News

We wrote to the NPDC, our Lawyer, and the Ombudsman, on 10th October 2025.

For an update click on the blue heading above.

This month there is more to this than just reporting what happened in the last month.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

In mid January we were aware of yet another person who has no acknowledgment of a complaint they have made to the NPDC about the cycleway.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

All have submitted with their concerns about the effect of these rules making it harder and more costly to run farms in NZ. And they mention the overreach of Governments wanting to gather so much information from individual farms.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

The Alliance team were at the very first Public Engagement Committee meeting on Wednesday 4th February.

We really like the fact that the community now has direct access to speak to some of the Councillors about ideas or issues they have.

People can speak for a lot longer, there is time for Councillors to ask questions, and the speakers could also ask questions. There was also an attempt with all speakers to work out what steps could be taken to address, or look in to, what they had brought up.

Click on the blue heading above to find out what people spoke about with the Councillors.

This will be our second long story in a row.

We just want to let you know we are not about to start badgering you with screeds of information in stories. The Central Government is bringing in major changes in how Councils and Communities will run, and this is spilling out into the public arena with changes to Spatial Plans, Consents, Planning and Environment rules.

In case people want to comment on the changes coming our way, we have summarised what is happening.

Submissions for this close on Friday 13th February at 4.30pm

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

We asked the NPDC questions in an OIA about the new Citizen's Panel concept being used for the Bell Block Spatial Plan.

We thought there would be a reasonably short update with the answers.

We find the New RMA Central Government is working on, is quite specific about Spatial Plans in the future, and Citizens' Panels are not mentioned.

And there is quite a story (in fact two stories) behind the company who employs the Citizen Panel Facilitators, and the work this company has already done for New Plymouth.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

The purpose of the new committee is to give people the opportunity to speak directly with Councillors about the issues that matter most to you. The new forum has been created to encourage open, meaningful conversations and constructive engagement between the community and elected members.

Click on the blue heading above to find our how to have your say.

There was a lot of debate about the options at the Council meeting on 18th December.

Three options were voted on. All three options are attached from the minutes.

How the Councillors campaigned about cycleways is also included.

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We are very concerned that the lack of safety with the Devon Street West Cycleway is not being recorded, so we started a campaign last month asking the community to let us know what they see happening, so we can record the safety data.

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We are picking up where we left off last year and there is plenty to do.

We will continue with our legal campaign activity.
We are still working with the Ombudsman.
The new campaign for the safety data with the Cycleway will continue.
The new ways we will work with the NPDC going forward have been confirmed.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

There is some good news for the start of the year.

Max Brough has been busy working with Council staff to find cost savings to bring the current planned 10% rates increase in July 2026 down to a 4% rates increase.

So long as something unpredictable for Local Government doesn't come out of left field, Max is hopeful this can be done.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

Is that something we think a consortium of Central and Local Government entities should be providing finance for ?

Is that something we think the Government should consult people about before it is put in place ?

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One of our team found a piece of paper with some notes on it in a recent clean up of the office. The note was headed up with the words:

This Is Basically Impossible

This note was written around March 2025 and the words were about bringing in the change needed for the election.

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A bit of news we think many of our supporters will be pleased to hear.

Click on the blue heading above to read the press release.

Our take on this meeting – it seems the majority of Councillors and Council Staff don’t want to do the job that the NPDC needs to do.

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We just wanted to let you know things are still moving along with the Ombudsman and our Water CCO legal activity.

Click on the blue heading above to find out more.

The Bell Block Community Board and NPDC Bell Block Spatial Plan Project Team set up a meeting the weekend after the election to get on with the Bell Block Spatial Plan. The newly elected officials had not yet been sworn in.

Something called Citizen Panels is part of this project and a lot of people have been surprised the NPDC is using this new concept which skirts around democracy.

Click on the blue heading above to read more.

Last Tuesday we met with the new NPDC Mayor, Max Brough, and 2 of the NPDC team, to talk through how the Ratepayers Alliance can work more openly with the Council.

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We can confirm Agenda's and Minutes are something that is also a concern for the newly elected officials. And we tell you why this is important for Ratepayers.

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We had raised with the Council the links to the audit reports didn’t work. A link that does work is now in a Council Agenda.

We've done a summary of both Cycleway audit reports, and links to them are attached.

Click on the blue heading above to see more.