Te Puke-maketu¯ question time
10 candidates line up at public debate to give their views
What is the biggest housing issue facing Te Pukemaketu¯ ? That’s one of the questions the ward’s candidates were faced with on Wednesday evening.
They met at Te Puke High School as part of the Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Meet the Candidates debate series.
The ward has 12 candidates standing for four seats. Present were incumbents Grant Dally and John Scrimgeour and newcomers Attiya Andrew, Rewi Boy Corbett, Richard Crawford, Kassie Ellis, Paul Haimona, Anish Paudel, Andy Wichers, and Kim Williams. Shane Beech and Kris Murray were unable to attend.
Dally and Williams said population growth was the ward’s biggest housing. Dally said this would also cause congestion and infrastructure problems. Williams said there was not enough housing supply to meet demand, and the community should be consulted on ideas to remedy this.
Crawford and Wichers said affordability was the biggest issue. Crawford said there needed to be less stringent council regulations to reduce the cost of building. Wichers said the council could help with reducing the fixed land costs for developers.
Ellis said infrastructure, accessibility, and engagement were the biggest issues, and the community needed developers with the right mindset to build social housing.
Corbett said there needed to be more housing for the poor.
Andrew said rent prices were the biggest issue, and the community needed to work together to address the issue.
Scrimgeour picked housing availability, exacerbated by the growth of kiwifruit and the need for workers. He said the council should work with developers and social agencies to enable housing.
Paudel said the problem was not just supply and population growth, but socio-economic factors as well.
Haimona said Te Puke-maketu¯ should be the example to NZ, and should give a pu¯tea (money) to Ma¯ori land owners to build housing, and work with community groups to create places for the homeless.
The candidates were asked how they would alleviate Te Puke traffic congestion during kiwifruit season.
Scrimgeour, Paudel, Ellis, and Dally advocated more links between roads in Te Puke, including between Number One Rd and Cattle Farm Rd.
Paudel, Crawford, Corbett, and Andrews wanted better public transport options. Dally and Crawford wanted a Te Puke turn-off option on the Papamoa Eastern Link. Williams suggested carpooling, which would also benefit the environment. Haimona said kiwifruit companies should provide traffic wardens to manage congested areas.
Wichers said he would consider options, including exploring a possible bypass.
On how they would deal with the Treaty of Waitangi in their role, Crawford said it was important to consult with iwi in the first instance.
Corbett said it was important to collaborate and incorporate the treaty in practice.
Andrews said the treaty was a contract, and required multiculturalism and duality. This would look like full consultation with mana whenua and tangata whenua and honouring the concepts of tikanga.
Williams said participation and consultation were key to reaching mutual goals and Wichers said authentic engagement, relational trust and an understanding of te ao Ma¯ori were important.
Scrimgeour said it was fundamental to any society that everybody works together an engages with one another.
Paudel said it was important to understand and acknowledge the treaty and work together for better communities.
Haimona said the treaty was inclusive of Te Puke-maketu¯ and we should all remember the principle of “ko whakarongo e tangata”, meaning listen to the people. Ellis said the treaty was about authentic engagement and consultation.
Dally said Ma¯ori were historically mistreated despite the treaty. He said the future of communities was iwi empowerment, but he did not want ‘radical co-governance’ at a government level.
The candidates were given a hypothetical scenario where they had to decide whether to reduce funding for parks and reserves to pay for street light improvements for safety reasons.
Scrimgeour, Paudel, Williams, and Crawford said they would prioritise street lights for public safety.
Ellis and Wichers said it would be important to consult the public. Wichers said he would try to get the playground service for a cheaper rate by using local businesses.
Dally said was in favour in general of spending on playgrounds.
Corbett said he wanted to see increased lighting on Te Ara Kahikatea Pathway.
Andrew said she did not agree with reducing the parks budget as it was important for wellbeing and fun, but said there was an issue with lighting where she lived. Haimona said he thought the question was silly and there were more important issues. He would include funding for both in the available budget.