Mayor’s first term in turbulent waters

• Published date: 18 March 2022
• Publication title: Horowhenua Chronicle

If Horowhenua District Council could be likened to a ship, then it is sailing unchartered waters. There are wind shifts on the horizon that could change the face of local government, and unprecedented growth is whipping up high seas

Rolling around on deck are major reforms to council’s core business of drinking water, stormwater and wastewater, as part of the Government’s Three Waters proposal, not to mention current overhauls of the Resource Management Act and local government itself.

Thrown into the hurly-burly are the challenges that come from being one of the fastest-growing regions in New Zealand, with 500 new homes being built a year and a population tipped to top 60,000 by 2041.

An entire new suburb called Tara Ika is about to be built too, east of Levin, with 2500 new homes.

The construction of the major link road between Levin and Wellington finally got a green light ... a landfill decision aiming to end decades of unease has been confronted ... attempts to improve the water quality of Lake Horowhenua have begun ... two new Māori seats have been added for the elections in October ... an exhaustive long-term plan process ... the appointment of a new CEO ... the Tokopiki boundary application decision ... the list goes on.

All this in the middle of a global pandemic. And all during Bernie Wanden’s first term as mayor. But you get the feeling he has both hands on the tiller and morale on board seems high.

Councillor David Allan is in a unique position to comment on the sea change.

He was first elected to HDC in 1992. He was unseated in 2013, but was back at the HDC table after the 2019 election.

“There’s never been a busier time. But there’s never been a more exciting time,” he said.

Wanden was elected mayor shortly before the outbreak of Covid-19 after a term as councillor, ousting incumbent Michael Feyen. Almost overnight, it ended a period of unrest within the council.

While the...