Latest news with #VictorLuca
NZ Herald
15-07-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Bay of Plenty councils: Eastern Bay mayors hit out against amalgamation talks
At a recent Bay of Plenty Mayoral Forum, Drysdale said communities were crying out for things to be delivered more efficiently and effectively. He said there were seven councils represented around the forum table, which meant seven times the overhead. 'We can wait five years and have the Government do it for us or we can be proactive and say, let's look at it.' Drysdale will also be speaking to a remit put to this week's Local Government New Zealand conference by Tauranga City Council for a review of local government arrangements to achieve better balance. The remit was supported by LGNZ's Metro Sector councils. Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca said he could find no evidence that amalgamation of councils would result in lower rates. He cited two academic studies published in the past three years that pointed against any efficiencies being achieved by amalgamation. A 2022 report called Does Size Matter, from independent Crown organisation the Infrastructure Commission, found little evidence of cost efficiencies from larger local governments. The report looked at whether council size and structure affected road maintenance, building consents and council overhead costs. Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale at a Tauranga City Council meeting. Photo / David Hall 'Our analysis suggests that population size neither decreases nor increases the cost to provide these three services,' the report stated. Luca also referenced a 2024 economic paper by University of Otago professor Tom Stannard and TDB Advisory's Philip Barry about scale efficiency gains in electricity distribution. The paper looked at public and private organisations and found that potential gains from scale alone, without considering population density, were very limited. 'The only way that reducing the number of slices in a pie can result in any benefit is if the pie also shrinks,' Luca said. 'I'm actually quite annoyed that Drysdale makes the argument that everybody trots out without evidence. The real evidence is there, and he completely ignores it.' Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore, Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui and Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca are in agreement that amalgamation with other Bay of Plenty councils is not in the best interests of the Eastern Bay. Photo / Supplied He felt Whakatāne district would be the loser in any amalgamation arrangement with the wider Bay of Plenty. 'We represent 16% of the population of the Bay of Plenty, and you only have to look at how we fared in receiving funding through the Regional Transport Committee. We only got 1% of the budget request allocated to us.' He felt there were efficiencies that could be made through the councils working more closely together. 'For example, we're all using different enterprise software. That is something that could easily be fixed without throwing the baby out with the bathwater.' Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore said he felt Drysdale should be talking to his community about how they felt before he started talking about amalgamating councils. Whakatāne would be the loser in a Bay of Plenty council amalgamation, Mayor Victor Luca says. Photo / Andrew Warner 'The first thing you learn in local government is you need to talk to your community first, before we make plans.' Moore was doubtful that amalgamation would create efficiencies, pointing out a number of failures of central government in providing police, education and health services to the region. 'That day [of the mayoral forum] we had a presentation showing we are 1700 doctors short in New Zealand. 'We've got a net increase in police of less than 20.' He also referenced the recent reduction in gynaecological and obstetrics services that sees pregnant women having to be rushed to Tauranga for emergencies, and Ōpōtiki College having issues with black mould in classrooms last year. He said there had been a great deal of work done recently on possible funding solutions for councils. 'For example, the GST content of rates that gets forwarded to central. A tax on a tax, some say. 'There is no resistance to working smarter and sharing services wherever possible, but scale does not always mean saving for the community - something to think about on your next trip to the supermarket or when paying your latest power or insurance bills. 'The same out of control costs have hit councils too, which does nothing to help keeping costs down.' Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui. Kawerau Mayor Faylene Tunui said her community was against amalgamation. 'Mayor Drysdale can speak for Tauranga, but we know our communities are firmly rooted in the Eastern Bay of Plenty and that's where our people want their representation to be. 'Our three councils are busy implementing our joint spatial plan and joint economic development plan. That's our priority, not theoretical amalgamation discussions,' Tunui said. What other Bay mayors say Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer previously told Local Democracy Reporting he did not believe his community supported amalgamating with Tauranga. Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell said councils should not be afraid of change but 'negative experiences' from health and polytechnic mergers made communities wary. Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman Doug Leeder said work needed to be done to understand where and how services were best delivered - nationally, regionally and locally - to inform the long-running debate. - Additional reporting by Alisha Evans - LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
RNZ News
26-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Former MP Brendan Horan runs for council to support 'most qualified mayor'
Brendan Horan is running for a council seat in Whakatāne despite living outside the district in Papamoa. Photo: Supplied/LDR Former MP, TVNZ weather presenter and New Zealand Iron Man champion Brendan Horan says he plans to stand for a seat on Whakatāne District Council in this year's local body elections. Whakatāne born and raised, Horan said though he currently lives in Papamoa, he has kept a close eye on the council - particularly on his old school buddy, Mayor Victor Luca. "I can't sing his praises enough. I've followed his progress as mayor in Whakatāne and I'm aware of the road blocks he's had to face. Whakatāne has the most qualified mayor in the world with Victor Luca." He expressed disappointment in not seeing greater support for him on council, particularly in his advocacy for more affordable rates. "Affordability is vital, and we have to look to the future. There's no reason Whakatāne District Council cannot create new revenue streams. The solar project that Mayor Victor was an advocate for is the perfect example." He is also strongly in support of Luca's proposal for a second river crossing. "It's critical infrastructure. Again, this is an area where councillors have dragged the chain. It's a no-brainer, how important a second bridge is to Whakatāne for the safety of the residents." Though he has no plans to move home, he said it had always been his goal to return to Whakatāne one day, which is also where his wife's family is based. "Whakatāne is a part of me. Apart from being born in Whakatāne, my children's whenua is buried in Whakatāne. My love and responsibility and connection to Whakatāne is unbreakable. I'm there every second weekend anyway, particularly whenever the surf's great. "I've no designs on being mayor, but I do have strong designs to support our mayor to make Whakatāne a home for present and future generations," Having attended St Joseph's Catholic School and Whakatāne High School, Horan represented Whakatāne in sport during his youth, including in swimming, water polo and surf lifesaving. He also represented New Zealand and Australia in water polo, was a New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Ironman champion and New Zealand outrigger canoe champion. Horan went on to become a weather presenter for TVNZ between 2005 and 2007. In 2008, he contested the East Coast electorate as a New Zealand First candidate. He became a New Zealand First list MP in 2011. After being expelled from New Zealand First a year later, he remained as an independent. In 2014 he formed his own party, the NZ Independant Coalition, which failed to win any seats. Returning to study, he earned a post-graduate degree in dispute resolution from the University of Waikato and now does a variety of work. "I help a lot of people if they're have problems with different government departments. A lot of it, the work's altruistic because by the time they get to me they've already exhausted every legal avenue." He has helped people with immigration problems, and also did cultural report writing for the courts. "But a lot of that work has dried up thanks to this government," he said. "I also work with a travel operator taking targeted tours overseas. I've just come back from the United States. I get to travel a lot and keep an eye on what's happening around the world." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
NZ Herald
12-06-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Whakatāne Grey Power launches petition for funding second bridge
The Landing Road Bridge in Whakatāne is at capacity and vulnerable to seismic and flooding risks, according to a Whakatāne District Grey Power petition currently on Parliament's petitions website. The Whakatāne District Grey Power Association has started a petition on the Parliament website for the Government to prioritise funding for a second bridge in Whakatāne. The Whakatāne Grey Power petition, titled Additional Bridge for Whakatāne, supports a proposal by Mayor Victor Luca advocating for a second bridge. Grey Power
Scoop
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Rain Bombs Cast Cloud Over Matatā Housing Growth
Article – Diane McCarthy – Local Democracy Reporter Whakatne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matat now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from 'rain bombs' and worsening weather. Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from 'rain bombs' and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing of up to 700 homes and the potential for development of up to 800 homes eastward of Pollen Street over the next 30 years. At an infrastructure and planning committee meeting on Thursday, council learned that since August, Whakatāne District Council has spent more than $300,000 clearing sediment and debris from Matatā catchpits after it washed down from stream catchments due to localised 'rain bombs'. Most of the cost was incurred between between February and May due to several heavy rain events in the hills above the town during that period. Rain bombs are usually associated with burst of heavy rain that has potential to do damage. Luca said it would be a mistake to densify Matatā with what was going on there at the moment. 'Climate change is the elephant in the room and we seem to have consistently underestimated the effects. 'There's a micro-climate [in the Matatā catchment]. It's not totally predictable, but it looks like things are going to keep getting worse. 'These rain bombs that come – this is the second in 20 years but they don't have to be linear, there could be another one in a year or two. 'This has to be fixed and the people living there have to be given some comfort.' After the 2005 debris flow, the council placed sediment and debris catchpits in Matatā both at the Awatarariki Stream on the western side of the town and Waitepuru Stream on the north-eastern side of the town. A $70,000 annual maintenance budget is supposed to cover the cost of keeping these catchpits clear so that the town and lagoon do not suffer debris flooding events. Despite this, earlier this year a heavy rainfall event localised in the hills above Matatā saw sediment and debris overwhelm Moore's Bridge, which crosses the Awatarariki Stream, blocking State Highway 2 and entering properties on Pioneer Place. While some of the cost overrun for removing debris was covered from an emergency stormwater fund, $112,000 of unbudgeted spending needed to be approved which would likely come from an internal loan. This amount also included the repair of a blown out stormwater pipe in Murupara. Three waters manager Jim Finlay suggested this sediment and debris coming down the rivers could be mediated with rock weirs slowing the flow of the water, at an estimated cost to the council of $140,000. 'It's terrible that we're just sitting there waiting for this to happen and you have to clean up each time and if you don't you are possibly going to have flooding down the highway and through the town from both of those streams.' He likened it to 'someone having a party in your house every week and you've got to go and clean up the mess'. Councillor Gavin Dennis recently presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Committee about the Moores Bridge incident which resulted in a debris flood. He asked that the bridge be improved and that New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Rail increase their maintenance on their State Highway 2 and railway bridges. Finlay said New Zealand Rail had since cleared out their culverts on the Awatarariki Stream and had further work planned for clearing culverts on the Waitepuru Stream.
Scoop
04-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Rain Bombs Cast Cloud Over Matatā Housing Growth
Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca says building more homes within Matatā now would be a mistake due to the potential damage from "rain bombs" and worsening weather. Matatā is one of the areas named in the draft Eastern Bay Spatial Plan as a key growth area for housing, with infill housing of up to 700 homes and the potential for development of up to 800 homes eastward of Pollen Street over the next 30 years. At an infrastructure and planning committee meeting on Thursday, council learned that since August, Whakatāne District Council has spent more than $300,000 clearing sediment and debris from Matatā catchpits after it washed down from stream catchments due to localised "rain bombs". Most of the cost was incurred between between February and May due to several heavy rain events in the hills above the town during that period. Rain bombs are usually associated with burst of heavy rain that has potential to do damage. Luca said it would be a mistake to densify Matatā with what was going on there at the moment. "Climate change is the elephant in the room and we seem to have consistently underestimated the effects. "There's a micro-climate [in the Matatā catchment]. It's not totally predictable, but it looks like things are going to keep getting worse. "These rain bombs that come - this is the second in 20 years but they don't have to be linear, there could be another one in a year or two. "This has to be fixed and the people living there have to be given some comfort." After the 2005 debris flow, the council placed sediment and debris catchpits in Matatā both at the Awatarariki Stream on the western side of the town and Waitepuru Stream on the north-eastern side of the town. A $70,000 annual maintenance budget is supposed to cover the cost of keeping these catchpits clear so that the town and lagoon do not suffer debris flooding events. Despite this, earlier this year a heavy rainfall event localised in the hills above Matatā saw sediment and debris overwhelm Moore's Bridge, which crosses the Awatarariki Stream, blocking State Highway 2 and entering properties on Pioneer Place. While some of the cost overrun for removing debris was covered from an emergency stormwater fund, $112,000 of unbudgeted spending needed to be approved which would likely come from an internal loan. This amount also included the repair of a blown out stormwater pipe in Murupara. Three waters manager Jim Finlay suggested this sediment and debris coming down the rivers could be mediated with rock weirs slowing the flow of the water, at an estimated cost to the council of $140,000. "It's terrible that we're just sitting there waiting for this to happen and you have to clean up each time and if you don't you are possibly going to have flooding down the highway and through the town from both of those streams." He likened it to "someone having a party in your house every week and you've got to go and clean up the mess". Councillor Gavin Dennis recently presented to the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Committee about the Moores Bridge incident which resulted in a debris flood. He asked that the bridge be improved and that New Zealand Transport Agency and New Zealand Rail increase their maintenance on their State Highway 2 and railway bridges. Finlay said New Zealand Rail had since cleared out their culverts on the Awatarariki Stream and had further work planned for clearing culverts on the Waitepuru Stream.
