Martinborough Ward Contenders Speak On Rising Costs

Thursday, 18 September 2025, 5:30 pm
Article: Emily Ireland - Local Democracy Reporter

With estimated water bills in South Wairarapa set to reach $6600 by 2034, Local Democracy Reporting has asked South Wairarapa District Council Martinborough ward candidates what priorities they will focus on, if elected, to ensure people can continue to afford living in South Wairarapa. 

Chris Archer 

With water services shifting to a new regional entity, councils won’t be the ones setting the bills for this service. 

But that doesn’t mean we have no role to play; its foundation and principles must be council-led in this term. 

Affordability in South Wairarapa depends not only on how much services cost, but on the strength of our local economy and how efficiently we use our income. First, council must be fit for purpose. 

Ratepayers deserve an organisation that is efficient, transparent, and accountable. That is the baseline. 

We need to be certain every dollar is spent wisely, and I will be checking this closely if elected. But efficiency alone is not enough. If all we ever do is focus on cutting back, we risk managing decline. The real solution is to grow. 

That means supporting business and encouraging investment’s, so our economy expands, creating jobs and broadening our rates base. 

It also means building value through the industries that make South Wairarapa unique, agriculture, tourism, secondary industry and the creative sector. 

At the same time, we need smart funding models so growth pays for growth, and we must aggressively pursue central government funding for projects that deliver jobs and long-term benefits.

Aidan Ellims 

Firstly, the $6600 figure is based on South Wairarapa needing to spend $150 million over the next 10 years on our water infrastructure to bring it up to standard. 

$150m is based on Wellington Water figures which we have found in some cases to be over-inflated by 45%. In the next 2 years, the first priority is to identify the real figure which will hopefully reduce that forecast water bill. 

The secondly, it will be important to schedule the work that is needed in order of priority over that 10-year period. 

The third priority for this incoming council will be to get some of those capital projects started and completed within the next two years, before the new water entity takes over. The incoming council needs to get some early “runs on the board” now to reduce those water bills in the future and ensure they are affordable for our residents. 

Storm Robertson 

There are a number of priorities that need to be focused on when considering our future around water: understand what options are available to us; once done, then fully apply real and accurate costs to the options; then look at the best way to deliver our solution and over what timeframe we can create to do so, and consider what costs we can cope with and how they are best distributed over our rate paying base. 

This could well mean a very long term (30 years plus) to endeavour to make the adjustment affordable. This is a very complex question and maybe we need to look further than our current consideration of the four entities. 

Similar conditions and issues are facing locations in the Greater Hawkes Bay region and they could be drawn into the solution to spread the costs. 

Rob Taylor 

Rising costs like projected water bills of $6600 threaten the ability of people to keep living and thriving in South Wairarapa. 

Because water rates will be set by the new water authority, it will be important that the new council advocate more strongly with central Government for a fairer deal on these costs and ensure governance arrangements are fit for purpose. 

As a councillor, my priorities will be the following. Focus on getting things done, quicker council responses, and action on what locals care about. 

Invest properly in infrastructure - fix the essentials and keep rates affordable. Martinborough and rural communities depend on strong, reliable infrastructure. 

Back our local economy - work more closely with neighbouring councils and government to support farming, small businesses, and job growth across the district. 

Push Wellington on issues that matter – water, transport, regional development, and ensure proposed local government reforms don’t impose further costs on councils. 

The challenges for the next council are real, and that’s why it matters who sits around the council table. We need people who will bring experience and fresh ideas, ask the hard questions, and get things done. 

Most importantly, councillors that will put the community first. 

Other candidates Martinborough ward candidate Pip Maynard and Māori ward candidates Whitu Karauna and Andrea Rutene did not respond. 

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

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