A few Upper Hutt residents agree to invite the local MP Chris Hipkins, the government’s amalgamation protagonist, Hutt South MP Chris Bishop and other candidates standing for the Remutaka Electorate to an election meeting hosted by them. The candidates were invited to offer some dates and time in September or October that they could attend a meeting.

The meeting focus was to put questions to them on the current governments simplifying local government, the government’s amalgamation backstop proposal and council owned water entity Tiaki Wai.

The questions we were asking them to respond to were;

1. What is the purpose and value in simplifying local government and the resulting benefits of amalgamation of local councils’ services and function. What is the expected savings to rate demands and the efficiencies gained.
2. Given there is no current legislation to mandate councils to amalgamate their council how is the proposed government backstop, to be mandated.
3. Given the independence of the regions Water entity Tiaki Wai from council control how will your party ensure that residents have affordable safe access to water delivery and services, while ensuring protection of the water source. 

We have had an affirmative reply from NZ First candidate, Andy Foster, a reply from the Local MP Chris Hipkins who would have liked to come but is exceptionally busy and cannot attend and referred us to invite Ginny Andersen, we have. We have no reply from Minister Chris Bishop or any of the other candidates standing for Remutaka. It appears that local democracy is of low or no priority for most Remutaka candidates that seek our vote. We are still hoping to host a meeting on this issue, time, date and venue to be advised soon.  If you would like to know Remutaka candidates, opinion regarding these matters, you may also like to ask at any election meeting you attend, we will be.

A “thank you” to Teresa Homan for sending this letter to The Upper Hutt Connection.

09/09/26