Hamilton City Council

West General Ward
The Hamilton City Council provides local services and facilities, such as public transport, rubbish and recycling, libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. It also makes decisions about building and planning, local regulations, and infrastructure, such as water supply and sewerage. The council is made up of 14 councillors and the mayor. Councillors are elected to represent wards (areas in the city). Six councillors will be elected from the West ward. This is a single transferable vote (STV) election, so you vote by ranking the candidates on your ballot paper. Compare the candidates and their policies to decide who to vote for in the Hamilton City Council election.

Local democracy

Local government is a foundational part of our democracy. But local democracy isn’t just about holding elections every three years – it’s about the day-to-day ways people have their say in the decisions that affect us all.

Local democracy

Local government is a foundational part of our democracy. But local democracy isn’t just about holding elections every three years – it’s about the day-to-day ways people have their say in the decisions that affect us all.

  • Support Maaori representation and engagement. I support Maaori Wards and iwi consultation.

    Ensure the council is representative of Hamilton and committee positions are equally shared.

    Commit councillors to regular community engagement activities across Hamilton.

  • Reinstate citizen panels to ensure key decisions have input from local experts and people with lived experience.

    Review submission notification, open period, the timing of public forums, and other barriers to direct participation.

    Embed living-wage standards throughout council staffing, funding, suppliers, and procurement.

  • Establishment of a Youth Advisory Group where young Hamiltonians can learn about governance and contribute to our city's future.

    Establishment of an Ethnic Advisory Panel as part of council's governance structure, to advise on our city's Welcoming Plan.

    Support co-governance arrangements with mana whenua when collaboration and partnership can create better outcomes for our city.

  • Start a monthly community meeting with residents in a different suburb. Either at a local library or community centre.

    Door knock on 1,000 doors in 2023 and another 1,000 doors in 2024. Talk to residents in non-election years.

    Continue to be active on social media to engage with residents and ask for feedback on issues happening around the council table.

  • Stop the current Three Waters reform. I believe Three Waters can't go ahead without a mandate - through a referendum - from the whole community.

    Stop the move to co-governance. One person, one vote.

    I support the Living Wage for council employees.

  • Engage actively with youth to improve turnout and participation in local democracy.

    Release one-page summaries of council meetings so that decisions and discussions in council are well-understood by the public.

  • Introduce Zoom chats with council members.

  • Continue with my proposal to establish community committees for the East and West side of the city.

    Continue to ask the hard questions of the next round of central government reforms.

    Support staff and the organisation to look for new and better ways to engage with the public.

  • Ensure that community boards are established so that there will be substantial interaction between community and the public.

    Engage with different migrant and ethnic communities. Honour the days of special interest to our migrants and make them feel welcome.

    Bring about a paradigm shift regarding the status of our city. Strive to rebrand our city to become known as the Capital City of Waikato.

  • Provide record of each councillor's promises/stands at end of term vis a vis achievements. Get council's channels of feedback running.

    Each Māori councillor should specify which area of Māori well-being is going to be tackled by that councillor.

    Engage youth in more meaningful activities. Putting our resources like community centres to their best use.

  • Organise a single day in the year that Hamilton City Council celebrates the many cultures in Hamilton to promote oneness and diversity.

    Continue to integrate te reo Māori in public spaces and make it compulsory to teach Māori history in schools.

    Create more meaningful ways of communicating the council's decisions and activities with the public through different media.

  • Continue to support Maangai Maaori representation on committees.

    Improve representation for disabled people through the establishment of a disabled persons forum and disability strategy.

    Explore 'participatory budgeting' – where communities are empowered to identify and prioritise how funds are spent in their area.

  • Support Maaori representation and engagement. I support Maaori Wards and iwi consultation.

    Ensure the council is representative of Hamilton and committee positions are equally shared.

    Commit councillors to regular community engagement activities across Hamilton.

  • Reinstate citizen panels to ensure key decisions have input from local experts and people with lived experience.

    Review submission notification, open period, the timing of public forums, and other barriers to direct participation.

    Embed living-wage standards throughout council staffing, funding, suppliers, and procurement.

  • Establishment of a Youth Advisory Group where young Hamiltonians can learn about governance and contribute to our city's future.

    Establishment of an Ethnic Advisory Panel as part of council's governance structure, to advise on our city's Welcoming Plan.

    Support co-governance arrangements with mana whenua when collaboration and partnership can create better outcomes for our city.

  • Start a monthly community meeting with residents in a different suburb. Either at a local library or community centre.

    Door knock on 1,000 doors in 2023 and another 1,000 doors in 2024. Talk to residents in non-election years.

    Continue to be active on social media to engage with residents and ask for feedback on issues happening around the council table.

  • Stop the current Three Waters reform. I believe Three Waters can't go ahead without a mandate - through a referendum - from the whole community.

    Stop the move to co-governance. One person, one vote.

    I support the Living Wage for council employees.

  • Engage actively with youth to improve turnout and participation in local democracy.

    Release one-page summaries of council meetings so that decisions and discussions in council are well-understood by the public.

  • Introduce Zoom chats with council members.

  • Continue with my proposal to establish community committees for the East and West side of the city.

    Continue to ask the hard questions of the next round of central government reforms.

    Support staff and the organisation to look for new and better ways to engage with the public.

  • Ensure that community boards are established so that there will be substantial interaction between community and the public.

    Engage with different migrant and ethnic communities. Honour the days of special interest to our migrants and make them feel welcome.

    Bring about a paradigm shift regarding the status of our city. Strive to rebrand our city to become known as the Capital City of Waikato.

  • Provide record of each councillor's promises/stands at end of term vis a vis achievements. Get council's channels of feedback running.

    Each Māori councillor should specify which area of Māori well-being is going to be tackled by that councillor.

    Engage youth in more meaningful activities. Putting our resources like community centres to their best use.

  • Organise a single day in the year that Hamilton City Council celebrates the many cultures in Hamilton to promote oneness and diversity.

    Continue to integrate te reo Māori in public spaces and make it compulsory to teach Māori history in schools.

    Create more meaningful ways of communicating the council's decisions and activities with the public through different media.

  • Continue to support Maangai Maaori representation on committees.

    Improve representation for disabled people through the establishment of a disabled persons forum and disability strategy.

    Explore 'participatory budgeting' – where communities are empowered to identify and prioritise how funds are spent in their area.