Message from the Mayor

Published on November 17, 2023

Kia ora koutou,

It was Remembrance Day last weekend, a day that signalled the end of World War I and gave us the opportunity to pay our respects to the many thousands of New Zealanders who sacrificed their lives during the war, and reflect on the impact that it had on us as a nation. We should be extremely grateful to those that made that sacrifice so that we can continue to live in the relative freedom we have here today.

With a number of conflicts and tensions throughout the world at the moment, it is timely that we take the opportunity to reflect on how lucky we are to live in Horowhenua. There will always be issues and challenges that we have to deal with locally but when you put that into perspective of what is happening in other parts of the world then we are indeed fortunate.

We are certainly a more diverse district than ever before. We had Colombian refugees join us this past year and it has been wonderful the way the community has embraced and supported our new residents. Lately we have had a number of events acknowledging language week for some of the Pacific nations and the celebration of Diwali recently was as colourful and vibrant as any celebration we have seen. It is fantastic to see the different ethnicities showcasing their customs and traditions in this way.

Last week's successful Age on the Go Expo highlighted this even more when we were entertained by kapa haka and waiata performances by both young and old. It demonstrates how connected and supportive Horowhenua is and that we should always be loud and proud about where we live in NZ.

Local Government has many challenges at the moment and none bigger than our financial sustainability. Despite the uncertainty of Central Government Reform and the current financial model that we have to deal with, we are now in the process of developing our Long Term Plan for the next 20 years. Council, just like households, have to face the realities of the economic landscape that exists today and the pressures that result from rising interest rates and inflation. This will also make it equally challenging for Council to develop a plan and a budget that continues to deliver core services and meet the expectations of our residents. Our focus will definitely be on getting the basics right but even that will not be without its challenges.

I hope that you will engage with us through this process as it is vitally important that we make good decisions about our future and the views and opinions of you all will help inform those decisions.

Look forward to catching up with you soon.

Bernie Wanden