PIRI-HIRA TUKAPUA
Levin ward councillor Piri-Hira Tukapua is seeking a fourth term. “I have a lot more to contribute have enough experience now to provide stability, maintain and share knowledge, and so continue the momentum in some areas. For balance and accountability there needs to be some current members along with some new members,” she said.
She is a creative person who earns her crust as a graphic designer. Besides qualifications as a graphic designer, she’s a qualified secondary school teacher. She has also been a business owner for the past 16 years, as she founded and ran Taitoko Ltd.
Her police background includes 11 years’ governance experience, during which she filled a number of chairperson roles. In her nine years in local government she has covered a broad range of policies. She’s served on other committees including but not limited to a school board of trustees, community trust boards and has been a company director of a significant health and social services provider.
“Council has an infrastructure strategy and a 20-year long term plan that is updated every three years which already outlines the Three Waters renewal programme, significant upgrades and growth requirements and also sets out the budget allocation for each project and how this will be funded. Three Waters infrastructure is funded by a mix of loans, rates and development contributions for the growth component.
“There are other options which have been suggested and should be explored by central government but they have not, ie return GST on rates to help fund Three Waters or using a similar model to the way roading is funded, we currently receive a 61 per cent subsidy for our local roads.
“I support better alternatives to landfills. I do not support closing a landfill and transporting to another landfill (perceived to be better) that simply increases costs and profits a foreign multi-national who is fast gaining a monopoly in New Zealand. The whole Solid Waste Management activity needs a review and reset to responsibly close the Levin class 1 landfill by 2025 and provide Horowhenua with the best, least harmful and most affordable service in the nottoo-distant future.
“HDC could participate better in the Wellington Regional Waste Forum, sharing knowledge across councils and implement best practice. Greater value will come by reviewing and resetting our whole solid waste management activity, where we can explore options like a specialised resource recovery centre, composting, introducing a kerbside collection for food scraps like Tauranga City Council and more.
“When council rezones land for residential housing or increases the density (allowing smaller lots) like those in certain areas of Levin, this opens up more options to build and enables the market to remain competitive, which in turn helps to keep the cost of housing down or affordable. Careful setting of council fees and charges is also a mechanism that enables or hinders affordability, after all it is the home owner who ultimately pays for any development contribution or extra fees. Any business or developer passes on increased costs to customers.
“The district plan can also undergo improvements to better support affordable housing. Council has recently introduced a streamline process to help meet our local housing needs and demands.
“Council will also consider partnering with community housing Providers to enable more affordable housing.
“Public health is the role and responsibility of central government, not councils. However HDC contributes as and when it can. HDC has recently sold property on Durham St in Levin for the purpose of building a state-of-the-art health centre that will provide new and improved services that will introduce new doctors to the area. HDC also contributed land to build the medical centre in Foxton, Te Waiora.
“Locally, passenger transport is the role and responsibility of Horizons Regional Council.
“We can certainly support the aspirations of our communities and advocate or champion to Horizons on their behalf. For example, a group of seniors in our community wanted better access to Wellington or the train from Waikanae and with the combined effort of HDC saw the introduction of a bus service from here to the Waikanae train station.
Other HDC efforts for public transport include annual funding to groups like the Horowhenua Health Shuttle to Palmerston North and the Foxton Beach Health Shuttle.
She supports the O¯ 2NL expressway.
“The benefits for Horowhenua outweigh the negatives and it has been proven in the other expressway projects that most of the negatives can be mitigated.
“HDC has provided support in a number of ways during the Covid-19 pandemic and would do the same if there was a resurgence.
“This included a welfare support line, providing goods and food, rallying and coordinating volunteers, providing property and community facilities for vaccination stations and testing such as Donnelly Park and Youth Space at Te Takere and also changing our COmmunity grants and funding scheme to better suit the needs for Covid response and Covid recovery activities.”
The district plan can also undergo improvements to better support affordable housing.