Councillors' financial interests revealed
Property owned by our elected members declared
Palmerston North’s mayor and city councillors are a property-owning lot. All except councillor Orphee Mickalad own a house in the city. The Local Government (Pecuniary Interests Register) Amendment Act 2022 requires the property elected members own to be listed in a publicly available register.
The register also lists elected members’ employment, directorships and shareholdings.
The declarations are for January 30, 2023 to January 29, 2024.
Mayor Grant Smith also owns a holiday home in Mt Maunganui and a commercial property in central Palmerston North.
He is a director and shareholder of HuntSmith and Co, which provides business administration.
Smith has 17 council appointments ranging from the Arena Masterplan Steering Group and the Palmerston North Performing Arts Trust to Global Cities New Zealand, of which he is the national president.
During the declaration period, he travelled to Guiyang in China to speak at an eco-city conference and to Taipei in Taiwan to address a smart city conference.
The overseas travel part of the pecuniary interests declaration is for when travel and accommodation costs were not paid in full by the elected member and/or a member of their family.
Smith’s trips were paid for by Guiyang Municipal Government and the Taipei Computer Association.
Deputy Mayor Debi Marshall-Lobb owns a rental property in Palmerston North.
She is a director and shareholder of childcare services company Manawa2 and a teacher at Palmerston North Boys’ High School.
Councillor Mark Arnott owns and works for e-pics Photo and Digital, which provides tape, film transfer and archival scanning services.
Councillor Brent Barrett is a senior scientist at AgResearch.
He has shares in nine companies including Genex Power, Wide Open Agriculture, and Comvita.
Councillor Rachel Bowen is employed by health and safety regulator WorkSafe as an engagement lead and owns a Palmerston North rental property.
Councillor Vaughan Dennison owns four rental properties in Palmerston North and an investment property at Omori, near Tu¯rangi.
Dennison is a director and shareholder of property acquisition and services company Social Impact Property. It owns seven properties in Palmerston North and one in Feilding.
He is employed by housing provider Home for People and is the interim chief executive of Softball New Zealand. Dennison has an interest in Dennison Rogers-Dennison Partnership, which provides property services, and the Dennison Family Trust.
Social Impact Property paid for Dennison to travel to Singapore, Togo and Hong Kong while Softball NZ paid for a trip to Japan.
Last October, the council agreed to cover up to $1000 of in-country travel expenses for Dennison to make a civic visit to Palmerston North sister city Mihara while he was in Japan for a softball tournament.
Councillor Lew Findlay is no longer employed by Palmerston North Street Van.
Councillor Roly Fitzgerald is a director of asset-holding company Rangita¯ne O Manawatu¯ Kaitiaki.
He is employed by Te Tihi O Ruahine Wha¯nau Ora Alliance as a project manager and has an interest in Rangita¯ne O Manawatu¯ Settlement Trust.
Councillor Pat Handcock has an interest in PJ and LG Handcock Family Trust and owns a holiday home in Tararua.
Councillor Leonie Hapeta is a director and shareholder of Fast Forward Group. It owns Aberdeen Restaurant where she works.
She has an interest in the Hapeta Family Trust.
Councillor Lorna Johnson received rental income from a minor dwelling at her house.
Councillor Billy Meehan’s travel to the United States, Solomon Islands, Bosnia and Italy was paid for by Boxing New Zealand.
Caccia Birch Trust and the Palmerston North Youth Council are among Orphee Mickalad’s council appointments.
Councillor Karen Naylor is a registered nurse at Te Whatu Ora and owns a rental property in Palmerston North. She also has an investment property in Mt Maunganui and is a shareholder of housing development company Flax Developments.
Councillor William Wood is a marketing co-ordinator for the Cancer Society.
His trip to the Evatt diplomacy competition in Melbourne last year was paid for by UN Youth New Zealand.
Councillor Kaydee Zabelin received two payments for Back Issues articles published in the Manawatu Standard.