Upper Hutt City Council

Hold regular community forums in suburbs so residents can raise issues directly with councillors.

Work with marae and ethnic groups to ensure diverse voices are heard in council decisions.

Publish simple updates on council spending and projects so residents see clearly where money goes.

Make council decisions clearer and more accessible by using plain-language summaries so residents can actually see what is happening.

Strengthen engagement with mana whenua by ensuring Māori voices are represented and by supporting strong partnerships with iwi.

Ensure that the data used to support decisions about community spending is robust so that the greatest number of people benefit.

Understand the communication channels different sectors in the community use, including to provide feedback to council, and utilise all these.

Analyse council operations with a view to cutting operational costs and bringing services back inhouse.

Ensure council staff are paid the living wage with fair working conditions and encouragement to undertake training.

Provide a public consultation forum for easy and quick engagement with the council.

Accept criticism as a lesson to be learnt in every issue raised.

Encourage input from minorities with a focus on commonality of interests.

Interact appropriately and constructively with council staff.

Bring transferable voting to the election of mayor and councillors, allowing people to list their preferences rather than just First Past the Post.

Oppose Upper Hutt being swallowed by a super city which would reduce autonomy, recognising existing cooperation for cemeteries, rubbish and Three Waters.

Support Māori ward(s) as many as proportionate to encourage tangata whenua to participate in making policies for the whole community.

Continue to weave the harakeke as a base model to improve communication, trust, transparency and engagement between council and community.

Uphold the Treaty partnership by acknowledging that this means equal representation from both parties.

Advocate for accessible inclusive communication and create a welcoming space for community to engage so it is safe to speak and feel heard.

Engage the community through transparent consultation and include Māori in council planning and decision-making.

Report council decisions clearly and openly to the public.

Review council size and roles for efficiency and accountability and streamline internal operations for better service delivery.

Establish focus groups of community leaders, businesses, developers, youth, schools and ethnic groups to provide input to policy development.

Host pop-up engagement sessions in town halls, the mall, libraries, markets and sports events to go beyond the council chambers.

Support the current partnership with Hikoikoi Management Limited, Wellington Tenths Trust and Palmerston North Māori Reserve Trust.

Engage more with the public prior to major consultations, grow social media presence and listen better to the community.

Advocate for STV and Māori wards as fairer, more democratic systems that allow greater diversity of voices.

Push for greater transparency by opening council workshops to the public.

Establish a council economic development committee to provide direction and oversee Upper Hutt's future development to support prosperity.

Introduce digital referendums for major decisions that impact the future of Upper Hutt so everyone can have their say.

Stop amalgamation with other councils in Wellington so Upper Hutt can stand on its own two feet and build its economy further.

Ensure fair wages and safe working conditions across all council employment positions.

Improve public engagement by holding regular community hui including diverse communities and implementing accessible online consultation tools.

Strengthen Māori representation through genuine partnership with iwi and hapū in council decision-making processes.

Continue to meet with the community in person for discussions and support the council's new citizens panel for early engagement.

Work with the kaupapa Māori liaison to honour the MOU with mana whenua and ensure engagement in person with the marae.

Continue to make submissions opposing any negative effects as government reforms change the roles of the council.

Make all council meetings and decisions public.

Consider whether the number of current council employees is required for efficiency.

Stop Christian-based prayer at the start of council meetings as New Zealand is a secular state and it may well be offensive to a diverse council.

Stop closed-door council meetings.