Democracy relies on us - Cambridge News column April 2025

New Zealand is small enough to give each of us almost unmatched access to decision-makers at national and local level compared with most western nations.

We angst about voter turnout, yet we are still one of the most participatory democracies in the world, with relatively high trust in our public institutions according to international measures. So, it’s worrying that two recent studies are now sounding warnings over falling trust and diminishing social cohesion.

The latest Acumen Edelman Trust Barometer shows our sense of grievance with business, media, government and NGOs stands at 67%, surpassing the global average of 61%. And a new study on social cohesion, commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation, cites financial inequality as just one of the factors driving increasing polarisation in our society.

Growing financial hardship due to the inflation that followed COVID, unemployment, housing shortages, declining education standards, healthcare problems and tensions arising out of “Treaty politics” are probably all serving to feed anxiety levels. 

Democracy relies on all of us to participate. So it’s heartening that Kiwis still believe people’s voices count. For example, the Treaty Principles Bill attracted more than 300,000 submissions this year, and late last year – at local level - Waikato District Council received a record of nearly 2,000 responses from more than 800 people on a survey about key areas of focus for our Long Term Plan. Let’s hope that interest continues.

Consultation on the Waikato District Council Long Term Plan 2025-34 opens next week and runs from 11 April to 11 May. There will be drop-in sessions in the Tamahere-Woodlands Ward for people wanting to learn more - on 6 May in the Tamahere hall and 8 May in the Gordonton hall, both starting at 6.30pm - and virtual online sessions available too.

The proposed LTP is based on a general rate increase of 4.25% for the first year (2025/26) – down from an 11.9% increase this year - before falling to an increase of 3.05% in 2026/27, then forecast to be between 1.5% and 4.5% in subsequent years.

There will be options to consider as affordability is still a concern, with overall rates (general and targeted rates added together) in our townships likely to rise between 7.8% and 10.8% in the first year, compared with about 6.7% in country living areas and 4.8% in rural areas, where properties are not subject to significant targeted rates for services like reticulated wastewater.

Major matters for your feedback include a new model for managing water services – the preferred option being a Council-Controlled Organisation (CCO) to be jointly owned by Waikato District Council and Hamilton City, but with opportunities for other councils to join in the future. The purpose is to gain economies of scale that will, over time, help control the rising costs of treating and managing our drinking water and wastewater. We are also seeking your views on the level of investment in our roads, and on our latest waste minimisation and management plan. Please take part – your opinions matter.

Crystal Beavis, Waikato District Councillor, Tamahere-Woodlands Ward

See the article as originally published in the Cambridge News here. 

Please note that some details in this column - general rates increases expected in years 3-9 and overall rates increases expected in country living and rural areas - have been updated slightly here since this column first appeared in the Cambridge News on Thursday 3 April 2025. The final definitive information will appear in the Waikato District Council's Long Term Plan 2025-34 consultation document which is expected to be published on the Council's website on Friday 11 April 2025.