GWRC: Time To Cut Loose Or Stay The Course?

Friday, 29 August 2025, 3:05 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

With the purpose of regional councils called into question by the Government, Local Democracy Reporting has asked Wairarapa’s two regional council candidates Alistair Plimmer and Adrienne Staples what they consider to be the best way forward for Wairarapa.

Alistair Plimmer

As I travel across the district, meeting so many people and groups, it is clear to me that Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) has lost its legitimacy in the Wairarapa. The disconnect isn’t just frustrating, it’s structural. Decisions are made across the hill with little understanding of our rural realities, and ratepayers are expected to fund a system that barely acknowledges us. The clearest example? GWRC’s adopted Long Term Plan proposes a 100% increase in rates take over the next decade, from $209 million in 2024 to over $415 million by 2034. That’s not just unsustainable, it’s unjustifiable. We’re now at a crossroads, and there are only two paths forward.

1. Engagement and Reform. GWRC must become genuinely responsive to Wairarapa’s people and its councils. That means transparent funding, proportional investment, and a governance culture that values rural voices as equal partners, not afterthoughts.

2. Divorce and Self-Determination. If GWRC cannot or will not change, then we must pursue a unitary authority with our fellow Wairarapa councils. One that reflects our values, understands our needs, and puts our communities in control of our own future. There’s an overwhelming desire in Wairarapa to be the masters of our own destiny and I stand firmly with that. This isn’t about walking away out of frustration. It’s about stepping up with courage, clarity, and a vision for governance that delivers for us.

If elected to GWRC, I will:

• Expose inefficiencies and demand accountability, starting with a full breakdown of regional spending and a challenge to the rate trajectory.

• Champion regional equity, ensuring Wairarapa gets its fair share of investment, not just a share of the bill.

• Build the case for reform with the support of our district councils, iwi, Federated Farmers, and our business community, whether that’s devolved governance, stronger local boards, or a new structure that puts our home, Wairarapa, first.

• Unify local leadership by working with South Wairarapa, Carterton, and Masterton to explore smarter, more responsive alternatives.

Wairarapa deserves governance that listens, invests, and delivers. And if that means building it ourselves, I will be right there.

Adrienne Staples

The Honourable Shane Jones has called for the abolition of regional councils; a stance reiterated by the Honourable Todd McClay on a visit to Wairarapa recently. 

No formal government statement on this has so far been forthcoming. 

It is logical though, to look at the structure of our local government organisations, given the changes in water service delivery and the Resource Management Act currently going through Parliament.

 It also pays to remember, that regardless of the pros and cons of regional councils, the work undertaken by them will still have to be done by someone.

So, looking ahead at inevitable change, I believe that Wairarapa would be wise to bring this about in bite-sized pieces. 

First, consider the best form for our district council make-up which allows for local civic leadership. 

The next step would be if and how, all or some regional council functions such as public transport, flood protection, and pest control could be delivered and funded locally. 

That is a big conversation which needs to be fully understood by all.

Greater Wellington Regional Council has already committed to being a willing partner in these discussions. 

Its chief executive Nigel Corry has assured me that it will provide all the information it can, to enable Wairarapa to make its own, fully informed decision on its local government future. 

I pledge to fully support this process.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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