Mayor of Dunedin

Restructure Dunedin City Council to employ 250 fewer staff with wages over 100,000 dollars and remove diversity, equity and inclusion from Dunedin City Council.

Reverse 100 million dollars in recent zero-carbon and cycleways budgets and reverse 94 million dollars in Smooth Hill landfill development budget.

Stop borrowing one million dollars per week to pay interest only on Dunedin City Council debts and cut 461 million dollars per year in operating costs by 52 million dollars.

Advocate for fairer rates to ease the burden on low-income homeowners.

Prioritise infrastructure upgrades over costly non-essential projects.

Review council spending to cut waste and focus on essential services.

Increase rates for the highest-earning percentage.

Invest in the local arts and nightlife scene.

Set up a list of pro-climate practices ratepayers can engage in and reward them with a rate reduction.

Go through budgets line by line to look for cost savings.

Grow CCO companies to bring in more investments for council and sell unwanted unused buildings.

Provide strong leadership, fiscal responsibility and a clear future focused vision for Dunedin.

Provide strong leadership, fiscal responsibility and a clear, future focused vision for Dunedin.

Advocate for central government to do its part in keeping rates down by investing more in Dunedin's core infrastructure.

Investigate moving to land value rates as a potentially more equitable property rating system.

Use debt to spread the costs of large capital projects in a way that is fair to present and future generations.

Investigate user-pays for out-of-town visitors using council assets so they may contribute directly to management and infrastructure costs.

Lobby central government to stop giving local government unfunded mandates or changes, which impact on service delivery and leave budget holes.

Rebuild budgets from the bottom up, look for savings to keep rates down and pay off debt, and increase transparency for everyone.

Conduct a full review of all council spending, operating expenses and capital expenses to ensure value for every dollar of rates and cut wastage.

Eliminate all unnecessary debt-funded capital expenditure, such as Smooth Hill, to lower debt and reduce the interest burden.

Immediately cease the debt funding of operational expenses to stop the debt spiral and make tough decisions.

Continue to provide services across the city without increased fees and charges.

Improve investment returns from council-controlled companies as the portfolio needs to perform better.

Maintain a balanced budget and keep debt at the current level with an aim to start paying it back in the not too distant future.

Change parking tickets from a fine to a 'sorry'.

Invest in our own chocolate-making facilities and fishing ventures.

Make rates a gold coin donation.

Freeze 2026/27 rate rises at 10%, then lower future rises to 6% through new non-rates revenue streams in the fully funded council plan.

Lower rates forever by creating an investment fund by selling 40% of Aurora and offering shares to Otago residents first to ensure high local ownership.

Pay back debt faster by using AI and technology to find 2 to 3% in savings from the council's $246 million spend on staff and suppliers.

Continue to reduce "nice to haves" so that rates rises can be less now that budget is balanced.

Reduce long-term capital expenditure so that debt repayment can take place now that it is flattening out in the long-term plan.

Make life easier for developers by simplifying consenting processes and explaining them accurately with checklists at the counter.