Upper Hutt City Council

Strengthen Māori representation through genuine partnership with iwi and hapū in council decision-making processes.

Improve public engagement by holding regular community hui including diverse communities and implementing accessible online consultation tools.

Ensure fair wages and safe working conditions across all council employment positions.

Strengthen engagement with mana whenua by ensuring Māori voices are represented and by supporting strong partnerships with iwi.

Make council decisions clearer and more accessible by using plain-language summaries so residents can actually see what is happening.

Engage the community through transparent consultation and include Māori in council planning and decision-making.

Review council size and roles for efficiency and accountability and streamline internal operations for better service delivery.

Report council decisions clearly and openly to the public.

Ensure that the data used to support decisions about community spending is robust so that the greatest number of people benefit.

Understand the communication channels different sectors in the community use, including to provide feedback to council, and utilise all these.

Stop closed-door council meetings.

Stop Christian-based prayer at the start of council meetings as New Zealand is a secular state and it may well be offensive to a diverse council.

Consider whether the number of current council employees is required for efficiency.

Ensure council staff are paid the living wage with fair working conditions and encouragement to undertake training.

Analyse council operations with a view to cutting operational costs and bringing services back inhouse.

Provide a public consultation forum for easy and quick engagement with the council.

Oppose Upper Hutt being swallowed by a super city which would reduce autonomy, recognising existing cooperation for cemeteries, rubbish and Three Waters.

Support Māori ward(s) as many as proportionate to encourage tangata whenua to participate in making policies for the whole community.

Bring transferable voting to the election of mayor and councillors, allowing people to list their preferences rather than just First Past the Post.

Introduce digital referendums for major decisions that impact the future of Upper Hutt so everyone can have their say.

Establish a council economic development committee to provide direction and oversee Upper Hutt's future development to support prosperity.

Stop amalgamation with other councils in Wellington so Upper Hutt can stand on its own two feet and build its economy further.

Make all council meetings and decisions public.

Make all council meetings and decisions public.

Interact appropriately and constructively with council staff.

Encourage input from minorities with a focus on commonality of interests.

Accept criticism as a lesson to be learnt in every issue raised.