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HEY KCDC – WE KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING!
Kapiti Coast District Council is clearly proceeding with a deliberate three-pronged strategy, which consists of: Why do we say this? ……. READ OUR FULL ARTICLE HERE TO FIND OUT
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ARE KAPITI’S RATES THE LEAST AFFORDABLE IN NEW ZEALAND?
Read our press statement below to find out …….. it’s a bit shocking!! “New analysis shows Kapiti’s rates less affordable than all major cities in New Zealand A recent Infometrics report for the Wellington City Council shows that Wellington rates were amongst the least affordable in New Zealand. But a new analysis by Concerned Ratepayers…
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open letter to council calling for an urgent rethink of the proposed 2026/27 rates increase
Kapiti households are already stretched to breaking point — rising living costs, a worsening fuel crisis, and rates up over 35% in recent years. Now, Council is planning to pile on even more. We’ve sent an open letter to Council calling for an urgent rethink of the proposed 2026/27 rates increase. Ratepayers are cutting back,…
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2026 Annual Plan – KCDC Loses Control of its Costs – Again – And WE Are The Ones Who Pay
📣 PUBLIC MEETING – Sunday 1st March Concerned about rising rates? Wondering what’s really going on behind the numbers? Come and hear what hasn’t been clearly explained — and why it matters to you. This is your chance to understand the process, ask questions, and decide for yourself whether this is good financial management —…
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When Councils Cry Foul: What’s Really Driving Rates in Kāpiti?
Kapiti’s mayor, Janet Holborow, wrote an article in The Post over the long weekend complaining about one of the current Government’s most popular policies, rates capping. Her basic argument – see https://www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360932799/rates-capping-wont-fix-whats-really-driving-costs – is that Councils are the hapless victims of cost pressures outside of their control, burdened by changes in Government policy and “…
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Kapiti Ratepayers: Big Decisions Are Coming — and We’re Paying Attention
We hope you managed to slow down, reset, and enjoy some quality time with family and friends over the Christmas–New Year break. While many were recharging, Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti has kicked off the year with our first meeting — and there’s no shortage of big issues already on the table. Here’s what we’ll be focusing…
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A constructive and encouraging meeting with Council — but still plenty of work ahead.
On Wednesday, Mayor Janet Holborow, Deputy Mayor Martin Halliday, and Councillors Bede Laracy and Liz Koh met with us to discuss the briefing we sent in November. The discussion was thoughtful, respectful, and engaging — a positive sign that Council is willing to listen and consider community perspectives. However, while the tone was encouraging, we…
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The devil is in the detail — Getting Serious About Affordable Rates
Back in November, we sent the newly elected Kāpiti Coast District Council a detailed briefing laying out a practical pathway to more affordable rates, stronger financial discipline, and genuine community engagement — not just slogans, but workable solutions. Here’s what was in it 👇 📉 Making rates affordableWe called for rates to be capped at…
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BRIEFING TO THE NEW COUNCIL
A couple of weeks ago we provided the newly elected Kāpiti Coast District Council with a comprehensive briefing on how the district could move toward more affordable rates, better financial management, and genuine community engagement. The briefing called for: Rates Affordability: Capping rates at no more than 5% of median household income, with average annual increases held…
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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT – LET’S MAKE IT BETTER
One of the biggest themes to come out of the recent election was how Council engages with the community. Many candidates agreed that consultation often starts too late — after key options have already been decided — making public input feel tokenistic. Common ideas for improvement included: Involving the community earlier in planning processes Using…
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Inflation hits at 3% — but rates are still rising nearly three times faster.
Stats NZ’s latest figures show annual inflation at 3%, right at the top of the Reserve Bank’s target range. Yet across New Zealand, local authority rates jumped 8.8%, making them one of the biggest drivers of inflation. (read the article here) When household budgets are under pressure and core inflation is still a challenge, a…
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🚨 THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! 🚨LESS THAN A WEEK LEFT to have your say in the 2025 Local Elections.
❓ Still undecided? Here’s how to get more insights to the candidates: ✅ CANDIDATE QUESTIONNAIRE – see how candidates answered our 15 key questions (full responses + summaries) ✅ KCDC CANDIDATE PROFILES – check out the official list and search candidates on Facebook/web to learn more. ✅ MAYORAL DEBATE – watch it now and see…
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CRK & THE MEDIA – Sunday Star Times article
We recently received detailed questions from the Sunday Star Times about our group’s origins, affiliations, and activities. Some members of the media and community are especially interested in how groups like ours are connected and organiSed. While these enquiries are a normal part of public scrutiny, at times they can shift attention away from the…
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MEET THE MAYORAL CANDIDATES
Only a few days to go until our very first Meet the Candidates evening! We’ve been busy preparing clear, easy-to-read summaries of the questionnaire we sent to every candidate. The full responses are on our website, along with a summary of the 15 questions and responses, but here is a short snapshot with 4 of…
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RATES CAP UPDATE
About a month ago we contacted the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) about the work they were doing for the Government on rates capping. We expect that KCDC – alongside many other Councils who are members of Local Government NZ – would be campaigning against rates capping, and we wanted the ratepayer’s voice to be…
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Helping You Make Informed Voting Decisions with Candidate Responses
We’ve been busy pulling together the results of our candidate questionnaire. You can now read the responses on our website 👇 🔗 www.concernedratepayerskapiti.org 👉 Note that not every candidate responded (and a few couldn’t be contacted because no details were provided via KCDC). We know choosing who to vote for isn’t always easy — so…
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Strong Turnout for Final Public Meeting Before the Election
Thanks to everyone who came along on Sunday 3rd August for our final public meeting before the local body elections. We had another fantastic turnout and an engaged, thoughtful audience. Kathryn delivered an insightful presentation on the key public issues shaping our district. With her deep experience as an independent senior international development consultant—specialising in…
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Public Meeting sunday 3rd august
Please join us for the last of our series of public meetings prior to the local body elections.
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CANDIDATES FOR THE KAPITI COAST LOCAL BODY ELECTIONS
Nominations opened on the 4th July – we will be listing candidates for all aspects of the Local Body Elections for the Kapiti Coast as they come to hand. If you, or someone you know, is standing and we don’t have their details please let us know and we will add them as soon as…
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A Buzz Is Building Around This Year’s Local Elections!
There’s huge interest in the 2025 local body elections — and one of the best ways to get informed is to see and hear directly from the people putting their names forward. From 14th August to 2nd October, a full line-up of “Meet the Candidates” events is planned across the district — giving you the…
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JUST RELEASED: Community Funded Peer Review of Kapiti Coast flood hazard management reports
Coastal Ratepayers United (CRU) have just released the peer review conducted by Dr Willem de Lange. Back in May we wrote on why an independent peer review of Flood Maps is Crucial, in early June wrote a piece on Flood Modelling and Ratepayers: a crisis of confidence and supported CRU’s endeavours to commission an independent…
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An almost full house – ratepayers turn up for change
Over 80 passionate and concerned residents packed the Waikanae venue on a beautiful Sunday afternoon — proof that our community is ready to take a stand. Our presentation sparked real engagement, along with some shock and disbelief as we laid out the hard facts about where your rates are going. Those who attended were appreciative…
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Intergenerational Debt and Council-Owned Assets: Who Pays?
A Technical and Social Analysis of Kāpiti Coast District Council’s Debt Policy and Optimal Strategy Introduction Intergenerational debt is central to how councils like Kāpiti Coast District Council (KCDC) fund, maintain, and renew large, long-lived public assets. The method and pace of debt repayment determine which generations bear the cost for assets that serve the…
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Adoption of the Annual Plan and what that means for our rates
This year, the Council decided to roll the rate rise into the Annual Plan, with Mayor Janet Holborow saying it wouldn’t be a good use of ratepayers’ money to consult on the increase (but apparently there’s still money for non core-activities, fringe donations and partnerships—just saying). On the 29th May, a member of Concerned Ratepayers…
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Join us at our next Public Meeting Sunday 15th June
Happy with your rates increase and council performance?Rates are rising fast — let’s talk about where the money’s going and what we can do about it. Join us on Sunday 15th June, 3pm at the Waikanae Community Centre – bring a friend, a family member, a neighbour. Share this email or you can download the…
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Flood Modelling and Ratepayers: a crisis of confidence
The Promise vs. The Track Record Kapiti Coast District Council is asking ratepayers to trust their latest flood modelling exercise – a sophisticated computer simulation using “advanced modelling techniques” and climate projections stretching to +3.7°C of warming. The maps look impressive, the technology sounds cutting-edge, and the scientific methodology appears robust. But there’s a fundamental…
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Why an Independent Peer Review of Flood Maps is Crucial
Kapiti Coast District Council has recently released updated flood hazard maps that could significantly impact property owners, insurance, and mortgages across the region. Council is currently engaging with ratepayers through drop-in sessions and an online “have your say” portal until the 8th June. The proposed changes have raised serious concerns about their accuracy and fairness,…
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Taking a Pause: Where Have Our Rates Gone?
This week, we’re hitting pause to recap just how your rates have been spent-and to reflect on the performance of the Council Executive and Councillors who back these decisions. With a 7% rates hike coming (and no real consultation!), Mayor Holborow claims it’s due to areas such as higher infrastructure and maintenance costs. But is…
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ANALYSING KAPITI’S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEND: Who Really Pays?
By popular demand, we have summarised how this initiative is working and is planned to work (fail?). KCDC plans to spend $31 million on economic development over 10 years—the money is used to fund a group of people who distribute money out as grants for local organisations, events and other economic initiatives. Think Otaki Kite…
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 4 : Iwi and Hapu Partnerships & Grants
Last post in our series on how your rates are spent on partnerships and grants. Today’s focus: Funding to Iwi and Hapu (2022–2024) Over the last 3 years, a total of $2,374,778 has been granted in this area. The chart below shows how spending is distributed across key categories. Top 5 Categories by Total Spend:…
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 3 : Partnerships and grants
Last week, we shared a dataset showing how much money has been spent on partnerships. Over the past 3 years, this has totalled approximately $6,437,100. This week, we’re diving deeper into the details behind this figure . We confirmed that this number is mostly allocated to general grant categories, including the largest recipient of grants…
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 2 – What Do Partnerships Mean for Kāpiti Ratepayers?
We’ve been asked about partnerships and their impact on ratepayers in Kāpiti. This is a difficult task and this is the closest we can get to an answer. You can see there is some approximation. You wont be surprised that spending in this area 44% over the last three years. Some of these disbursements are…
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT – PART 1 : Where Does Our Money Go?
If we’re to make informed decisions, it’s essential to understand how public funds are allocated. Below is a summary of spending by various departments within the council, based on publicly available data. The table below condenses this information into operational and capital spending figures for the last three fiscal years (FY21-22, FY22-23, FY23-24). Key Points:…
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LWDW SUBMISSIONS NOW CLOSED – WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Submissions closed last night, 13th April – you can read our submission here What’s next ? Whether you have, or haven’t made a submission, you can still influence Councillor’s voting by engaging directly with them and we would encourage you to do that.
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Time is ticking for submissions for LWDW – OUR PUBLIC MEETING update
Presentation, Submission & Request to Council forExtension to the consultation period Following on from our public meeting last night (8th April) we have uploaded the presentation and letter to Council requesting an extension to the consultation period – these can be viewed here To summarise: In Conclusion:
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LOCAL WATER – DONE RIGHT !
Finding it difficult to make a submission with the limited info from Council? You’re not alone! At our last public meeting, we invited the Council to provide clarity. Despite assurances from the GM of Infrastructure & Asset Management that our outstanding questions would be answered—they weren’t. Attempts to follow up? Brick wall. 🚧 But we…
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Join Us THIS SUNDAY! Public Meeting on Local Water Done Well
!! NEWSFLASH !! We have just confirmed that the Mayor, CE and the GM Infrastructure and Asset Management are coming to our public meeting on Sunday. If you want to know about what is happening on Local Water Done Well and what is planned and why, this is a must attend meeting! We’ll give you…
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Website launched
We are excited to launch our website and we hope you find it informative and of value. Have a look around and let us know what you think. If you think we are providing something of value we would really appreciate your support.
Concerned Ratepayers Kapiti 