The News asked Ōtorohanga and Waitomo mayoral candidates their opinion on a series of issues.
Ōtorohanga mayoral candidate Rodney Dow.
Ōtorohanga District Council recently received a delegation asking for the banning of vehicles on the inner harbour beach to protect kai moana and stop environmental damage. Do you support the ban? Why or why not?
I have like a lot of people enjoyed Ocean Beach and I think we are lucky to have this in our backyard. It is not easy walking over the sand dunes to get to the beach, so we need to come up with a solution that enables people to access the beach and takes care of the environment.
Local bodies were threatened with a rates cap at the latest Local Government New Zealand conference. This financial year Waitomo District Council would have escaped capping, while Ōtorohanga would have had the brakes applied. What’s your opinion on this, and your council’s spending over the last decade?
I don’t believe rates capping is necessarily the answer. I understand rate capping as our family business have rates capped by the meat processors. To operate with or without rates capping you need to be careful and prudent with your operating costs. Rate capping could result in less services and infrastructure not being done in a timely manner. Comparing Ōtorohanga and Waitomo rates from a capping viewpoint is not really comparing apples with apples. The comparison of properties of a similar value in Ōtorohanga with Waitomo; the rates alone in Waitomo are around double what they are in Ōtorohanga.
Te Kūiti ’s aging infrastructure has seen sewage regularly overflowing into people’s gardens. Is Ōtorohanga in the same situation? What needs to happen here and what will you do as mayor to ensure it does?
We have been advised by experts within the council organisation that the infrastructure for the Ōtorohanga District is in good order and that there are no known issues.
Aspirational plans were recently announced by the local tribe for 5,000 new homes across the region for Ngāti Maniapoto. How bad is the housing crisis for tangata whenua and for everyone else? What would you do if you were elected mayor to help solve this problem?
It is very encouraging that Ngāti Maniapoto is looking at providing 5000 new homes and I would be open to meeting with any other providers and/or developers of any organisation that is looking at providing more housing stock for the Ōtorohanga District.
Tourism took a hit as a result of the global pandemic. How badly have the Waitomo and Ōtorohanga districts been hit as a result? Have the good old days of tourism gone? What would you do, if you were elected mayor, to boost tourism in your district?
Like many communities in New Zealand the global pandemic was a big shock. I am sure that we will be back to pre-pandemic numbers by the 4th quarter in 2026. We have started to notice an increase in tourist buses stopping in town and more domestic foot traffic. We just have to support each other by shopping locally and be ready for the tourists when they come.
There’s talk of abolition of regional councils, and amalgamation of district councils. Waikato Water Done Well is being heralded as a way for the districts to work together. Do you support ditching the regional council, and your council taking on some of its functions? What about amalgamation? Which councils should you join with and why? Which would you stay away from?
I would support Central Government investigating changes to the Regional Councils.I didn’t support Waikato Water Done Well for the Ōtorohanga District. My thoughts on amalgamation are – What are you wanting to achieve? If lower rates are the goal, then sharing services (i.e. Ōtorohanga and Waitomo share animal management), and working with other councils to share procurement services, and be purchase products at larger scale gives ratepayers better value. Full amalgamation has been considered in the past and it was decided not to proceed. Central Government may enforce amalgamation and determine the district boundaries.
What other issues are people stopping you in the street wanting council and mayoral action on, and what is your response?
Those that I have spoken to in the street wanting action are generally wanting to be listened to. They have spoken about crime, roading, building consents as well as the logo and water changes. I like to connect them with someone who can assist them and have at times arranged meetings which I have attended with them.
