Upper Hutt Residents United Coalition

Upper Hutt Residents United Coalition Upper Hutt Residents united Coaltion

26/07/2026

If the Leaked news is correct and Upper Hutt council will be asking other councils in region to leave us out of the proposal then I say we Upper Hutt residents have your back.

What is needed is an adult conversation without the threat of if you don't we will do it to you by central government (when they can't under current legislation and probaly difficult to get legislation to carry out their childish threat) I believe the 9th August time frame was a Chris Bishop brain fade that he committed the minister Watts to and who then had to go along with. Councils have been iresponsible in trying to come up with proposals to meet the imposed government time frame.Congratulations to our Mayor Peri and our council if they are saying No ,thankyou ,to other councils in the region please don't include us in your amalgamation propsal. As a community what we need to ask in any amalgamation propsal is What Is In It For Us? Currently the numbers are not stacking up and the answer is, very little. Hutt city and Upper Hutt already share some services it "may" be of benefit to develop more but it doesn't have to be a full merger. Central government need to back off no matter what they try to make us think any contract for amalgamation would be between the interesed parties to the contract central government isn't a party to any proposed contract. They don't own the accumulated assets or the rate funding , their role is to consider the benefits to the owners of the council area ' the residents", and protect our interests in any amalgamation not threaten us.

20/07/2026

Some interesting comments in todays post paper.
Chris Bishop RMA reform minister (and minister who put amalgamation/reorganisation of local government time frame of August 9th or "it will be done to local government) said that it was crucial that the new bills introduced some "tension" into the system to make it harder for councils to regulate develoment. He wants the RMA reform done before Parliament rises in September for the election.
August amalgamation plans September RMA done and dusted??

An aside he wants commercial vegetable growing to have primacy in the system, to feed not only NZ but the World.. Is he hopeful that Hutt city can revert back to market gardens, too?

Ken Laben also in Post paper talking about amalgamation says as a region we can streamline the big stuff while protecting the local and that this can make the region the next economic and social powerhouse. Amalgamation will apparently streamline our housing development transport , combined our infrustructure needs.
My question to Ken but more importantly our Mayor and council.
How will amalgamation grow Upper Hutt's economy ? How will it enhance our CBD and shopping and bring people to Upper Hutt to shop. How will new roading, and transport bring people into Upper Hutt to make use of our facilities our sports grounds.
What effect will the ammendment to RMA have on our river and our regional parks.
Do you have these and similar questions come to meeting tonight at King Lion Hall King street 7:30 to discuss what answers we want about amalgamation before our councils endorses any proposal. And to form a group to monitor our water services delivered by Tiaki Wai.

12/07/2026

$185 million upwards for amalgamation and that is just Wellington City according to today's post paper. And apparently the preferred amalgamation is Wellington Porirua Hutt city and Upper Hutt. Community boards can be decided " after" amalgamation, and the benefit is long term infrastructure planning.
What infrastructure?? Not water pipes that is the job now of Tiaki Wai. Tunnels at Mt Victoria and basin reserve upgrade?? Petone and Grenada link to support Hutt city Porirua Wellington economic growth. What say Upper Hutt do you support your accumulated assets and rate funding being amalgamated, at your cost, to support the economic growth and infrastructure costs of the other Wellington councils. Ask your mayor and councilors what infrastructure costs have Upper Hutt. How do we save on them through amalgamation and what is our projected economic growth compared with not amalgamating. Then ask how our interests will be protected, our assets and rates funding secured for Upper Hutt's benefit, and what will our representation be and look like by way of a community board or similar. And by the way does, Upper Hutt support a takeover by amalgamation. Keep Tuesday 21st July free and come to discuss amalgamation and Tiak Wai at public meeting King Lion Hall 7:30pm.

09/07/2026

Mayor of Hut City Ken Laben has made public a proposal he believes answers the issues that Hutt City rate payers are concerned about in a reorganised or amalgamation of the councils of the Wellington region, part of his proposal is:

"Marked on existing city council boundaries, Wellington City’s 14-strong community council – and the four members of their counterparts in Porirua, Kāpiti Coast or Upper Hutt – would be in charge of local parks, libraries and issuing community grants, running on funds distributed by the unitary authority based on a formula".

This follows the major part of the proposal where by all the Wellington regions rates are put into the hands of one regional authority and manged by one CEO.

This propsal confirms that in any reorganisation or amalgamation Upper Hutt City will be gutted of its rates funding and for the generated rates and accummulated assests to be managed by a "regional authority with one regional Mayor" where Upper Hutts representation is "two". Then for any "nice to haves" the kind that make citys the place people want to live in and enjoy after work and on weekends it will need to stand in line and make a case for funding or the community would need to raise its own funding seperate from rates.

This will not in anyway decrease the rates we pay it will just mean we help to pay for "infrustrutue " across the whole region with Wellington city and hutt city representatives having a major say due to its representation of a combined 11 members where the rates funding is spent. There is no guarntee that Upper Hutt will be fairly represented or our needs or wants would ever get a fair hearing in such a reorganisation. BUT our rates and assets will help to fund and secure bigger loans for so described infrustructure costs. Given that water assets and infrustructure are now in the hands of Tiaki Wai what infrustructure will need funding by an amalgamated council.
Can we expect combined council rates to go to projects like Wellington and Hutt City road of significance that has already cost tax payers 25 million on consultants and contractors to scope two tunnels to "airport" in Wellington and an link road from Grenda to Petone both benefitting Wellington city and Hutt City. But of insignificance to Upper Hutt residents.
While this is just a proposal by Hutt City Mayor it is indication of discussion that are taking place at "Mayoral Forum" and need oppostion now if Upper Hutt City rates current and future and assets are to be secured for Upper Hutt residents.

08/07/2026

Public Meeting
To Form a residents Lobby to.
Say No to Amalgamation and Central governments unenforceable 9th August Deadline. Form a water users’ watchdog group to monitor and
STOP Tiaki Wai under delivering and overspending. And oppose volumetric water meters.
King Lion Hall, King St, UH 21st July 7:30 pm contact [email protected]

02/07/2026

Decision on your official information request

I refer to your official information request dated 4 June 2026 for information regarding the legislation that legislates for local council amalgamation.

You have asked for the Act and/or amended legislation that legislates for local council amalgamation and/or reorganisation on which the council is mandated by legislation to form a new council or reorganised council entity Your request consists of two elements:

1. the existing statutory framework for local government reorganisation; and

2. whether there is currently a specific Act, amendment, Order in Council or other legal instrument that mandates UHCC to form a new council or reorganised council entity.

For the first point, we need to refuse this under section 17(d) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act as the legislation is publicly available. The primary legislation governing local council amalgamations and reorganisations in New Zealand is the Local Government Act 2002.

For the second point, we need to refuse this under section 17(e) as to the best of our knowledge no such current legal instrument exists. The Government has announced the Simplifying Local Government reform programme, including a voluntary Head Start pathway and a later backstop process. However, those matters are part of the Government's announced reform programme and are not, of themselves, a current legislative instrument mandating Upper Hutt City Council to form a new council or reorganised council entity.

The information we have available on this can be found on our website (links provided):

UHCC Simplifying Local Government reform page
UHCC Let's Korero Simplifying Local Government Engagement Survey page
UHCC Media release regarding the Simplifying Local Government Engagement Survey


And the Department of Internal Affairs website:

21/06/2026

Compulsory Kiwi Saver is a tax on earnings. The tax is then allocated to "investers" "financial managers". It ensures more people become renters not homeowners, because any personal savings and that of their children is tied up in kiwi saver. The Commentary that there is too much investment in housing we thought was about Mum and Dad investing in housing it was not what was meant what was meant was too many ordinary hard-working NZ Mum and Dads were buying their own homes. Tying up the money that investors want their hands, for them to set up business ventures supposedly "for the common good." It’s another capitalist trickle-down effect.
Reorganisation of council’s water entity Tiaki Wai cost of water. financial restriction of water by metered water, rates funding, 400 million payments to councils to consent more housing development all part of the picture to limit home ownership. Tie up any extra funds in Kiwi Saver make home ownership more expensive build housing developments owned by corporation increase the pool of renters.
If you want to control your own money and that of your children's. If you want to own your own home and support your children into a home when the time comes. If you want local control on locally owned accumulated assets. Reject governments compulsories council reorganisation. Reject governments making Kiwi Saver compulsory. Take back local control make sure you control the money you earn not the government and investors.

15/06/2026

Given the state of our collective water infrustruture and that it will cost water users and rate payers 25 billion over the next thirty years and the priority is to replace and upgrade three waters system we need to reduce the cost so those of us with houses and property in the Wellinton region who paid for the water infrustruture don't lose our houses unable to cover the cost or can't cover our living exspenses. We need to tell our repective councils to identify extra costs to the network. No business expands with unmet costs that reduce the cost of living of the owners of the business.Tika Wai can not afford new spending when it has a heavty replacement bill. The answer is not to increase costs so we need to call on councils to STOP new housing developments for 30 years. Unless the full coast of connecting to the network is covered by the developer and the on-going costs associated with the delivery of three waters for the new development are fully covered by the home owners, rates and water chargers.

13/06/2026

KiwiSaver provider Simplicity has bought another three hectares of land in Queenstown to significantly expand its build-to-rent project.
It means the project would deliver 1078 homes in a 10ha area near Remarkables Park.
The project has also been referred to the fast-track consenting process, with the company aiming to begin construction in January.
Simplicity Living (part of Simplicity) said it was working with Queenstown Lakes District Council and NZTA on designing and delivering infrastructure.
Simplicity managing director Sam Stubbs said the region needed housing that was not for short-term rentals.
"We have this line, there'll be no Jafa ski houses - this is built for locals."
"There is a really large need, which is why we've scaled up the size of the project from the initial 600 homes we were envisioning to over 1000."
Simplicity Living managing director Shane Brealey said the region was "crying out" for homes for locals and tourism workers.

Outline of the planned Simplicity housing development in Queenstown before its expanded footprint. Photo: Supplied / Simplicity Living
The company said it had recently completed the country's largest build-to-rent complex in Auckland's Mt. Wellington and was on track to be fully leased within "weeks".
"We have extremely high levels of occupancy in our developments because of their quality and 10-year rental options, and this delivers strong business performance for our investor while providing much-needed housing for Kiwis," Brealey said.
Queenstown Lakes mayor John Glover said the development could "significantly support the well-being of our resident community".
"I'm sure the fast track panel will take an objective look at how the proposal sits against our current plan,s and we look forward to seeing the end result," he said.
Stubbs said the project would show what KiwiSaver funds could achieve.
"While still a relatively new concept here, superannuation funds around the world choose to invest in long-term rental housing for the stable, long-term returns they can deliver as a small part of a diversified investment portfolio," he said.
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11/06/2026

While I have concerns about the artificial process imposed on council, by government I thank The UHCC Mayor and all the UHCC members for engaging with the Upper Hutt community this week. Encourage them to read Ken Laben's article in post this morning and ask they offer the people of UH the same commitment publicly. Thanks

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