“Wellington’s Disaster Plan is a Disaster Waiting to Happen” – Nurse Alice Hurdle Stands for ACT Local.

ACT Local has announced Alice Hurdle, a Registered Nurse and Associate Manager for District Nursing at Hutt Hospital, as its candidate for the Pōneke/Wellington General Constituency on the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Hurdle, a mother of two, says the capital is dangerously unprepared for a major disaster – and ratepayers are being fleeced while the Council spends on “vanity projects” instead of core services.

“As a nurse, I’ve spent my career preparing for and responding to emergencies. In an emergency, confusion costs lives. Most homes don’t have enough food or water stored, and Wellingtonians don’t know where to go when disaster strikes. Yet instead of fixing that, the Council spends millions on unnecessary road changes, business district makeovers, and public art most people will never see.

“I’ve managed hospital operations under intense pressure, led teams in crisis situations, and seen what happens when planning fails. If I can keep patients safe and systems working in the health sector, I know how to deliver results without wasting money. Rates keep going up, the basics are being ignored, and transparency has gone out the window. Ratepayers deserve better.

“That’s why I’m standing: to protect people from wasteful spending, restore transparency, and make sure our region is ready when disaster strikes. That means clear communication, emergency planning that works, and councils that live within their means.”

Hurdle has a history of standing up for the community, having door-knocked thousands of homes in Lower Hutt to oppose excessive rate hikes. She says long, jargon-heavy plans and council secrecy have left residents in the dark about where their money is going – and it’s time for change.

Earlier this year, ACT New Zealand announced it would be standing Common Sense Candidates for local government for the first time – after hearing from New Zealanders across the country who are sick of rising rates, ballooning budgets, and councils that ignore the basics while chasing ideological vanity projects.

When you vote ACT Local, you know what you're getting:

• Fixing the basics
• Lower Rates
• Cutting the waste
• Ending race-based politics
• Restoring accountability

ACT Local Government spokesperson Cameron Luxton says:

“ACT Local candidates are community-minded Kiwis who’ve had enough of wasteful councils treating ratepayers like ATMs. It’s time to take control on behalf of ratepayers – to restore accountability and deliver real value for money. ACT Local is about getting the basics right: maintaining roads, keeping streets clean, and respecting the people who pay the bills. Our candidates won’t divide people by race or get distracted by climate vanity projects. They’re here to serve, not lecture." – Cameron Luxton

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