Category: Open Letters

OPEN LETTER: John McDonald’s A Request for Ministerial Intervention Regarding the IAWAI Water Company

Jun 27, 2026 | Amalgamation, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Information Sheets, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters, Waikato District, Waikato Region, Water Meters

OPINION: Have IAWAI and NZ Water CCOs Been Given a Back Door Around Rates Caps?

Jun 25, 2026 | Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Infrastructure, Law and Legislation, LGFA, Local Government Reform, Open Letters, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters

OPINION: Bad Faith, a Missing Graph, and the Creation of the IAWAI Water Company

May 7, 2026 | Consultation, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Open Letters, Opinion, Taking Action, Water Meters

OPEN LETTER: Submission to IAWAI on the Water Services Strategy 2026-2036

May 5, 2026 | Consultation, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Developer Contributions, Hamilton City, Housing supply, Open Letters, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters, Waikato District

OPEN LETTER: A Ratepayer’s View of the Te Huia Trial Extension

Mar 3, 2026 | Auckland City, Council Finances, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Mode Shift, Open Letters, Opinion, Public Transport, Rail, Rates Increases, Transport and Roading

OPEN LETTER: Russelle Knaap – Save The Founders Theatre

Aug 2, 2025 | Arts and Cultural, Contractors, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Open Letters, Opinion, Parks and Reserves, Protest

OPEN LETTER: John McDonald’s Feedback on the Public Works (Critical Infrastructure) Amendment Bill

Jun 30, 2025 | Government Organisations, Incoming Legislation, Law and Legislation, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Parliament, Property Rights, Regulations, Transport and Roading

OPEN LETTER: Colin Jones – Formal complaint against Hamilton City Council Mayor and CEO

Apr 30, 2025 | Building Consent, Core Services, Hamilton City, Housing supply, Law and Legislation, Open Letters, Opinion, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA), Three Waters

OPEN LETTER: “HeritageGate” – The Problems with Hamilton’s Plan Change 9

Apr 29, 2025 | Building Consent, Contractors, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Heritage buildings, Law and Legislation, Open Letters, Opinion, Property Rights, Regulations, Resource Management Act (RMA)

OPINION: Wairere Drive Speed Reduction Submission

Feb 27, 2025 | Consultation, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Mode Shift, Open Letters, Opinion, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading

OPINION: How to Fix Councils

Jan 30, 2025 | Building Consent, Cities and Regions, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Spending, Elections, Hamilton City, LGFA, LGNZ, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Overview, Professional Managerial Class, Rates Increases, Resource Management Act (RMA), Three Waters, Transport and Roading

OPEN LETTER: Getting Local Government ‘Back on Track’

Oct 25, 2024 | Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Crime, Hamilton City, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Property Rights, Rates Increases

Open Letters

OPINION: Wairere Drive Speed Reduction Submission

Feb 27, 2025 | Consultation, Hamilton City, Hostile Architecture, Mode Shift, Open Letters, Opinion, Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading

By Geoff Kreegher (Hamilton Ratepayer) [Excerpt from Geoff Kreegher’s Submission for the...

Open Letters

OPEN LETTER: John McDonald’s A Request for Ministerial Intervention Regarding the IAWAI Water Company

Jun 27, 2026 | Amalgamation, Contractors, Core Services, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Government Organisations, Hamilton City, Information Sheets, Law and Legislation, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Rates Increases, Three Waters, Waikato District, Waikato Region, Water Meters

John McDonald (CityWatch NZ editor) supplies a copy of his open letter to the Minister of Local...

Additional Posts

OPINION: Why Vote Against “Safety” and “Free Money”?

Oct 1, 2024 | Auckland City, Council Debt, Council Finances, Council Funding, Council Meetings, Council Spending, Hamilton City, Hamilton East Ward 2024 By-election, Mode Shift, News, Open Letters, Opinion, Safety and Well-being, Smart Cities (+ 20-minute Cities), Traffic Calming, Transport and Roading, Vision Zero, Wellington City

By John McDonald (CityWatch NZ Editor and 2024 Hamilton East Ward By-election Candidate) The issue...

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OPINION: Councils are Out of Control

Sep 26, 2024 | Auckland City, Code of Conduct complaints, Council Finances, Council Spending, Freedom of Expression, Hamilton City, Local Government Reform, New Zealand Issues, Open Letters, Opinion, Professional Managerial Class, Three Waters, Wellington City

By Andrew Bydder, Hamilton City Councillor Councils are out of control. Not just Hamilton City,...

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