Palmerston North City Council

Te Hirawanui General Ward
The Palmerston North 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 15 councillors and the mayor. Councillors are elected to represent wards (areas in the city). 13 councillors will be elected from the Te Hirawanui 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 Palmerston North 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.

  • Ensure council's engagement and consultation with the community is effective and inclusive.

    Ensure council employees are paid fairly and that they work in a safe, supportive working environment.

    Work in partnership with iwi and ensure their aspirations are realised.

  • Engage with communities to find out what they want from the council.

    Engage with college students to inform and educate them what the council offers and how it operates.

    Provide scholarships to students who are innovative, not just high achievers.

  • Continue to engage with you, listen to you and advocate for you on issues that are important, or of concern, to you.

    Continuously strive to make your council and its processes more inclusive, accessible, and transparent.

  • Commit to transparency and decision-making with the people, eg referendums or town halls. Run also with a representative from each ethnic organisation.

    Decentralise where possible, unite with other councils to do the same, to bring power and voice back to our communities.

    Request the CEO and MAYOR take a salary cut and donate it to the budget or community projects.

  • Promote a law change so that all local government candidates disclose their political party preference and/or affiliations.

    Develop the ways in which council seeks meaningful engagement and communication with the community.

    Introduce minimum requirements for councillors' level of engagement with the community.

  • I support Māori representation on council as diverse views enrich our decision-making.

    I have been a long time advocate and supporter of our multi-cultural community.

    Advocate and support community consultation processes to receive community views on the direction of council.

  • Make the council, both elected and non-elected management, more accountable to the public.

    Conduct a review of senior management positions within the council and put a salary cap in place.

    Ensure that the elected council members are the people making the decisions.

  • We need to ensure that we consult with our community on all policies and matters concerning the public.

    The working conditions for all staff need to be fair, and we need to pay market rates for all staff.

    We need good representation around the council table. We have over 130 countries represented in our community and they need representation.

  • Engage with the local iwi.

    Strong multicultural council.

    Living wage.

  • Start a monthly survey to get residents' feedback on the council's wages and work conditions.

    Māori ward councillors will have a particular responsibility to represent people of Māori descent and bring forward Māori views and aspirations.

  • Commit to a system allowing individuals to be validated by being heard and taken seriously in terms of issues, needs and ideas they may have.

    Commit to a system allowing full interactive social inclusion for all diversities and that allows all ethnic communities fair representation.

    Commit to a people-driven monitoring system that ensures council are addressing all issues and community development potentials efficiently.

  • Advocate for greater representation, participation, and engagement from Pacific, Māori, other ethnic groups, women, and young people.

    Raise the profile, presence, and contribution of the Palmerston North Youth Council.

    Council-led combined agencies action supporting community-led initiatives regarding youth issues in the Square and shopping district.

  • Establish a city 'dashboard' online and updated. A 'one screen view' of the information of the top 10 ongoing projects in the city.

    Create an online portal that notifies and gathers submissions for council decisions. (Not newspapers.)

    Establish a 'majority first' narrative for the city, minorities second. NZ is a democracy.

  • Engage local cultural communities for their aspirations for the city.

    Make sure employees for the council are adjusted to the new Living Wage increase recommendations.

    Make sure the public have engagement opportunities regardless of what they believe in.

  • Consult the community on their preference for participatory budgeting, with a view to test implementation in the next budget cycle.

    Promote practice change so that all local government candidates disclose their political party preferences and/or affiliation.

    Establish a local climate forum to guide council's response to the climate crisis, and empower it to influence council and community.

  • Support council working in partnership with Rangitaane iwi.

    Fund fair and equitable wages for council employees including continuing support for the Living Wage.

    Support advisory groups such as Welcoming Communities, Pasifika, Seniors and Disability to have input into council decision-making.

  • Continue to advocate for a smaller council, with effective connections to local communities.

    Strengthen decision-making, transparency, cost-effectiveness and partnerships with iwi, government and other key stakeholders.

    Turn up – at the hundreds of community events I'm invited to each year – and make time to talk and listen.

  • Continue to involve people throughout key decision making processes, giving people the time and information they need to have their say.

    Uphold the the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, to maintain and improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to decision-making.

    Provide prudent financial consideration to build an innovative, safe and connected city for us to enjoy today and for generations to come.

  • I will aim to visit every school in the area to discuss the role of local government and grow understanding of council's role.

    Improve direct engagement measures with the community such as letter drops or direct email as people often won't go to the Palmerston North City Council website.

    Support our youth council by actively attending their meetings and their events to provide them with guidance and a direct link to council.

  • Ensure council's engagement and consultation with the community is effective and inclusive.

    Ensure council employees are paid fairly and that they work in a safe, supportive working environment.

    Work in partnership with iwi and ensure their aspirations are realised.

  • Engage with communities to find out what they want from the council.

    Engage with college students to inform and educate them what the council offers and how it operates.

    Provide scholarships to students who are innovative, not just high achievers.

  • Continue to engage with you, listen to you and advocate for you on issues that are important, or of concern, to you.

    Continuously strive to make your council and its processes more inclusive, accessible, and transparent.

  • Commit to transparency and decision-making with the people, eg referendums or town halls. Run also with a representative from each ethnic organisation.

    Decentralise where possible, unite with other councils to do the same, to bring power and voice back to our communities.

    Request the CEO and MAYOR take a salary cut and donate it to the budget or community projects.

  • Promote a law change so that all local government candidates disclose their political party preference and/or affiliations.

    Develop the ways in which council seeks meaningful engagement and communication with the community.

    Introduce minimum requirements for councillors' level of engagement with the community.

  • I support Māori representation on council as diverse views enrich our decision-making.

    I have been a long time advocate and supporter of our multi-cultural community.

    Advocate and support community consultation processes to receive community views on the direction of council.

  • Make the council, both elected and non-elected management, more accountable to the public.

    Conduct a review of senior management positions within the council and put a salary cap in place.

    Ensure that the elected council members are the people making the decisions.

  • We need to ensure that we consult with our community on all policies and matters concerning the public.

    The working conditions for all staff need to be fair, and we need to pay market rates for all staff.

    We need good representation around the council table. We have over 130 countries represented in our community and they need representation.

  • Engage with the local iwi.

    Strong multicultural council.

    Living wage.

  • Start a monthly survey to get residents' feedback on the council's wages and work conditions.

    Māori ward councillors will have a particular responsibility to represent people of Māori descent and bring forward Māori views and aspirations.

  • Commit to a system allowing individuals to be validated by being heard and taken seriously in terms of issues, needs and ideas they may have.

    Commit to a system allowing full interactive social inclusion for all diversities and that allows all ethnic communities fair representation.

    Commit to a people-driven monitoring system that ensures council are addressing all issues and community development potentials efficiently.

  • Advocate for greater representation, participation, and engagement from Pacific, Māori, other ethnic groups, women, and young people.

    Raise the profile, presence, and contribution of the Palmerston North Youth Council.

    Council-led combined agencies action supporting community-led initiatives regarding youth issues in the Square and shopping district.

  • Establish a city 'dashboard' online and updated. A 'one screen view' of the information of the top 10 ongoing projects in the city.

    Create an online portal that notifies and gathers submissions for council decisions. (Not newspapers.)

    Establish a 'majority first' narrative for the city, minorities second. NZ is a democracy.

  • Engage local cultural communities for their aspirations for the city.

    Make sure employees for the council are adjusted to the new Living Wage increase recommendations.

    Make sure the public have engagement opportunities regardless of what they believe in.

  • Consult the community on their preference for participatory budgeting, with a view to test implementation in the next budget cycle.

    Promote practice change so that all local government candidates disclose their political party preferences and/or affiliation.

    Establish a local climate forum to guide council's response to the climate crisis, and empower it to influence council and community.

  • Support council working in partnership with Rangitaane iwi.

    Fund fair and equitable wages for council employees including continuing support for the Living Wage.

    Support advisory groups such as Welcoming Communities, Pasifika, Seniors and Disability to have input into council decision-making.

  • Continue to advocate for a smaller council, with effective connections to local communities.

    Strengthen decision-making, transparency, cost-effectiveness and partnerships with iwi, government and other key stakeholders.

    Turn up – at the hundreds of community events I'm invited to each year – and make time to talk and listen.

  • Continue to involve people throughout key decision making processes, giving people the time and information they need to have their say.

    Uphold the the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, to maintain and improve opportunities for Māori to contribute to decision-making.

    Provide prudent financial consideration to build an innovative, safe and connected city for us to enjoy today and for generations to come.

  • I will aim to visit every school in the area to discuss the role of local government and grow understanding of council's role.

    Improve direct engagement measures with the community such as letter drops or direct email as people often won't go to the Palmerston North City Council website.

    Support our youth council by actively attending their meetings and their events to provide them with guidance and a direct link to council.

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