I don’t because commercial operators have proven they are less expensive. Our major issue is that we as a Council have no suitable land within the district that would get consent to operate a landfill.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Our present waste management contractor disposing of Council’s solid waste has authorised consent to use the Hokio landfill. I understand this consent is due to expire in 2023. At this time, (because Council currently has a binding contract for waste disposal) Council should review where it will send its waste and this can be reflected in the relevant tender document at the time.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Council has committed to an independent organisational review and this is currently underway.  It is my hope that this particular matter will be addressed within the review.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration?  Yes

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? Through active engagement with the Community Board.


Gwynn Compton — District Wide Council & Mayoralty

I’m standing for mayor because we need fresh leadership, smart thinking, and a community-led approach to meet the significant challenges ahead of Kāpiti, while taking advantage of the exciting opportunities that can come with them.

Kāpiti is our slice of paradise, but even before Transmission Gully has opened we’re struggling to deal with the effects of growth. Soaring house prices and rents are seeing people squeezed out of our communities.

We can’t stop people wanting to move here, but we can make smart decisions about handling that growth. We can make growth work for us and use it to open up opportunities to improve access to jobs, healthcare, education, and public transport.

But we can’t deal with growth, or the other issues we’re facing like climate change, on our own. We need a mayor who’ll be a relentless advocate for Kāpiti so the government steps up and plays their part in helping fund the services and infrastructure we need.

I’ve worked in public and government relations for over a decade, for everyone from not-for-profits and community groups right through to global CEOs and Prime Ministers. I know how to keep Kāpiti top of mind for the government, especially when we’re competing with heavyweights like Auckland, Hamilton, and Wellington.

We also need to get our house in order at Council too. The report into toxic mould at Waikanae Library has highlighted systematic and substantial issues at Council that go back nearly two decades.

It’s resulted in a potential $2 million repair bill and we simply cannot afford to let this happen again. We need to understand what else is hiding in the woodwork and get on with fixing it.

With the recommendations from that report, as well as the upcoming review into Council, we have a unique opportunity to make fundamental change in the way Council operates.

I’ve helped deliver change in larger and more complex organisations than KCDC. It takes someone who’s prepared to lead by example, who’s not afraid to have tough conversations and make difficult decisions, and a leader who will always put the community they serve at the heart of everything they do.

With the right leadership, innovative ideas, and true community involvement, we can meet the challenges ahead, realise the opportunities, and keep Kāpiti as the best place in New Zealand to live, work, and raise a family.

Authorised by G Compton, 60 Manly Street, Paraparaumu. 

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? There’s no escaping that Kāpiti’s rates are expensive, driven by high levels of debt and pressures around aging infrastructure that needs replacing, such as the Paekākāriki seawall. Big repair bills and unexpected costs like we’re facing over community facilities such as the Waikanae Library don’t help things either, but they also illustrate the challenge Council has in spending money efficiently so nothing is wasted, but also effectively so that we’re not kicking the can down the road and add more expense at a future date.

Will you change the Districtwide General rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? I’ll support a review of the rating system with a view to having a system that balances fairness and managing Council’s finances responsibly.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? While I can fully appreciate fully why there’s a demand for reticulated sewerage to be rolled out for Paekākāriki, the cost of retrofitting it to the village will not be cheap, nor would the construction of a wastewater plant – let alone figuring out where to put it. I’d be keen to first investigate how Council can support locals in using new technology to improve septic tanks, especially with the threat of groundwater inundation from climate change.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? Not being a resident of Paekākāriki, I’m happy to defer to the wishes of the community which indicated strong support for the reducing of speed limits in the recent consultation. From my own experience of living at Paraparaumu Beach, traffic calming has been a useful measure to force drivers who otherwise wouldn’t slow down, to do so, and presents opportunities (if done well) to improve pedestrian access across busy roads.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? I want to see all of Kāpiti’s communities linked by shared walking, cycling, and riding pathways, making the most of the expressway shared pathway to build spurs off that that link communities to the east and west of it. I’ve also committed to working with Greater Wellington Regional Council to get more bus shelters built in Kāpiti, to fight for the extension of electrification of the rail network to Ōtaki to enable fast, frequent, and climate friendly commuter rail (on top of the proposed purchase of electro-diesel units which are a necessary but short-term fix), and I’d like to see the MonthlyPlus scheme that sees free bus travel for people with monthly train tickets extended where feasible.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I completely support the Wainuiwhenua vision and would happily see Council acting as the lead agency to help Wainuiwhenua coordinate a range of stakeholders to ensure that land is retained for uses that benefit Paekākāriki rather than sold off for private development.

Q: Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? I support investigating how we can do this over the longer term, especially given it has been estimated to cost anywhere between $3m – $5m per year if it was to be brought back in house. In the short term, I want to see what options are available to review and modify licenced operators so that their services better match the needs of the community, and also to investigate how Council can implement green waste collection.

Q: Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? I want to see Kāpiti’s waste minimised, and then what is required to go to landfill to go to a landfill that is properly managed and doesn’t have the numerous issues that we’ve seen with the Hokio landfill over the years.

Q: Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes. Council has eight full time equivalent and 25 part time employees currently earning under the current living wage, and if we’re to lift wages more broadly across Kāpiti to help address other cost of living issues, we need to lead by example.

Q: Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration?  I’m open to it if it’s going to deliver genuine action, as a climate change lens needs to be applied across all of Council to ensure that it’s doing everything it practically can to support the reduction and offsetting of greenhouse gases, especially if we’re to expect any help from the rest of the country in paying for dealing with the significant costs around coastal erosion and managed retreat if required.

Q: How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I’ll run a regular series of face-to-face community catch ups across Kāpiti where issues and concerns can be raised in an informal manner outside of Council meetings. I’ll also maintain an open door policy, and be readily available to respond to people through other channels such as social media.


Rosalind Derby

Did not respond


Jackie Elliot — District Wide Council & Mayoralty

Greetings Kia Ora Paekākāriki, I am currently your representative on council, as a districtwide councillor. I live in Otaki and am a mother, nana, journalist, published local historian and loved being a tour guide on Kāpiti Island for five years. I am lucky that my (seventh generation Kapiti coaster) grandchildren all live here and love the opportunity to be building a better Kāpiti for them. 

I want all the children in Kāpiti to be able to grow to their full potential, well fed, well housed and in a safe environment. There are so many decisions we are privileged to make at council that can enable these outcomes. It is the same for our elderly and most vulnerable residents. We must retain ownership of our social housing units, we must update management models, we, along with the other 59 councils who provide 12,000 homes across NZ must continue to lobby Government to make name us ‘social Housing providers’, so we and our tenants can access full MSD subsidies. 


I am already a proven advocate on social issues and spent my first triennium in council, changing the culture and stopping workplace bullying. Now I have formed a growing network of elected members who support others isolated and bullied in their own councils while trying to represent their communities. I am an RMA Commissioner and Chairperson, represent Kāpiti on the Regional Waste Forum and waste policy steering group. Chair the Road Safety Advisory Group and work with the Kāpiti ecological restoration group. I am also Chair of the Appeals Committee. Paekākāriki, I love your fierce independence and the way you lead KC.C. on all environmental issues. You voted me onto council on a platform of commonsense, prudent fiscal management, transparency and fairness. This has not changed and I am looking forward to bringing experience to the Kāpiti Council table as mayor of Kāpiti. 

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise when we are on septic tanks and our own water supply? Rates continue to rise in Paekākāriki due in part to the land value rating system and the annual general rate rises which are set in the LTP. As the council is heavily involved in debt repayment they are forecast to rise again annually. The rating for Paekākāriki doesn’t include a component for wastewater, but does cover supply of water. 

Will you change the district general rate from land value to capital to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rate? Yes, we are one of the few districts in the region with a land value base to rates and the percentage was reduced in the last rates review. This will be reviewed again and I expect to hear from Paekākāriki residents lobbying for a capital value based system. 

What are your views on reticulated sewage for Paekākāriki? I lived in Te Horo Beach with reticulated sewerage and knowing the cost of setting up a waste treatment facility or connecting Paekākāriki to the Raumati South system would be funded in part by a targeted rate, I am reluctant to add it to the LTP. However what I do like are some of the environmentally sustainable ways in which wastewater is cleansed using bio-technologies and always watch for cheaper alternative technology than we currently used. Meanwhile, you are some of our most resilient properties as you should still have fully functioning independent septic tank systems in the event of an emergency.

What are your views on speed limits and traffic calming in the village? Speed Limits have just been reviewed and reduced and I know there are requests for more pedestrian crossings around the school. I believe traffic calming in your village is warranted and a good idea. 

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? The council are just completing  a massive shared pathway project across the entire district. I actually want to extend Paekākāriki’s awesome recycle bicycles and free loan bikes across the entire network. Need a very generous helmet sponsor though. But I think this could be a unique tourism drawcard here for āapiti. NZ’s Bicycle Capital. Another dream I have always had is to introduce leisure steam train excursions up and down the entire district daily. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I am very supportive of the Wainuiwhenua vision and shudder to think of the outcomes for this valuable asset without this vision. 

Do you support returning the waste and recycling to council management? I need a page to answer this. The real cost of in-house kerbside rubbish pickup and a landfill would cost approx 10% rate rise for three years to just set up. Then will be all user pays. So no I am asking you to reduce waste to landfill by one third over the next nine years. This is a regional effort. Watch this space for more waste free education and initiatives coming from council. I am on the driving end of these. The contract ends in three years and will be vastly different after that. So:

Only one rubbish truck per street
Limits on maximum bin sizes ie 120litres. 
Community composting
Community food waste converters
Waste transfer stations all becoming waste stream diversion centres. 

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes I absolutely oppose Kāpiti’s waste going to Hokio landfill. The landfill will be closed in three years when consent expires and I continue to actively lobby KCDC to request Envirowaste take all Kpiti’s waste to alternative landfills. 

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? I would love to say yes, but I am sorry not at the current time. In 2017 this was estimated to cost $1.9 million in the first year, onwards which equates to a 4% rate rise to cover wages alone and we have too many residents on low fixed incomes. 

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? The climate change emergency declaration and subsequent carbon neutral policy already instruct council to consider effects in every decision that comes to council. Since these questions were written, GWRC have also announced a climate change emergency, just the first effect KCDC wanted. Now we need to ensure they budget costs for Kāpiti’s mitigation in their long term planning. 

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I am keen to attend the community board meetings and have community board reps, chair and ward councillor attend Council meetings and briefings. It is a great way to keep up to date on your locales and concerns. I also use Facebook to watch and participate on the district’s community pages. 


Murray Forsdyke

Murray did not respond to the questions, but he did have this to say:

As a new person hopefully coming into council, there are a number of questions I cannot answer here and that is why I want to get in so I can understand what current council are doing to some of these. For example, could someone send me a copy of a resident rates bill so I can determine if you are being charged for water and sewage wrongly and whether that is a core reason why there is a feeling that rates are too  high specifically for the village? My current view is that our rates are too high district wide for what we are getting and how long it’s taking.


Janet Holborow — District Wide Council

We face challenging times in Kāpiti, and I look forward to bringing my experience and energy to the important work of Council for another three years.
Twelve years as an elected member including six years as ward xouncillor for Paekākāriki -Raumati and the last three as Deputy Mayor has given me the opportunity to understand the needs of our community and help achieve its goals. I’m now standing district wide as I feel I have developed a strong understanding of issues affecting the whole district.
The completion of Transmission Gully and Peka Peka to Otaki projects will see the community grow and change, and the housing pressures will only increase. We’ve commenced work on understanding our capacity and needs and I’d like to push for a social housing policy to be in place as soon as possible.
There will be opportunities with surplus land at the completion of these projects, and we have to ensure we don’t lose opportunities and make sure the land use is appropriate for local needs. The Wainuiwhenua project has started identifying opportunities with the excess Transmission Gully land, and Council will need to lead this work as it progresses further.
We end this term in a stronger financial position, ready to meet the challenges ahead. The Council recently gained two points in its credit ranking, a unique achievement and one which came from a commitment to rein in spending and set achievable capital expenditure programmes.
Our recent climate crisis declaration, and our commitment to becoming carbon neutral by 2025 was a response from a call from our community to do all we can to reduce our emissions. We’ve already had an initial scoping report with options for actions we can take to achieve this goal. 
This is an increase to our existing commitment, having reduced our emissions by 76% over the past ten years. 
I’m very aware of the challenges facing the local government sector, having spent the last three years on the National Policy Advisory Group for Local Government New Zealand, discussing issues such as climate change, housing, water reform, local government funding and localism. 
The work we’ve done to reduce speed limits was a positive first step in increasing safety on our roads. We need to continue this work, particular around our schools and kindergartens.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Though we have our own water supply, we still need to maintain that water supply and the infrastructure to get it to our houses.  Paekākāriki doesn’t pay wastewater charges. This was removed from our rates some 10 years ago. We still need roads, footpaths, halls, and libraries, and we have access to the facilities across the district.  We have high land values which contribute to higher rates, though these went up more in Otaki than here during the last valuations. The land values only contribute to the share of rates each household pays.  Each long term plan and annual plan is a struggle to try to budget for the things the district wants and needs, while trying to keep rates down.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? We had a rating review during the last long term plan, which shifted more charges to capital value. This resulted in a significant increase to some households elsewhere in the district.  We should shift more over time, but this needs to happen gradually to avoid a sudden impact on residents. 

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? This would be too expensive to install and would result in an unacceptable rates increase.  If it could be funded through central government funding, it may be possible.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I would like to see the whole village down to 40kph, potentially lower around the school.  This would require a shift in thinking by NZTA, but there’s no reason this can’t happen with the current Vision Zero speed safety consultation being carried out by central government. 

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Continue to provide more cycle trails, and advocate to Greater Wellington. We’ve bought the land at the old BP site, and part of the thinking around that was that we may need more commuter car parks in the future. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I attend the meetings, and believe wholeheartedly in the work the group is doing. Council need to consider being a lead agency in this work.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? We need to look at the cost of returning waste and recycling in-house. If we can do so without unacceptable cost to ratepayers, we certainly should.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? We are going to need to find an alternative  option for disposing of our waste in the next few years.  As we have no available land, this will result in higher costs for transportation.  We therefore need to reduce volumes. The Waste Taskforce is currently doing some good work in that area, but we need to do much more.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes. We need to set a good example as an employer.  This would predominantly affect our young pool workers on youth rates, as most of the rest of our staff are already on living wage.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? I think this is a very good idea. I’d like to see that committee established. Another option would be to have a standing agenda item on the Strategy and Policy Committee.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I will continue to attend community board meetings, and chat with people on a daily basis in the village.   


Marcia Johnson

Did not respond


Rob McCann — District Wide Council

I bring significant experience in both private and public sector roles.
I have been a business owner with a career in communications and events working with universities, NZ music, New Zealand Film Festival, NZ Rugby Union, NZ Cricket, NZ Football, and White Ribbon NZ.
I have been a Labour Party candidate for Otāki electorate and worked in Parliament as Press Secretary to the Minister for Social Development. I live in Otaihanga with my wife and two teenage children. We chose to live here because of the beautiful walks, access to the beaches and quality of life. 
Our Kāpiti Council has a huge role to play in ensuring we all have a decent quality of life, good facilities, reliable infrastructure and a vibrant community. I’m here to support our local community, keep rates in check and give Paekākārikians another voice around the table. 
The role of being a councillor is about working effectively with a wide variety of people and using life experience and teamwork to navigate difficult decisions. It’s about listening, being accessible, and most importantly, being accountable. 
If this sounds like the type of person you want as your representative on KCDC, then vote 1 for Rob McCann. Thank you.
[email protected]

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Rates in Paekākāriki seem high because of the value and scarcity of the land. Historically this has effected Paekākāriki more than other areas.

Will you change the Districtwide General rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? The council should always continue to debate and review how rates are collected. The best process is for councillors to consider all the facts when the next rating review is presented especially as the excess land from the Expressway could result in changes to the land valuations.
I favour a differential rating system.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? As someone who is learning about the issues facing Paekākāriki it is important to be informed. At this stage I am unable to comment as I need to know more about the costs required to connect Paekākāriki to the Paraparaumu system, or whether that is at all possible and requires a local reticulation system to replace septic tanks. I look forward to hearing and learning more about the issue.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I am aware of the concerns of Paekākāriki residents who face daily traffic dangers when trying to negotiate access from the town, across old SH1. I support full collaboration between the local council and NZTA to ensure that full measures are taken to ensure the safety of all road users in the district, be they motorists, cyclists, or pedestrians. 

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? I believe that public transport is encouraged by having good services and on that issue there have been real concerns with the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Fresh faces on GWRC could well begin to increase confidence in public transport again. The council in conjunction with local residents should continue to promote healthy lifestyle opportunities such as biking and continue to develop and maintain all walking and cycling tracks.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I support the Wainuiwhenua working group and their work to ensure the Perkins Farm doesn’t get sold off for private development. Being more than five times the size of the village, how this land is developed is of crucial importance.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? No if’s not buts, just yes

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? As Ōtaki electorate’s Labour candidate for the last two elections I have actively opposed the Hokio landfill. It is built in the wrong place and is an ecological time bomb. We should not contribute to this ongoing disaster.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Absolutely. This is vitally important and ensuring that there is dignity in work – and creating real opportunities – is one of the things that drives me.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? It is important that declarations of a climate change emergency are not just words. Unless there is a more constructive approach I support the creation of the committee, though my concern is that the full council could ignore the recommendations of such a body.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? While our family no longer owns a house in Paekākāriki, it is a place that I have great affection for. If I am afforded the privilege of being elected a councillor, I will attend local board meetings and make myself available to residents.


Tim Parry

Did not respond

David Scott

Did not respond


Chris Turver — District Wide Council

I’m committed to helping develop a part of New Zealand we are proud to call home but is under growing pressure.
I’ve been part of Kāpiti for 30 years and know the issues, opportunities and challenges ranging from the effects of population growth and creating jobs for Kāpiti people to the emerging realities of climate change.
Paekākāriki is particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion, storm surges, and flash floods and needs special care.
Kāpiti is faced with the double-whammy of not only being the second most indebted district in the country but meeting the costs of expanding infrastructure and services for a growing population of 53,000.
That population is conservatively estimated to reach almost 64,000 in 20-plus years so getting the planning right is crucial.
With improving rail and road systems Kāpiti is already a destination of choice, with particular appeal for young families and couples who can’t afford big city prices and elderly who want a better environment to retire in.
I have a positive and inclusive approach and stand in this election for commonsense plans that deliver results, accountability for decision-making, supportive measures to deal with environmental and social issues, and more effective communication with ratepayers.
My governance experience includes representing Kāpiti as a regional councillor, as Kāpiti member on the Capital & Coast District Health Board, as chairman of your Electra Trust, and on the national executive of the RSA.
Community service in Kāpiti includes leadership roles in more than 20 voluntary organisations ranging from coastguard and rural fire services to the marine reserve and business organisations.
For a chat, call me on 027-2301601 or email [email protected]
Authorised by Chris Turver MNZM JP, 193B Tutere Street, Waikanae Beach

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Join the club.  As a resident of Te Horo for 20 years exactly the same situation there and other rural places. The only response from the KCDC was that we were getting the same district-wide benefits from infrastructure (other than water and sewage) as all other ratepayers.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? No, but willing to listen.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? Unlikely, partly because of cost and partly indeterminate ground stability. Remember the 2003 flash flood caused $3 million of damage.  Willing to seek information.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I’m no expertWould take advice from the community board.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? A huge amount has been done in, and for, Kāpiti, and evidence would be needed to establish further practical steps/benefits to satisfy funders like KCDC and NZTA

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? Outstanding concept and fully support it with the reservation (as pointed out in the report) that water supply for new developments may be problematic.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Unless there is contrary information, I understood it is more cost-effective to out-source than create another layer of administrative and operational cost within the KCDC.  Happy to be persuaded otherwise.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? It’s a bad solution, but what are the immediate cost-effective options?

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Not at this stage because either rates would have to go up by about 2 percent or services or projects cut.  

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? Absolutely.  Kāpiti’s 42-kilometre low lying plain is vulnerable (as Paekākāriki knows) to increasingly extreme weather events including storms, tidal surges, coastal erosion, rain dumps and floods, with the prospect now of rising tides. Collaboration is underway with GWRC (coastal and river management) and the KCDC is appointing its own Climate Change Manager.  The key will be effective consultation and communication to find the best way forward.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? Paekākāriki people have never been reluctant to let the district know what they think!  I found it most useful as a regional councillor to attend appropriate community board meetings.


Nigel Wilson — District Wide Council

I proudly represented Kāpiti as your Greater Wellington councillor for nine years from 2007-2016 and would like to bring that knowledge and experience to serve our local council. 
Kāpiti faces many challenges. Debt is high and there are significant infrastructure pressures. These can be sorted with intelligent leadership and sound, prudent policies.
I bring an honest, hardworking commonsense approach. Council needs to work as a team to achieve well-defined community oriented goals. We need to focus on the best delivery of core services. 
My experience includes: committee chair at Greater Wellington, regional portfolio leader: parks, forestry, biodiversity. Deputy chair: environment; finance, risk and assurance. 
I served as a board member of CentrePort Investments; Wellington Rail; and Westpac Stadium.
Kāpiti has a lot of challenges ahead and also a raft of opportunities. If we have community-led decision making  and resilient, sustainable programmes then all of our communities will thrive.  
I am happy to elaborate on any questions you have and I am grateful for having the opportunity to answer the questions put by paekakariki.nz 
For more, please email: [email protected]
Shameless political plug: I would be very grateful for your #1 vote, but everyone has their first choice candidate so in that case your #2 vote would be very much appreciated also.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? One of the reasons rates are so high is because council debt is also very high. At present about 25% of the total rates take goes to pay interest on the debt. The cost of that goes right across the district. Also the rating system in its current form is more punitive for Paekākāriki than most other parts of the district.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? If I am at the council table I will be seeking a thorough rates review. There are serious equity issues in relation to the provision of services (or in some cases non-provision) and rating is one blunt tool for addressing these.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki?Technological advances are starting to answer some of these questions. There is also a significant resilience and sustainability argument to be made for individual septic tanks. More local study required from me to give a more fully informed answer on this.

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I favour speed restrictions. If you travelled at 50km/h for two km through the Village it would take about two and a half minutes. At 30km it is a bit over a minute longer. Makes sense to slow it down when the safety difference is huge.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Increased use of public transport is usually related to its cost and efficiency so addressing both of those is vital. I strongly favour extending the Super Gold Card hours as well. I have long been an advocate for walking and cycling amenities in Kapiti. Slowing down road traffic also greatly assists this. I had a lead role in the getting cycleway/walkway through Queen Elizabeth Park and will actively encourage more of the same.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?I support the Wainuiwhenua Working Group and their work to ensure the Perkins Farm doesn’t get sold off for private development. Jenny Rowan, who played a huge role with the Whareroa Guardians in saving Whareroa Farm for public use, is involved with Wainuiwhenua and I would direct all local candidates to http://paekakariki.nz/listings/wainuiwhenua/

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes, absolutely. This is core business of Council and it should never have been privatised in the first place.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes, absolutely, I have actively opposed Hokio landfill in its own right. Kāpiti adding to it has always been the wrong option. It is an ecological disgrace and needs major work to restore the ecology of the area.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes. All employers should be paying a Living Wage. I was pleased to promote this at Greater Wellington where it was adopted.  

Do you support the establishment of a Climate Change committee under the leadership of the Mayor to give effect to the declared Climate Change emergency declaration? No. I don’t think a standing committee of council, chaired by the mayor would necessarily achieve the desired outcomes. I favour an advisory group made up of people who have expertise in the area of climate change policy and council can give effect to their recommendations. I would have a council portfolio leader for this position.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? As a Kāpiti Councillor I would do what I did for nine years as regional councillor and attend the Paekākāriki Community Board meetings. I am a regular visitor to the village and view Paekakariki.nz and listen to some programs on Paekakariki 88.2FM.


Asher Wilson-Goldman — District Wide Council

Vote #1 Asher Wilson-Goldman for Districtwide Councillor
In my day job, I help communities to partner with central and local government to strengthen themselves and create a brighter future. As your Districtwide Councillor, I will put my energy into doing the same for all our communities on the Kāpiti Coast.
Previous roles have seen me campaigning alongside grassroots groups for environmental and social causes; spending time in the trade union movement creating a better working life for all; and three years in Parliament, giving me a strong understanding of how central government works.
Growing communities
Our communities are growing, but council isn’t taking responsibility for how this growth occurs. We need rail electrification to Ōtaki now, and to build more safe walking and cycling access so our kids can get to school, and we can get to work and public transport hubs.
We must maintain our existing social housing, and work with central government and community providers to grow Kāpiti’s social housing provision.
I’ll push central government to fund commuter rail to Ōtaki sooner, and make sure new subdivisions must take into account high-quality active transport to town centres, schools and train stations.
Protecting our environment
Our environment needs our support, so we can prepare for the climate crisis, and keep our waterways clean for swimming and for our marine life. Our council has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2025, now we need a workable plan to get there.
Rubbish collection should be done by council, not farmed out for private profit, so we can incentivise waste-reduction, provide better value for residents and have fewer trucks on our streets.
As your Districtwide Councillor, I will make sure we take steps to lead local government in real action on climate change and treat waste collection and disposal as the core council job it is.
An engaged council
Our council should be setting an example, with genuine engagement so that all of us can have our say. We should embrace the Living Wage as a council, and support Kāpiti businesses to embrace it as well, so we can have good local jobs for all who live here.
I am committed to seeking out and engaging with those whose voices are not heard and will push for Kāpiti to become a living wage council.
Visit www.asherforkapiti.nz to read details of my ambitious plans for Kāpiti

Q: Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? We are saddled with considerable historic debt in Kāpiti, which is a major contributor to the cost of our rates. The reality is that rates will not go down, but we must be conscious of how we support our communities, particularly those on fixed-incomes, by keeping future rises as low as possible while still delivering the services and infrastructure that we need to thrive.

Will you change the Districtwide General rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? I support a review of funding tools and the current rates system used by council, to ensure our residential and commercial ratepayers are contributing fairly to the core services we expect council to provide. I also want to see council be smarter about how we leverage central government funding in our region, as anything funded by central government is something we don’t have to pay for with rates

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? I would support connection of Paekākāriki to reticulated sewerage, but the timeframe for this would be greatly dependent on cost and whether any funding could be sought from other sources for this. While it is understandable that rural parts of the Kāpiti Coast are on septic systems, it seems illogical to me that a village the size of Paekākāriki is not connected. 

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? I am supportive of the council’s recent changes to speed limits across our district, including in Paekākāriki. If we want to encourage more walking and cycling we need to ensure it is safe, in particular for young people, elderly people, and people with mobility disabilities. Lowering speeds and better road design can help with this.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? I will make sure our district plans require active transport connectivity is incorporated in future subdivisions, so that new housing is built around quality walking and cycling options as a first priority, not an afterthought. I will advocate with local and central government to continue to improve rail services. I will advocate for a review of bus timetables and routes, given the reduction in usage in Kāpiti in recent years indicates that something isn’t working

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I am fully supportive of Wainuiwhenua. As well as being a fantastic and inspiring vision, the way it has been developed and driven by the community is an excellent model we should be encouraging more of. Council needs to walk alongside our communities to support their aspirations, not tell them what they want.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? Yes waste and recycling must be bought back in-house, to allow for better waste reduction programmes including introducing green waste collection, fewer trucks on the road and an end to the pollution of Ngātakowaru Marae next to Hokio landfill. My plan to do this was the first policy I released, indicating how key a priority it is for me. You can read it here.

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? Yes, I am committed to finding alternative options for our waste that does need to go to landfill. This is included in my plan to bring waste collection back in-house, see here.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? I am committed to KCDC becoming a living wage employer, and to taking steps to support more Kāpiti businesses to become living wage employers too. I have worked for a living wage accredited employer previously and taken part in various activities with the Living Wage movement and proud of this. The living wage is a central part of my plan for better paying jobs in our district, see here for more.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration?  The council’s recent decision to declare a climate emergency and commit to carbon neutrality by 2025 is a good one, but in order to be more than nice words we need to ensure we elect a council that is committed to climate action. I think having a climate change committee with senior leadership would send a strong signal about how seriously we take this issue, and therefore I am supportive of it, but we must also ensure climate change is considered across the full range of decisions that council makes, not pigeonholed into a single committee.

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issues for our village? I will be a regular attendee of community board meetings, but I will make myself available separately as well. I will regularly make myself available at Paekākāriki cafes, St Peters or Paekākāriki library for residents to drop in, have a coffee and a chat with me. I will be visit Paekākāriki School to hear from our younger residents. I will also be available online through the various Facebook groups and other spaces we’re already using. You can read my full plan for public engagement.


Mayoral (1 seat)

Gwynn Compton — Mayoralty (see above)

Jackie Elliot — Mayoralty (see above)


Martin Halliday — Mayoralty

Hello Paekākāriki, I am Martin Halliday, I am asking for your vote to achieve the mayoral office.

Thank you for taking the time to investigate me, If you are wanting more information I will be engaging on Facebook, I have a website that I invite you to explore and I will be out and about in the community.

I believe it is important that we all look into who could be representing our interests for the coming three years. Look at what has been achieved and delivered over the past three years, then at the exciting range of skills on offer by all potential councillors that are standing. Vote! And bring a set of skills to the council table that will be fit for purpose, especially around key community concerns: housing, climate, sustainability, financial prudence to name some. I will let my answers speak for themselves.

A bit about your potential mayor, Martin Halliday. I’m from Johnsonville, We made the fortunate decision to move to Paraparaumu about 10 years ago, We’ve had a great time bringing up our kids on the Kāpiti Coast, but the kids have finished school, left home and we have downsized. I find myself at a crossroads. I am in a position where I can commit to working for my community.

I have a 30 plus year background In business setup, management and ownership in hospitality. I started at the bottom and worked my may through to business ownership with all the trials and tribulations that  entails. Highlights being 17 years owning Circa Theatre’s restaurant and bar. Opening of  Over The Teacups our award wining old English Teahouse at Paraparaumu Beach.  

Over the past three to four years I have become more and more involved with community groups and issues. 
– Kapiti Economic Development Agency – Deputy Chair
– Guardians of the Kapiti Marine Reserve – Founding Trustee
– Whirlwind – Community Heath
– Te Newhanga Kapiti Community Center – Community Soul.
To name some.
I have found my interactions with council and councillors becoming increasingly frustrating. I want your vote so that I can tackle our community issues in a position to make a difference.

I believe, through my business and community  background, that I have a set of skills that are fit for purpose for the coming three years and beyond. “Your needs will be my focus” Thank you for your time. Martin Halliday #1 For Kapiti Coast Mayor.

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply?  It was pointed out to us at the Grey Power meeting that the sewage and water portion of your rates were removed a while ago. I think you have some targeted rates in the Paekākāriki area, other than that – it is an issue. I have proposed an independent rates review if elected. It was scheduled for the last triennium but didn’t happen.

Will you change the district wide general rate from land value value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? As stated in the previous question I propose an independent rates review. 

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? For the foreseeable future I don’t see Paekākāriki having a reticulated system. The cost would have to be worn by the community as a targeted rate, it would be very expensive. With the climate issues coming I think the system you have make you as a community, very resilient and self reliant.  

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village? This is a community specific topic. Your views will be my focus. You as a village should be consulted by council to get an understanding of your wants balanced with legal requirements. 

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Education, but also by promoting self awareness and a balanced life style. I would also support the ongoing development of walkways, cycleways etc as part of the economic development of our communities and as part of the Aged Friendly cities program that this council committed to six years ago, but hasn’t progressed. Regional council controls the price of train fares. Nigel Wilson, as regional councillor, lobbied for cheaper fares. I would do the same to help encourage train use. 

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision?Full support. As stated by this committee, Kāpiti council needs to be at that table in the first instance to ensure it is a part of the decision process as to what happens with that land. It is a smart concept that would only benefit Kāpiti… but I would need to have a fuller understanding to comment further. 

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management? I believe that we need to take responsibility of our own waste and recycling instead of sending it outside the district and sticking it in the ground. I’m very excited to see if the Auros project gets off the ground in Paekākāriki. 

 We are contracted for the near future with the current system as far as I am aware. But I would investigate this as part of looking at at zero waste solutions. 

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighboring Ngatakowaru Marae? Yes I would. Out of mind out of sight solutions have to stop. We need to take active control over the responsible disposable of our waste as well as investigating then instigating recycling processes that are realistic and achievable. That may be in partnership with other districts with assistance from regional or central government. That will take leadership and proactive lobbying. 

Will you support KCDC becoming a living wage employer? I would commit to investigating it. I’m afraid I am not aware of the current pay structures so don’t know where base rates start. I don’t feel that it is my decision. Kāpiti rate payers will pick up the tab on this if the base rates need to increase, we need to survey the community for their views. There is an organisational review on the way which may lead to organisational changes. How the available dollar is spent is always a difficult balance. We need to be prudent with the ratepayer dollar.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? I support the formation of an independent committee that includes relevant stakeholders and local specialists that have an awareness of our local situation to create a short term approach and develop a long term strategy. Council should be one of the stakeholders in this group, leadership around the formation should come from the mayoral office but ongoing direction should come from within the group with perhaps a co-chair situation with the mayoral office. It will need to be funded and effective and report to the council governing body (your elected embers) on a regular basis. 

How do you propose to engage with Paekākārikians to understand the issue’s for our village? Paekākāriki has always impressed me with its community engagement. One of my strategies for a more resilient and engaged district is in the creation of resident and business associations that feed into community boards. I feel that with the smaller village that you have, your community board could directly be this body.

As Mayor I would expect elected ward councilors to be abreast and to be involved in what is happening in their relevant communities and report this back to the mayor and council. As part of this process I, as mayor, would be happy to attend public meetings with those councillors, for general discourse.

I would also pop down and have a chat as long as the coffee is good.  

Authorized by RG Halliday 51 Ratanui road Paraparaumu. 


K.Gurunathan — Mayoralty

K (Guru) Gurunathan JP, MA PolSc. RMA Hearing Commissioner.
I was a journalist with the local papers for 16 years. A councillor for six years and the current mayor for three years. I have lived for 21 years in Paraparaumu Beach and for the last four years I have been a resident of Ōtaki which is a little like Paekākāriki but bigger.

Given the impact of the expressways and increasing growth pressures I’m keen to see the special and distinct communities of Otaki, Te Horo, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Raumati and Paekākāriki keep and strengthen their special identities. I see the need to empower the role of our community boards to activate this engagement. In Paekākāriki this includes the empowerment of the Wainuiwhenua vision. I see this community-led vision as one of the most important examples of the “localism” actively being promoted  by think tank The New Zealand Initiative and Local Government New Zealand. I want to see council as a partner in this journey.

Health services are a significant concern. The 22,400-strong Community Hospital Petition and the Kapiti Health Advisory Group initiated by me has captured the attention of the Health Ministry and the CCDHB and a collaborative co-design approach is now underway to deliver better services closer to local needs. I want to keep this momentum going.

On the economic development front I have directly worked with Minister Kris Faafoi and Minister Shane Jones to include Kāpiti in the Provincial Growth Fund scheme when everybody were saying Kāpiti was not eligible. Today, we have received $3.3m in investment with other projects awaiting approval. The PGF application process has also stimulated a wide range of good business ideas that needs further development. 

On the environmental front my direct approach to the Conservation Minister on the Waikanae River has resulted in the Minister putting the restoration project  amongst the top 14 priority waterways in New Zealand with access to a $76m funding pool.

I have other projects humming. And I have just started. 

Why are our rates so high and continue to rise, when we are on septic tanks and have our own water supply? Unlike the sewage system which is private the township’s water supply is a council operated asset exactly like in Otaki. Everyone in Kāpiti pays the same for council’s water supply. The district wide rates support the common good like our pools and libraries so even if you never use it you contribute to it. The Paekākāriki seawall is supported by all the district’s ratepayers. If Paekākāriki paid for it at a conservative estimate you are looking at a calculation of say just  $5m over 750 houses it would be $6666 or $266 per year for 25 years excluding interest.

Will you change the districtwide general rate from land value to capital value to stop Paekākāriki residents being overcharged for rates? Council used to have 50 percent on uniform charges. This triennium I pushed for a formula towards 1/3 capital 1/3 land and 1/3 uniform charges. It’s not useful to have a complete and suddenly charge one way or another. Each method will advantage some and adversely affect the equity of other sectors. Council uses a number of tools ie 21 different rating combinations. 

A gradual movement towards capital value is the best way of transitioning. But bearing in mind situations where given the housing crisis and the problem of land banking by developers the Productivity Commission has recommended land value to incentivise development.

What are your views on reticulated sewerage for Paekākāriki? Reticulated connection to Paraparaumu will come with a cost as will the creation of a treatment plant for the township. Cost of the reticulation plus pumping stations and the plant. Your rates will go up. You don’t have to go there as the new double chamber technology can do the job. Infill subdivision and higher density is possible on the back of this technology. 

What are your views about speed limits and traffic calming in the village?
I support any action that increases community safety.

How would you encourage more walking, cycling and use of public transport? Walking, cycling and public transport are the modes of the future. Council is already a supporter with all new investment on pathways designed to include these modes. Building and designing the infrastructure by consulting the walking, cycling and equestrian community is the place to start. Advocating to the regional and central government. Planning high and medium density housing around public transport hubs.

What level of support do you have for the Wainuiwhenua vision? I fully support vision Wainuiwhenua  through a collaborative partnership with council.

Do you support returning waste and recycling to council management?
This could cost up to $8m to start including cost of a fleet and staff as well as wheelie bins. The question is not about who collects the waste but how sustainable is the recycling .

Will you actively oppose Kāpiti’s waste being dumped at Hokio landfill, which contributes to leaching into the neighbouring Ngātakowaru Marae? There are problems with dumping rubbish in Hokio. But council has a contract that does not stipulate where the rubbish should go. That’s the contractor’s business. Under the RMA all solid waste can only be dumped at a consented landfill. The consenting authority is Horizons Council. Council can break the contract but at a cost to ratepayers. The mayoral task force on waste minimisation I set up is working on sustainable projects to reduce the waste going to landfill. It will also look at alternatives so we have option at hand when the current contract ends.

Will you support KCDC becoming a Living Wage employer? Yes.

Do you support the establishment of a climate change committee under the leadership of the mayor to give effect to the declared climate change emergency declaration? I prefer a portfolio system with a climate change champion with a working group driving this and reporting back to full council.