Harbour cleanup, rates in Baker’s sights
Campbell Barry has an Olympicsized challenge on his hands.
The newly elected Lower Hutt mayor has a tough call on the future of the Naenae Pool.
Declared earthquake prone in April and closed indefinitely, estimates for replacing the historic Olympic-sized pool have gone as high as $52 million.
The future of the pool and how to pay for it, was a defining issue in the election, with Barry making the running by arguing it had to be a council priority.
As well as contributing to the downfall of mayor Ray Wallace, the pool closure claimed another casualty with Eastern ward councillor Glenda Barratt being replaced by community advocate Andy Mitchell.
At 28, Barry is New Zealand’s youngest mayor. First elected as a 22-year-old city councillor, it was always clear he was focused on bigger things.
He sought the Labour nomination for Hutt South but was defeated by Ginny Andersen, who lost the seat to National’s Chris Bishop.
His interests include travelling, rugby and cricket. At Wainuiomata High School, he dreamed of being a fast bowler before a back injury saw him focus on umpiring.
Although he has focused on politics, the new mayor has worked for the Police Complaints Authority and as an Uber driver to raise the deposit for a house. At university, he studied criminology.
He has never shied away from his Labour Party roots and it was clear one of the issues voters related to was his promise to end council corporate welfare.
‘‘I will put a stop to the millions in handouts to property developers and businesses like the continually delayed High St hotel.’’
On the campaign trail, he acknowledged voting for the council-backed hotel and $34m events centre but said he now viewed that as a mistake.
How he works with developer Raman Sarin and the council officers who drove both projects will be a major test of leadership.
As well as repairing or rebuilding the Naenae Pool, Barry is
committed to the Cross Valley Link road and increasing the council’s stock of social housing.
On the campaign trail, he referred to the need for a ‘‘fairer’’ rating system and said he would not increase rates above the level of inflation for local government.
His intention was always to hit the road running and yesterday he had a two-hour meeting with Hutt City Council chief executive Jo Miller to set priorities.
With the council facing so many big financial challenges, especially around earthquake-prone buildings, he asked for a detailed financial update.
He also wants an integrated transport plan to help set roading and public transport priorities.
There was a clear need to work more closely with central government to further projects like the Melling Interchange and Cross Valley Link, he said.
Miller has also been asked to look into how the council can independently review the decisionmaking process around the controversial hotel and events centre. Porirua’s council will return to ‘‘basics’’ as new mayor Anita Baker pinpoints rates as one of the biggest challenges facing residents: potentially pricing even herself out of the city.
Speaking after her win over incumbent Mike Tana on Saturday night, Baker said that she would aim to rein in rate increases but warned she would not be able to please everybody.
‘‘That is going to be a tough ask, that is why we need to look at the policies and see what we trim.’’
Baker said she wanted to stay living in Porirua ‘‘but with the rate increases, the way they are going, I couldn’t afford to – and if I can’t afford to, most people can’t’’.
She planned a back-to-basics approach with the council but ongoing harbour cleanup work, along with a looming bill to rejuvenate the city’s aging sewerage system, would be expensive.
‘‘We have got the highest number of broken pipes, Wellington Water are saying, in the region, so we have to stop that infiltration going into the harbour. So it is going to be tough.’’
The council could shed some consultants now that work on a review of the city’s District Plan was slowing down. But Baker said she would not like to see any redundancies in the permanent staff. ‘‘That is not my plan.’’
She planned to nominate returning councillor, and mayoral opponent, Izzy Ford as her deputy mayor.
Baker was meeting council chief executive Wendy Walker yesterday. ‘‘She has heard me on the campaign trail, she knows what I am trying to aim for.’’
Despite a focus on controlling costs, Baker said it was impossible to keep all ratepayers happy.
‘‘I don’t think whoever sits in this seats makes people happy, because the rate increases are always there at some level.’’
Baker wanted improvements to roading, with many people looking to live in Porirua but commute to Wellington.
Born in Porirua, Baker grew up in Paremata. She has been a working single mum of two children, doing everything from being a cleaner, after-school caregiver, working for the HIllary Commission, and in the past few years, as a project manager for Jennian Homes.
Baker has been a councillor for nine years – over three terms – after former mayor Nick Leggett suggested she stand.