Kia ora from Kirsten Wise

Kia ora koutou.

For the last few years we have navigated considerable change. Very little has been predictable but through it we have maintained our focus on the needs of our community while keeping an eye to the future.

As we continue to grapple with the challenges ahead of us we recognise that we need to ensure we are as agile as possible to respond to changes while remaining focussed on the outcomes our community wants. We need to play the long game and stick to the commitments we have made to invest in Napier’s future.

Our Long Term Plan lays out an ambitious capital works programme that we are committed to delivering for our community, however the changing landscape around us is providing new challenges. This includes the impact of COVID-19 with supply chain issues, labour shortages and significantly reduced revenue from our tourism facilities.

We are also affected by increased costs due to strong competition in the construction sector. Changes from central government have put added pressure on us including the costs associated with government led reforms, changes in regulatory standards and levies imposed on services by government. 

In our Long Term Plan we put in place a rates-increase cap. We have worked very hard to develop a plan that keeps the increase below this.
We have worked hard on finding efficiencies in our business rather than reducing levels of service, alongside being proactive in sourcing alternative funding and partnerships to reduce costs.

Going into this next year of our Long Term Plan we are in a better position than we thought we would be. Despite current challenges it is vital we continue with our capital plan, and ongoing investment in our assets and facilities. We need to keep going and building, but maintain a strong focus on the goals our community has set with us.

Kirsten Wise 

Mayor of Napier