Maria Huata – born and bred in Hamilton, elected Māori ward councillor 2024
Maria Huata
Organisations like Waikato Chamber of Commerce are calling for widespread local body amalgamation. Do you support that call and if so, what Waikato local authorities would you want to amalgamate with? (50 words)
I support the idea of working together and smarter to share services such as transport, IT for example. It makes sense to collaborate with other local bodies that are in close proximity. The most current example of this is the newly established CCO IAWAI Council Controlled Organisation to manage water infrastructure with Hamilton City Council and Waikato District Council.
When you choose your deputy mayor, what attributes will you be looking for and how important is the role? Or will it be location based in the case of Waikato and Waipā e.g. Cambridge mayor, Te Awamutu deputy and vice versa; North Waikato mayor, Tamahere-Woodlands deputy and vice versa? What would be the requirement for a deputy mayor in Hamilton? (50 words)
A deputy mayor needs to have values, aspirations and vision that aligns with that of the mayor.
You all say you want to cut ‘waste’. Specifically, what would you cut – give examples. (50 words)
When something is ‘cut’ this has a direct effect on parts of the organisation, city and wider community. Cutting waste must be a council and community wide conversation to see where the shared priorities of investment are.
Given the recent water reforms, should your organisation also be reformed and resized to fit (50 words)
Hamilton City Council has already established a CCO Council Controlled Organisation IAWAI with Waikato District Council to respond to and manage reforms.
What is your view on (a) rates capping and (b) linking rates to an inflation index (100 words)
Rates capping is not as simple as it sounds. How rates are determined is complex. Rates are the main source of revenue for councils to run a city.
With rapidly rising costs, inflation and the need to support the fastest growing city in New Zealand provides huge challenges and huge costs with it too.
What will you do to make your organisation more transparent (50 words)
Communication, communication, communication!
What’s your view on community engagement….and the massive costs of that engagement? (50 words)
Community is key to what Council does and who Council represents. Community engagement is essential to ensuring the Council is meeting the needs of the community.
What would you do to help people engage more in local government (50 words)
Include education about what local government is and does in the secondary school curriculum. Start normalising conversations about local government within schools.
Make local government relevant and relatable to the everyday person.
The media landscape has changed with wholesale closures of community newspapers throughout the region. Foreign owned companies like Google and Meta do not pay taxes, do not employ local people and rather than report on local body politics, pinch what they can from the newspapers that are left. There are now more people employed in council communications’ roles than in the actual newspapers. Each of your councils spend advertising money on foreign media. What responsibility do you think a city/district council has to support its local newspapers? (50 words)
Council has a responsibility to support the local economy in all aspects including the media.
Finally, in 100 words, tell us why you should be mayor.
A mayor must be courageous, kind and compassionate and innately know and practice the idea that ‘to lead is to serve and to serve is to lead’.
A mayor’s biggest responsibility is to unite and empower their team to perform and act with integrity, authenticity and excellence with the best interests of the entire community at heart.
Hamilton Gardens, Te Parapara
