By Mike West (Engineer and Hamilton East Ward Candidate)
When I stood for Council in 2016, I was passionate about many issues that our Council wasn’t addressing. A huge concern for me then was the amount of money being spent on vanity projects and the lack of infrastructure spending.
Below is an article I published during my 2016 election campaign when I used the slogan “Pipes not Pipe Dreams”. Interestingly, a developer I know who owned an inner-city property with the intention of developing it into residential dwellings was recently denied consent from council as the wastewater pipes in the area aren’t up to standard. And from what I have been told there are many other development ready projects in the same boat. If only council had focused on pipes and not pipe dreams.
Sadly, since then the situation has only gotten worse. Hamilton City Council along with other councils around New Zealand, have done such a poor job of investing in our water infrastructure that Central Government wants it taken out of their hands. The potential for this to burden ratepayers with even more costs is frightening. The creation of Council Controlled Organisations (CCO’S) to manage our water could cost us dearly, especially if the remaining functions that Council performs go unchecked and Councils unquenchable thirst for spending isn’t reined in. It’s of grave concern that rates are currently projected to double in the next five years, but on top of that how expensive will water be?
Please read my 2016 article below as very little has changed….
Investing in Infrastructure to Support Hamilton’s Growth
Looking forward to a more vibrant and cost-effective city
Council needs to be refreshed
I’m Michael West and I believe local government, like all endeavours, needs to be constantly refreshed with new people bringing new ideas and energy. I’ve been critical of HCC for some years. It’s time I stepped up and did something positive to address those criticisms.
Ensure the benefits of growth flow back to Ratepayers
It’s important that we are real about the size of Hamilton. It’s one of the reasons I love living here. The size of our city has many benefits to the way we live our lives. With a population of around 150,000 it’s still got room to grow and grow it will. An additional 20,000 to 30,000 people over the next 10 years is projected. We need to embrace and take advantage of that growth. It won’t dramatically change the way Hamilton feels, nor will it compromise the sense of community that exists in a city our size. But it should improve our economies of scale which in turn will make Hamilton a more vibrant and cost-effective city to live in. I want to make sure those cost benefits flow back to the ratepayer.
Vanity projects like the V8’s and Claudelands won’t get more homes built
We will need at least 10,000 more homes in the next 10 years to cope with projected growth. It’s about priorities. We need to stay focused on the things that will see growth happen smoothly. Vanity projects that are nice but we can’t really afford like the V8’s and Claudelands won’t get more homes built, but improved infrastructure and a better district plan will.
New infrastructure is already funded
That’s based on the current model for funding infrastructure. Those additional 10,000 homes will bring about $300M of development contributions along with ongoing additional rates of $25M a year.
Cutting red tape will reduce the cost of building homes
The district plan could be so much better. It is currently restrictive, and the rules are poorly defined and confusing. This means people wanting to build homes and businesses are wasting time and money dealing with council bureaucrats. Red tape is retarding opportunity and prosperity in Hamilton. Cutting red tape will reduce the cost of building homes and doing business in Hamilton.
Superb infrastructure will support growth and enhance how we live
Let’s improve infrastructure to allow the building of more housing that is less expensive. Superb infrastructure will support growth and enhance how we live. You don’t realise how important infrastructure is until your house or business is flooded after heavy rain or you can’t expand or move your business because where you want to go lacks underground pipes that are fit for purpose.
Council must deliver on its commitments
Council has a culture more concerned with growing the budget at the expense of the community rather than actually doing the things in the budget. There has been, and is forecast, continual rates rises of 3.8% every year. That compounding increase along with the initial 8% increase in 2011 will see your rates rise by over 50% in 10 years. But despite collecting more and more money from Ratepayers it fails to deliver the capital projects it promises. For example in the 2015/2016-year 31 capital projects valued at $21.4M were not completed. That’s a staggering 24% of the total projects Council said it would deliver to you. That’s not good enough and something we wouldn’t tolerate in our own business dealings. Clearly there is a skill set lacking on Council which needs to be rectified.
Useful combination of engineering & business skills
I’m confident I have the qualifications to be an asset at the council table. It has been a long time since a Hamilton City Councillor had the combination of engineering and business skills that I bring. I originally trained in the mechanical engineering industry 35 years ago and started my own business 32 years ago. That’s over three decades of learning and developing the skills necessary to be successful in a changing business environment. I have won and managed turnkey projects that involved consents, producing plans and designs, excavation and groundwork, foundations and concrete work, building construction, supply and installation of equipment and technology, and commissioning. All of these completed within the contracted time restraints and financial budgets.
Experience in the tendering and contracts process, project management, a strong understanding of the mechanical workings of process and delivery systems and an analytical mind are all skills that will make me an asset to Council. In addition my experience as a business owner and employer has given me a comprehensive understanding of balance sheets, profit and loss statements, setting and meeting budgets, employing and training staff, dealing with health and safety issues and requirements, maintaining relationships with suppliers and customers, dealing with regulation and bureaucracy, managing funding and debt levels.
Experienced in public service
I am a former WEL Energy Trustee and was part of the team that continued a programme of reducing expenses and returning $100M to power consumers. I think logically and pragmatically giving me the skills to offer well reasoned solutions for Hamilton.
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Further reading on this issue
OPINION: The 2025/26 HCC Budget – More of the Same and No “Fresh Thinking” (Yet) for Election Year
OPINION: Is Removing Water Services from Rates an Existential Threat to Councils?
