25 July 2026

Dear Sir/Madam,

Grey Power Upper Hutt is accountable to its Community.

At out AGM on Wednesday this week we will report the activities we have engaged in, seeking to improve the well-being of older people and the opportunities available to their families as they in turn approach their disengagement from the paid workforce.

We are a self-supporting voluntary advocacy organisation mandated to seek positive solutions for those amongst us who are facing serious erosion of life-long savings to meet the demands of rapidly rising ‘costs of living’ and unreasonable rating demands out of all proportion to the annual increments provided by New Zealand Superannuation.

Our communications with our members are open and transparent. We hereby offer our Annual Report for public consideration.

Grey Power Upper Hutt Association

2025/2026 Annual General Meeting

Annual Report

Dear Members,

Recognising the demise in office of our President in the middle months of 2025 it is my responsibility as Vice-President to report on the activities of your Association during the period 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 and to anticipate, leading up to 31 March 2027, the further challenges that might require our voluntary contribution to our community.

We started the year in May 2025 with the following executive team:

President:	Dean Chandler-Mills
Vice President:	Lew Rohloff
Secretariat:	Denis Oldridge, Odette Oldridge and Clare Mudgway
Treasurer:	Brian Patchett
Membership Secretary:	Brian Patchett
Committee Members:	Patricia Gilmer, Sally Becker, Alan Corderoy and John Kingi

The few stalwarts forming your Committee have found their responsibilities very demanding. During the year we gained the
valuable services of David McNicholas and Roy Adams. Unfortunately health considerations prompted the later retirement of Alan Corderoy and David McNicholas, while John Kingi withdrew to relocate for an extended period in Northland.

My thanks go to my remaining colleagues on your Committee. Whenever, I have needed physical support they have responded generously and we have somehow managed to overcome a number of ‘recurring ‘people-power’ challenges.

Our Association Needs Volunteers.

It is disappointing to have to report my call for nominations for Officers and Committee to maintain our groups activities forward from today’s meeting through to the 2007 Annual General Meeting has not attracted a single new volunteer. I’m the sole nominee for President, Brian Patchett similarly is unopposed as the nominee for Secretary/Treasurer and Patricia Gilmer is the only nominated Committee Member.

Given continuing good health we will somehow manage our way through the next four months, maintaining a local Grey Power commentary during the campaigning and outcome of General Election 2026. But this is an unsustainable load on each of us and unless you, as our collective membership, point us to skilled and willing new volunteers from outside our ageing membership; we face curtailment of our ‘fellowship’ programmes in 2027.

Our platform for expression of local ‘public concern’ in so many aspects of deteriorating public services and social support very much needs an injection of energetic input from the 65 years to 75 years cohort of retired New Zealanders.

These critical aspects of local advocacy will weigh heavily on our people resources in the immediate future, continuing onward for at least through to the later months of 2028.

Here, in Upper Hutt the management team of your organisation is willing and able to provide the necessary mentorship and other support, whereby, at least three aspirants might advance to future leadership of our association.

The available positions are not ‘gender’ specific. If you are comfortable with technology, have the time and inclination to gather a sound background knowledge of the funding and delivery shortfalls of traditional ‘public services’ like health, security, housing and income sufficiency in family formation and ultimately, retirement years; then please mention your interest to me.

There is certainly ‘room’ and internal support for an influx of new talent.

Liaison with Local Councils and Member of Parliament.

During the past twelve months we have maintained our close interest in local and central government developments.

In submissions to Upper Hutt City Council, the Department of Internal Affairs, the Commerce Commission and our local Member of Parliament; we have expressed our deepening concern over the unfair and inequitable impact of unaffordable local government rates and charges, including water charges, impacting on low-income households.

While these institutions are primarily responsible to ‘people’ rather than ‘commercial’ lobbyists, our entreaties have been acknowledged but are devoid of effective relief.

Water Reform (Tiaki Wai’s Pricing Model)

With the implementation of ‘Tiaki Wai’ user charges on 1st July this year’ its ‘funding’ and ‘pricing’ model, already shaping as a repeat of the ‘energy’ market fiasco, will figure largely in forthcoming general election ‘issues’.

Additionally, while clearly unsustainable factors remain unresolved in relation to ‘water reforms’ an undemocratic government is also endeavouring to ‘rush through’ re-organisation demands on local government.

Simplifying Local Government

‘Amalgamation’ will come with a significant loss of localism and the political ability to ensure the prioritisation of infrastructural investment.

Government presently is engaged in ‘bulldozing’ local councils into a re-organisation of local government aimed primarily at creating enlarged asset based, borrowing power. Upper Hutt, therefore, is in immediate risk of being ‘dragged’ into a ‘super city’ by a precipitate political convenience that is woefully abstract and does not conform to acceptable standards for public consultation.

Constitution Review

The early months of 2026 saw completion of a comprehensive update of our Constitution. Much of that work involved positive collaboration with Grey Power New Zealand Federation and we owe a ‘vote of thanks’ to Mr Bill Obers for his personal commitment to guiding all our nation-wide associations through this process.

Our Constitution fully approved by our membership and the GPNZF executive now rests ‘ready’ to be submitted for registration as and when we can present with a stable management team.

Wairarapa Membership

We have not been successful in our earlier aspiration to maintain an ‘outreach’ to the Wairarapa members whose financial membership is serviced through our account. These members are serviced by email bulletins at a level identical to members domiciled in Upper Hutt. But we do not have the people resources to encourage Wairarapa members to re-establish their presently defunct local presence.

We are aware our Zone 4, regional executive, have made overtures to Wairarapa prospects and we rely on the Zone to provide continuity to this project into 2027.

Lew Rohloff
Vice President

‘phone 0210682213
‘mail to: lewrohloff14@gmail.com

A “thank you” to Lew Rohloff, Vice President of Grey Power Upper Hutt for sending this letter to The Upper Hutt Connection.

28/07/26