In the recent Local Government elections, the Horowhenua people voted in a new Mayor, Michael Feyen, who appointed as his Deputy Mayor, Cr Ross Campbell of the Miranui Ward that encompasses Shannon.

The Horowhenua district had been plagued with many issues that the then Cr Feyen and Cr Campbell brought to the public’s attention. In brief they included the following:

1) The alleged ongoing pollution of the local waterways with sewage
2) The decision to tender the community housing stock for sale it appears, without proper consultation with both public and iwi
3) Forging ahead with a decision about moving the Foxton Cenotaph & upgrading the main street without proper and adequate consultation with the public and certain parties like the RSA, who were not in agreeance and who wanted clean water ahead of a street do up
4) Being instrumental in approving a third liquor license for Shannon, not wanted by that community
5) Council under the previous watch has accrued more than $68 million debt. At the first Council Meeting following the election it was moved that the books be opened however the Council voted against that. We want to see openness and transparency and believe a full audit of the books is necessary in order to move forward.

Since the new Mayor has been in office, both he and his Deputy have not it appears, been backed by the current CE and are still being out-voted by the remaining councilors. In addition it has been announced by our Mayor that the Council intends to get rid of Ross Campbell as Deputy Mayor.

We the public voted for change. Some of the issues our new Mayor campaigned on were:

• open communication. He is now advocating opening the Council books which Council has voted against
• quality drinking water and clean recreational waterways (clearly not a priority of the previous leadership)
• living within budget (we have an excessive debt level now of over $68 million)
• retaining the community housing stock (already up for tender)
• cleaning up Lake Horowhenua which is so polluted it could potentially kill a small child (previous Councils having been instrumental in that pollution)
• closing the Levin Landfill that drains leachate into the waterways

The councilors under oath swore to put the needs of the district first, promising that they would “faithfully and impartially, and according to the best of my skill and judgment, execute and perform, in the best interests of Horowhenua” …we feel they have failed to keep this oath in their failure to support the new leadership. We are therefore drawing to the public’s attention the fact that we as voters for the new leadership of HDC have no confidence in the current Council, particularly in light of the excessive debt accumulated. In order for the community to move positively forward, we would like to see the following people either in support of the new leadership or replaced:

• Wayne Bishop
• Ross Brannigan
• Victoria Kaye-Simmons
• Jo Mason
• Christine Mitchell
• Piri-Hira Tukapua
• Neville Gimblett
• Bernie Wanden
• Barry Judd
• CEO David Clapperton

SIGN HERE

(1) Former Cr Anne Hunt speaks out: https://envirowatchrangitikei.wordpress.com/2016/02/26/on-two-occasions-horowhenua-district-councillors-given-a-clear-message-by-mayor-brendan-duffy-to-toe-the-line-and-deny-any-pollution-by-the-hdc-a-former-hd-councillor-speaks-out/

(2) An OI request describes consultation with public but not local Iwi as per the pledge to partnership set out on HDC’s website: http://www.horowhenua.govt.nz/Council/Iwi-Relationships/Partnerships

(3) Radio NZ article: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/313804/community-up-in-arms-over-cenotaph-move

(4) Stuff.co.nz article: http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/86330093/third-liquor-store-in-shannon-would-offer-variety-says-owner

(5) HDC minutes on opening the books: https://envirowatchrangitikei.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/opening-the-books-horowhenua-district-council-open-minutes-2-november-2016.pdf