Upper Hutt Residents United Coalition

Upper Hutt Residents United Coalition Upper Hutt Residents united Coaltion

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

09/06/2026

The Governments Head start proposal regarding amalgamation is no more than a government wish list for a process that is already open to councils in the current LGNZ Act 2002 Central government has no current legally ability to impose amalgamation on us. When you fill out your survey be clear that the Government has no legal mandate to impose a time frame on reorganization, amalgamation consultations or council proposals. And the "Head Start" pathway is based on the current LGNZ Act 2002. The government is offering councils and rate payers no more than what already exists in the legislation. This is our decision to make and the law demands full consultation and accurate consultation on the case for and the benefits to Upper Hutt as opposed to the status quo. I publicly request our Remutaka MP to offer his opinion on the legality of the Government's imposing of a three month deadline on a council proposal and clarification on what legislation the government sources their offer of a" Head Start" pathway process.

07/06/2026

Upper Hutt city council, Mayor and councillors are I understanding, considering with councils across the Wellington region possible proposals for reorganisation or Amalgamation of our Council functions and rates funding and possible divesting of Upper Hutt rate payers accumulated assets into some form of amalgamated council. The question of reorganisation or amalgamation has been put out into our community with much background noise.
1) We need to be at the table, question whose table? Who occupies the seats at the table?
2) Central government has offered as a “Head Start” that they have no legal mandate to offer, in fact the current LGNZ Act 2002 has provided the UHCC with the ability to reorganise or amalgamate since 2002. (When is an offer not an offer)
3) Central government (frustrated by council not taking up the offer) Says we are giving you 3 months to put together a proposal, or we the government will do it for you, a backstop proposal. (But currently have no legal ability to do it to us and would have to have a solid legal reason, like misappropriation of funds to impose a commissioner on us and then that commissioner would be there to protect the community’s interest.
4) Then we are back to if we don’t other councils might and we in Upper Hutt will just have to fall in line.

All these reasons are simply BS and at worst governmental, local and central abuse, and misappropriation of legislation to promote an outcome already decided and manipulated at the expense of the owners of the accumulated assets and the funding of council’s functions through rates. I ask the Mayor and councillor’s publicly to define the problem that requires solving in any reorganisation or amalgamation and provide relevant data as step one of consultation with the owners of Upper Hutt City, residents rate, payers.
It is time for Upper Hutt residents, to take the lead, not fall in line.

04/06/2026

In relation to Mayor Peri Zees encouragement to have our say about what reorganisation of our council we want or government may reorganise our council instead. Can she please point me to the legislation and which part that allows central government to take over Upper Hutt council's assets, resources ,funding, land, managed by council for Upper Hutt rate payers and water users. After if there is not any such specific current legislation why is the council allowing us to think they are bound by current law to reorganise UHCC local Authority. We may very well want to be in consultation with council on the matter but we don't I'm sure accept that the council needs to adhere to Minister Bishops or the governments time frame or make decisions on a false belief we have to. Surely Council needs time to provide us with good accurate information as to the cost savings benefit of any reorganisation proposal/s. Otherwise on what bases are we giving over our combined property.

01/06/2026

Tiaki Wai promotion cost $420k (Post Tuesday 2nd of June) only 1in 6 people in December knew of Tiaki Wai and recent survey showed that 30% still had not heard. This after the Wellington regions councils signed over billions of rate payers’ assets and on-going funding for water services and delivery to Tiaki Wai metro water LTD (if that is their current name?)
What does this say about the public consultation process of our region’s councils. There should be a public injunction to halt hand over on July 1st.
And we must ensure central government’s plan to simplify local government is stopped until a mandate to "simplify our local government is canvassed and received by way of public referendum. And then a public referendum by individual council ratepayer for any reorganisation, or no reorganisation. The cost and savings benefit to current and future rate payers, needs to be provided.

31/05/2026

Please see below communications and government document Councils invite to fast track local reform.
Question:
1) when is an invite not an invite but a command?
2) When were councils invited to fast track local reform
3) given that the Government is not currently considering requiring councils to amalgamate into one unitary authority per region. Is becoming one unitary authority being discussed at Mayoral forums.
4)Why are we being told we need to be at the "table"to have a say?
5) whose table are we at and what's the agenda if not one unitary authority?

It is my understanding that the Wairarapa councils don't want to amalgamate with councils this side of the hill. And if Upper Hutt residents doesn't want to be swallowed up into one Unitary Authority with Lower Hutt, Wellington and Porirua then what's our Mayor discussing at the table on our behalf.

Upper Hutt has a number of shared services with Lower Hutt. The cemetery, the rubbish dump, and now water service and delivery through Tiaki Wai, previously with Wellington water. We could agree to share other services where practical and when it benefits both financially. This would be a more practical discussion for Upper Hutt council to be having with Lower Hutt council. There is no need for a full blown amalgamation with Lower Hutt. And clearly we get to choose and decide and we have it from the minister that one unitary authority is not being required by this government,currently.

Please read the document council" invited" to fast track council reform and see what you make of it? And by the way where is our Wellington regional council at in all this?

Subject: Wellington Regions Councils Amalgamation
Tuesday, 5 May 2026 1:04 PM

Hon Christopher Luxon
Regards Chris
Can you please advise if your government is passing into legislation or proposing to pass into legislation a requirement on Local councils to become one amalgamated council in the Wellington region.
This will be a major election issue.
Teresa Homan
Elm Street
Upper Hutt.
The Prime Minister office referred me to Simon Watts
Reply From Simon Watts (MIN) on 2026-05-29 14:26
Good afternoon/morning [name],

On behalf of the Minister of Local Government, the Government is not currently considering requiring councils to amalgamate into one unitary authority per region.

You can read more about this topic here: Councils invited to fast-track local reform | Beehive.govt.nz

Kind regards,

From the document
“Councils shape the places we live and the services we rely on. But too often, the system is tangled in duplication, disagreements, and decisions that defy common sense.
“Councils are critical to delivering the new planning system, which will pass into law this year, enabling housing growth and supporting infrastructure investment.

Several mayors have told us they’re ready to move now, with clear ideas about what should change and how to do it.
“We’re giving them the opportunity to get on with it through a ‘head start’ pathway.
“But that opportunity won’t sit open forever. If councils don’t step up and put forward credible proposals, the Government will step in and make those decisions.
“Our message to councils is simple: lead your own reform, or we will do it for you. Either way, change is coming.”

29/05/2026

We have had a small win for local participatory democracy with the revision of Tiaki Wai's numbers from 14.7% to 12.85% increase next year and 2028 whopping increase from 28.9% to 16.5%.this is the result of participatory democracy. A small win but a win all the same, won, not by the councillors, that were elected to represent us but by people power who stood up and asked questions on behalf of rate payers and water users. This is still not enough we need greater revision down but water infrastructure does need investment. This is not achieved by financial restriction to our access to water by volumetric water metering, or by borrowing on our assets without a very strict criteria and protection of our collective assets. It will take central government prioritising funding to three waters delivery before roads and tunnels without taking control of our locally owned water infrastructure as a payback. But that is tomorrows challenges today we can celebrate people power. We must keep engaged in our water delivery and local government. Our next challenge is Amalgamation but we need to act now. We need to tell Chris Bishop we will not be railroaded into it in three months. And tell Wellington regions Mayors that they are elected to represent us just as Chris Bishop was and we say no not yet not in three months if at all. We have shown that we are engaged and we want a say not as Chris Bishop seems to think no one votes for Local government so they don't want it. Well done Upper Hutt, well done Wellington.

26/05/2026

Willis in the hood leading cabinet budget talk. Things are tough out there our business and landlord voting public are facing renewed pressure to pay more tax and to give away their capital gain on property that rental income has secured for them. All while those bottom feeders are living in the houses we the government own like they have won the lotto dragging the other hard working New Zealanders down who are doing it tough. Women at least realize that someone must take one for the team and apart from a few grumbles have given up their fight for equity in pay. They shall reap the just benefits of their reward once our budget has put the record straight there is no free lunch, or at least no nutritious one that those bottom feeder kids get in school, imagine they even expected to like them. I grew up on marmite sandwiches good enough for me good as gold for them. But we have listened to their rumbling tums, and our new school curriculum should at least get some of them into work or training. We can dangle a carrot Infront of them by encouraging them to see if they pass three exams, they will get a job but not as ‘good job’ if they pass five along with hunger and homelessness one step away from our state-owned houses this should be incentive enough to further their education. We can’t though assist them with free fees for higher education least they want to be property owners like us who can rent our own property while doing it tough working in parliament for the betterment of all NZ. While we are about it, we need to force amalgamation of our local councils there are too many councillors and council administration, people don’t vote for them anyway. We have secured their access to water in one amalgamated network, all the better to privatize when the heat dies down. When they have done away with regional council and have amalgamated then our RMA can really kick in and nothing will stand in the way of development. Woke people think climate change is real and that the environment and our natural resources are of value and should be protected, if we let this wokeness continue how can we sell the water some of them think they have kaitiaki over. We are doing away with that legislation by legislation it was a grand ploy of Seymour to distract any protest with the treaty principles bill. There is to be no lolly scramble in this budget. We don’t need to build government owned houses we need to move bottom feeders on and out to the private market it is only fair, if they can’t afford to pay private rent and take shelter in our CBD’s we will have legislation to move them on to….and if the don’t go we are building bigger pens where they can go for the criminal activity of street sleeping and bothering nice folk who only want to do business. Back to council’s rates and water user charges there could be a problem for older people, still believe it or not, paying mortgages or renting to pay increased rates, water user charges. The plan is coming together nicely though. We have taken away the buffer they had by charging boarder rent as income decreasing their eligibility to get temporary assistance out of the welfare budget from government. This has gone on too long and is dragging on our future budget surplus. If the result is homeowners especially the oldies can’t afford rates or water user chargers, they can borrow at a smaller interest rate than banks from the government. If they can’t pay it back, then they can have a reverse kind of mortgage and it will up the government through councils equity in state owned property from which the government can borrow for infrastructure like roads of insignificance.This budget has been three years in the making we have done the spade work as long as we keep referencing there will be no lolly scramble and sure up support from our business, property owners and Fonterra we should weather any back lash from bottom feeders, woke, lotto players, (no need to worry about 18-20 year olds the don’t vote) and we should be safe from any in depth analysis now we have hobbled the media who we have warned watch what you say. Well done everyone roll on budget day lets celebrate with a Puku pie, take the heat down a bit on any suggestion this no-frills budget isn’t inclusive. Well done smile.

25/05/2026

Tiaki Wai strategy for water metering in the document is as I read it based on the growing need for water supply and the instrument by which leaks can be detected, and to raise revenue. This then is Tiaki Wai case for the financial restrictions on our access to water. The increased need for water comes with development and limited storage of water for supply. Not lack of water.
Another reason is to detect leaks on private property. But a summer or two back many more leaks were fixed on council network reducing loss of water by leaks dramaticly.
The question of lack of maintenance of council pipes and who or what is responsible. Has not been answered.
Therefore the major reason for volumetric water meters are to raise funds directly from water users. If this is wrong I would welcome Tiaki Wai board member to enlighten us.

21/05/2026

It is time fellow Upper Huttians, and friends to get organised and mount a campaign to stop amalgamation the campaign cannot be to the UHCC alone but to the the government protagonists Christopher Bishop and Simon Watts, who without a mandate are trying to force amalgamation. We need to focus here but take the campaign National wide. If you are on board start with a letter to the PM Chris Bishop, Simon Watts and our Local MP. Say simply that amalgamation is off the table for Upper Hutt and your vote counts on the requirement by government for councils to amalgamate being rescinded. I am going to organise a protest at Chris Bishops office personal message me if you will come. Also if you are able to help get signatures on petitions PM me.

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5 Elm Street
Upper Hutt
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