Vying For Votes: Richmond Event Tests Appetite For Change

Tuesday, 16 September 2025, 4:33 pm
Article: Max Frethey - Local Democracy Reporter

A trust in continuity or a chance for change? 

That was the distinct local government choice put in front of Richmond residents on Friday. 

At an event hosted by the Rotary Club of Richmond, five of the six ward candidates introduced themselves to a largely silver-haired crowd of around 50 voters. 

Tasman District Council incumbents Glen Daikee, Jo Ellis, and Kit Maling were joined on stage by Timo Neubauer, who was also running for mayor, and the ACT Party’s Daniel Shirley. 

Though the candidates mingled with each other before and after the event, there appeared to be a split on the stage between the incumbents and their contenders. 

Neubauer and Shirley visibly and repeatedly exchanged quiet words with each other throughout the night while the incumbents largely remained silent when not addressing the audience. 

Even their conduct was different, with Neubauer and Shirley leaping to their feet whenever they were passed the microphone while Daikee, Ellis, and Maling remained seated when speaking. 

The visual divide was reinforced by Ellis partway through the night. 

“Obviously, these guys don’t participate in council, like I did 16 years before I came in, because I know how it works, and I know how to get things done.” 

The meeting was held against a backdrop of increasing local discontent, with resident satisfaction plunging, a growing view that the council does not listen to residents, and three years of average rates increases above 8%. 

The incumbents acknowledged the challenges faced by the community and the need for council to communicate better but frequently sought to explain to the voters the challenges facing local government. 

Ellis positioned herself as outsider, highlighting her fights with the council over a proposal to take the front of her property 20 years ago and, more recently, opposing the Waimea Community Dam, prior to her first election to the council three years ago, before taking credit for removing $13 million of spending from council plans. 

“I’ve managed to get a few things done along the way, while keeping in mind that we need to try and keep our rates down as much as possible, and that has been really, really tough.” 

Daikee said over his last term – also his first – he had read 10,000 pages of information and submissions on various topics, illustrating the various factors the council considered in its decision-making. 

“What we do is shaped by what we hear in the community,” he said. 

“[Residents] feel like decisions are predetermined and they’re not… Sometimes, you never know [how] you’re going to vote on the day. But I think actually, there’s a bit more [to do] around the communications.” 

Maling, seeking to return to the council for a fourth term, said the local government funding model was “broken” and the council was trying its best to deliver services on limited funds. 

“We look after 40%, in local government, of infrastructure in New Zealand, and we get 10% of the revenue,” he said. 

“We’ve got pressures from Government that always tells us to do different things and controls what we do.” 

But the council outsiders weren’t sold and promised new approaches. 

“Do you want more of the same business as usual, or do you want fresh energy?” 

Neubauer asked. He said that Tasman’s financial woes were due to the cost of maintaining sprawling urban areas and promised efficient and consolidated growth for the district in the future, if elected.

“Blaming everything on central government is also not going to cut it,” he said. 

“Every new capital investment that we make as a council needs to make our infrastructure, networks more efficient, not less and that’s how we get our rates under control for good.” 

Shirley repeated the familiar ACT Local mantra: “We need to fix the rates, cut the waste, restore accountability, stop the race-based politics, end the war on cars, and ultimately get better value for money.” 

When asked, he couldn’t point to a specific area where he would cut spending or reprioritise funding.

“My opponents’ experience at Tasman District Council has led to record debt and skyrocketing rates,” he said. 

“Until I’m in there, I can’t give you an answer that’s off the cuff. I have to see what we’re dealing with.” 

Incumbent Richmond Ward councillor Mark Greening, who was also seeking re-election, was not in attendance. 

-Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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