Northland Business

27/03/2026

To Whangarei District Council,

I am providing feedback on the proposed rate increases:

Option A – 5% No Change (Sector Shares Unchanged) Preferred Option

Manageable at 5% only if no additional $6M debt is taken on.
Rates have risen 33% over 3 years, 17% last year alone—impacting those on fixed incomes.
Staff should live within the 5% increase and actively seek innovative revenue streams instead of burdening ratepayers.
Option B – 5% Change in Sector Share (Business Share Lowered)

This is effectively corporate welfare. Residential and rural ratepayers would subsidize landlords, not small businesses.
Most small businesses (95% with 1–5 staff) rent premises; savings are unlikely to reach them.
Option C – 10.1% No Change (Sector Shares Unchanged)

A 10% increase on top of 33% prior rises is unacceptable. It shows disregard for ratepayer affordability.
Recommendation:

Option A is acceptable if debt is avoided and genuine efforts are made to increase revenue through innovation.
The council must prioritize efficiency and fairness, not pass costs onto ratepayers.
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Cheers
Calvin

26/03/2026

Economic Development was developed by Ronald Reagan in the 80s. It was put in place to help America become more competitive with China. Nobody would have guessed that the economic development concept would require every little tin pot town in the world to feel left out if they didn’t have an economic development office or such like. Whangarei District Council not only funds Northland Ink to close to $1 million dollars but also has internal staff doing similar work.

Our local model is called Northland Development Inc Ltd. A private company controlled by the 4 local councils.

Here is a statement of purpose:

Northland Inc plays a central role in enabling long-term economic development outcomes for Te Tai Tokerau by creating jobs, supporting innovation, developing skills, and building infrastructure - ultimately aiming to reduce inequality, promote sustainability, and help people and businesses respond to economic opportunities and challenges. They change and modify their purpose constantly. Check out their website and you will see major changes. Ie. Purpose = three work programmes: no mention of jobs; but includes destination management and marketing! advocacy and profile!! Wtf? regional investment etc. No measurement of outcomes anywhere. Pure fluff.

1. Creating Jobs: It creates 0 jobs. Over the past 10 years no report has identified any fact of job creation of any sort. Not 1 job, not 100 jobs, zero jobs. It would be very useful if not critical for such an organization to loudly shout its value by saying how many jobs it has directly created! It does not.

2. The latest 10-year report from Northland Ink is a massive waffle. If ever the saying, the emperor has no clothes, is totally apt this is it!

3. If Northland Ink disappeared, would anyone notice other than their staff. My research shows that they have 25 staff.

4. Destination management and marketing: Our rates are being used to subsidize and pay for the marketing of inbound tourism! Why? Tourism creates the lowest paid and lowest qualified jobs of any industry. I have no doubt tourism generates income for Northland. But, in the absence of Northland Ink, the tourism industry can pay for its own management and marketing. The larger question might be: do we really want tourism? Are the benefits spread across the ratepayers of Whangarei? Or a few sectors of our economy.

5. Business Training: a role that should be provided by North Tec. Not an adhoc group with almost no business experience! The blind leading the blind. No start up or business worth their salt will go anywhere near a quasi-government bureaucracy handing out lollies.

6. Regional Investment: None of their reports tell us about the $750,000 forestry project they funded that went down the tubes: the tens of thousands of dollars spent on Oruku Landing (Cuckoo landing) which 4 out of 5 whangarei residents opposed; the peanut farms using up hundreds of thousands of dollars with zero return; the many reports of opportunities and important stuff that are gathering dust…etc.

7. Infrasture advocacy: we have enough politicians running to get in front of this game

8. Regional investment: show me the numbers? Show me the money that has subsequently flowed into northland due to their specific efforts. Ie job numbers and capital value. Perhaps a look at the number of empty retail stores reflects the degree of their success?

9. Competing alternatives: One use of these funds would be the library opening on Sundays. Measurable and wanted by the community.

10. Reducing inequality. Well now. That is a surprise inclusion in what this group apparently does! Absolutely none of their stated objectives nor reports comes even close to addressing “inequality”! It does show their desperation to all things to all people regardless of facts. Eg; one obvious and direct way to address inequality (which is significant in Northland) is to introduce a wealth tax. Gosh, they don’t mention that. Or advocate for an increase minimum wage. Or advocate strongly for significant increase in social housing etc etc. Shame on them for even pretending to include this in their work.

11.

Community Development vs economic development. A choice that needs to be understood and worked through. At the moment economic development gets the money and 25 staff. The alternative a resounding silence!

--
Cheers
Calvin

14/03/2026

Library Opening Hours

I wish to strongly object to the closure of the Whangārei Public Library on Sundays and the reduction in the book purchasing budget. Both decisions are short-sighted and risk damaging an important community asset.

The library should remain open on Sundays, and consideration should instead be given to increasing opening hours. Likewise, the budget for books and other learning resources should be maintained or increased, not reduced.

I offer the following reasons:

1. Maximising the value of a major public asset
A significant amount of capital has been invested in this community facility. Closing it for one day each week undermines the value of that investment. When public money is spent on capital-intensive assets, it is important to maximise their use.

To illustrate the point: if a farmer buys a tractor, it is expected to work and generate value. Leaving it in the shed would make little sense. Our roads are also public assets—yet we would never suggest closing Cameron Street one day a week to reduce maintenance costs. The same logic should apply to the library.

2. Libraries democratise access to knowledge
The core function of a public library is to democratise access to knowledge and learning resources. Libraries exist for everyone in the community, including those who cannot afford to purchase books or digital resources themselves. Limiting access undermines this essential public role.

3. Impact on the CBD and Town Basin
Closing the library on Sundays will have an immediate effect on activity in the central city. The library brings people into the CBD who often also visit nearby shops, cafés, and the Town Basin. Reducing access risks weakening efforts to revitalise the city centre.

4. The need for principles in cost-cutting decisions
Cost reduction should not be guided solely by accounting measures. Financial decisions must also consider community value and long-term benefit.

It would be helpful for the public to see the principles gu

19/12/2025

OPEN LETTER TO PRIME MINISTER
My last post reflected on the need for our Prime Minister to be much more responsive to everyday Kiwis. We deserve better. Sadly, that has not happened.
Your government has become the most destructive, the most divisive and a government with the least vision of a better society. The worst government since Muldoon days. You know the cost of everything and the value of nothing.
You have become an automaton, an AI creation spouting platitudes in a monotone over and over again. Ie; Labour: tax more, spend more borrow more. Bla bla bla over and over again. While you tax less, spend less and borrow more!
You have created a false storyline that NZ is in trouble with its borrowing. Not true. Our debt to GDP is one of the lowest in the OECD.
You have attempted to destroy our civil service, the heart of any democracy.
You have crashed the economy pretending to be the only group that can run an economy…you cannot and never did have that ability. You have deluded yourself and your sheep followers.
Our health system is in a state of serious decline. Thankfully we can thank Labour’s Emily Henderson who got the Whangarei hospital over the line. Dunedin had promises denied.
Our construction industry has been decimated
Our educated young people are fleeing the country in record numbers
Our unemployment rate is above 5% and climbing
Our education system is in disarray.
Our social housing industry has basically collapsed. The only houses now coming to completion were initiated by the previous Labour government.
You have given multi-billion-dollar tax breaks to the wealthy and property investors and have borrowed money to do so. Our national debt has increased dramatically under your watch!
You have allowed and enabled Seymour and Peters to run very divisive politics primarily against the treaty and the rights of individuals. You have totally disrespected our Treaty with the Maori people. You are trying to rewrite history, but you will not succeed.
Our elected officials: Dr Shane Reti and previously Mr. Phil Heatly have been sidelined and in the latter case basically forced out of the Key government. I have no doubt Dr Reti will also leave. Why would he stay. From acting prime minister, deputy prime minister to minister of health to now handing out financial lollies for basic political bribery. Both had acted with integrity and represented their local constituents. Both will gain a very generous tax paid retirement benefit courtesy of the taxpayer.

There is no doubt that green shoots of an improving economy are starting to show up. Our economy is like a potato. Kept in the dark and given no nourishment it will still send out new growth! New Zealand has a very dynamic economy, and it can be suppressed for only so long. It will rebound. It will show resilience. Despite all the damage to the economy and NZ society in general the economy will rebound. Not because you are good managers of the economy. Quite the contrary. The real question becomes; how will you nourish our economy for sustainable growth?
This government is the most destructive, the most divisive and with the least vision of any New Zealand government ever!
Respectfully
Calvin Green

10/09/2025

Voting opens in Whangārei this week.
Friends and colleagues have been asking me who I'd support. Here are some candidates that I think are reasonable people, looking out for Northlanders. No rightwing extremists, no Anti-everything fringes. Just candidates that I think will get on with the work of building society, not eroding it.
Feel free to screenshot and share this list.

Mayor: 1) Ken COUPER
Bream Bay: 1) Ken COUPER, 2) Simon SCHUSTER, 3) Shilane SHIRKEY
Hikurangi: 1) Scott MCKENZIE, 2) Chanelle ARMSTRONG
Mangakahia-Maungatapere: 1) Tim ROBINSON
Māori ward: 1) Deb HARDING, 2) Sheila TAYLOR
Whg Heads: 1) Tangiwai BAKER
Whg Urban: 1) Carol PETERS, 2) Heath KEWENE, 3) Brad FLOWER, 4) Nicholas CONNOP, 5) Jesse CARD

Please vote: very low 40% local voter turnouts help the cringe fringe win. They get out and vote, so it's important we do too.
Please use care in who you vote for: there are 37 candidates on the WDC Youtube, some of whom have scrubbed or locked their social media in an effort to rebrand themselves.
Remember that the loudest or most charismatic people may be disasters when it comes to leading our city as part of a high-performing team. The boring, non-divisive, reliable ones might be just the ones you'd want to trust with the best interests of your community and your rates.

Here's to the candidates who want to do the real work, not just divide and conquer. The ones who publicly reject sexism, racism, and rage-baiting.
Good luck to all of the capable people on this list, some of whom I've known for almost 20 years.
Hopefully

10/09/2025

Voting opens in Whangārei this week.
Friends and colleagues have been asking me who I'd support. Here are some candidates that I think are reasonable people, looking out for Northlanders. No rightwing extremists, no Anti-everything fringes. Just candidates that I think will get on with the work of building society, not eroding it.
Feel free to screenshot and share this list.

Mayor: 1) Ken COUPER
Bream Bay: 1) Ken COUPER, 2) Simon SCHUSTER, 3) Shilane SHIRKEY
Hikurangi: 1) Scott MCKENZIE, 2) Chanelle ARMSTRONG
Mangakahia-Maungatapere: 1) Tim ROBINSON
Māori ward: 1) Deb HARDING, 2) Sheila TAYLOR
Whg Heads: 1) Tangiwai BAKER
Whg Urban: 1) Carol PETERS, 2) Heath KEWENE, 3) Brad FLOWER, 4) Nicholas CONNOP, 5) Jesse CARD

Please vote: very low 40% local voter turnouts help the cringe fringe win. They get out and vote, so it's important we do too.
Please use care in who you vote for: there are 37 candidates on the WDC Youtube, some of whom have scrubbed or locked their social media in an effort to rebrand themselves.
Remember that the loudest or most charismatic people may be disasters when it comes to leading our city as part of a high-performing team. The boring, non-divisive, reliable ones might be just the ones you'd want to trust with the best interests of your community and your rates.

Here's to the candidates who want to do the real work, not just divide and conquer. The ones who publicly reject sexism, racism, and rage-baiting.
Good luck to all of the capable people on this list, some of whom I've known for almost 20 years.
Hopefully their work on a new, functional, and effective Whangārei District Council will ensure our region's people don't get left in the dust. Thank you for working to improve local services, communities, and resources for all of us. Ka pai!
May we all vote wisely.
--Gary Payinda, Whangārei

15/07/2025

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister

We are witnessing a profound failure of leadership.

When a party with less than 10% public support is given the power to introduce racially divisive and intellectually bankrupt legislation, it undermines not only the dignity of Parliament but the foundational principles of our democracy. It shows a government more concerned with appeasing fringe partners than with representing the will and values of the people.

At home, we are facing a health crisis, a housing crisis, and a deepening poverty crisis—yet your government has turned its back on those who need support the most. These are not abstract issues. They affect families, children, the elderly, and entire communities across Aotearoa. Your refusal to act decisively in the face of growing inequality is a betrayal of our most basic social contract.

Internationally, your silence is even more deafening. You speak of a “two-state solution” in Gaza, yet you say nothing as over 50,000 Palestinians are killed, and entire communities are reduced to rubble by the Israeli military. This is not diplomatic restraint—it is moral cowardice.

In times of crisis, true leadership requires more than political calculation. It demands courage, vision, and compassion. None of these qualities are evident in your government’s actions.

Instead, we are fed tired slogans about “growth, growth, growth”—as though GDP were a substitute for human dignity and collective wellbeing. It is puerile. It is disconnected. And it reveals a government obsessed with economic abstractions while the real lives of New Zealanders are left in crisis.

By leaning on corporate experience and economic orthodoxy, you have grown dangerously out of touch with the values that once defined this country: fairness, humility, community, and care. You grovel to leaders like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, whose policies have fostered division, violence, and fear. This alignment shames Aotearoa and stains our international standing.

You have not lifted us to higher moral ground. You have not answered the call for justice, for unity, for compassion. You have failed to reflect the values of the people you were elected to serve.

We are calling for better. We are demanding better. Because New Zealand deserves better—at home, and in the world.

Signed,

Calvin Green
Concerned citizen of Aotearoa New Zealand

12/07/2025

An Open Letter to the Prime Minister

We are witnessing a profound failure of leadership.

When a party with less than 10% public support is given the power to introduce racially divisive and intellectually bankrupt legislation, it undermines not only the dignity of Parliament but the foundational principles of our democracy. It shows a government more concerned with appeasing fringe partners than with representing the will and values of the people.

At home, we are facing a health crisis, a housing crisis, and a deepening poverty crisis—yet your government has turned its back on those who need support the most. These are not abstract issues. They affect families, children, the elderly, and entire communities across Aotearoa. Your refusal to act decisively in the face of growing inequality is a betrayal of our most basic social contract.

Internationally, your silence is even more deafening. You speak of a “two-state solution” in Gaza, yet you say nothing as over 50,000 Palestinians are killed, and entire communities are reduced to rubble by the Israeli military. This is not diplomatic restraint—it is moral cowardice.

In times of crisis, true leadership requires more than political calculation. It demands courage, vision, and compassion. None of these qualities are evident in your government’s actions.

Instead, we are fed tired slogans about “growth, growth, growth”—as though GDP were a substitute for human dignity and collective wellbeing. It is puerile. It is disconnected. And it reveals a government obsessed with economic abstractions while the real lives of New Zealanders are left in crisis.

By leaning on corporate experience and economic orthodoxy, you have grown dangerously out of touch with the values that once defined this country: fairness, humility, community, and care. You grovel to leaders like Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu, whose policies have fostered division, violence, and fear. This alignment shames Aotearoa and stains our international standing.

You have not lifted us to higher moral ground. You have not answered the call for justice, for unity, for compassion. You have failed to reflect the values of the people you were elected to serve.

We are calling for better. We are demanding better. Because New Zealand deserves better—at home, and in the world.

Signed,

Calvin Green
Concerned citizen of Aotearoa New Zealand

Northland Business - Action for Growth

24/05/2022

Peter Thiel's citizenship should be revoked. From the Gurardian

Billionaire donors are pushing an unsettling agenda for America – backing Trump’s lie that the 2020 election was stolen, calling for restrictions on voting and even questioning the value of democracy itself

18/11/2021

The WDC Oruku consultation has now closed for submissions. It's time for all parties to step back, take a breath and smile. We have had our say. Let's give our councilors space to read and consider the submissions. I think they are all working for the betterment of our community. Regardless of the outcome, I for one, will accept and respect their decision . We can then move on together

11/11/2021

Oruku Landing Submission
Nov 12, 2021
I am registering my NO vote to proceeding with Oruku Landing.
My reasons are as follows:
1. RISK:
a. Councillors should not enter major building projects with an open-ended funding model which this one is, ie: will fund all over-runs on costs
b. The risks of this project significantly increasing its base cost is a major concern. Even before the final designs have been completed the costs have increased by $13 million dollars adding 1% onto the already high 6% rate increase. Simon Weston (Council Engineer Infrastructure) has indicated that there are major risks in this project yet to be costed. Ie: CPI increases; LGCI increases; inflation increases (already running at 4.9% as of sept 18, 2021); supply line problems; labour availability issues; product availability issues etc. It would be highly irresponsible for WDC to proceed with such identifiable high-risk items which are uncontrollable and unmeasurable at the moment

2. The community has not asked for this project. It is a Developer’s led project, and an attempt has been made after the fact to justify the project. I am not aware of any formal document presented to WDC which indicates public support. I am aware of some community input arranged by the daughter of Barry Trass (the developer) who made calls to many community individuals over 3 years. The project has dramatically changed in purpose and cost since those calls making that informal and biased survey irrelevant. The community who can least afford the rate increases will disproportionately bear the costs of this project. Ask the homeowners in Otangarei, Raumanga, Otaika, Tikipunga etc. They will also gain the least benefits of the project. The Northland Chamber of Commerce is a major supporter of this project. Its members are the beneficiaries of the project, the commercial rates should pay for this project. This is basically a business project. It should be paid for by the business community. They stand to benefit. Not the general ratepayer.
3. Climate Change: Oruku Landing is a major Carbon emitter project: its construction is not sustainable being primarily of steel and concrete. Its primary purpose is to bring visitors from outside of Whangarei to its location. Travel is a major carbon emitter. This project will have a negative drain on our carbon credits for the life of the project. We have a local responsibility to reduce our carbon footprint.
4. Location: the location will not allow for carparking; has the highest cost due to stability issues requiring significant piling; will block many local residents their view of the town basin; will displace as many as 30 professional boat building jobs on that site; is on a designated flood plain; the bridge would be an essential component according to Beca and cannot be removed from the project due to linkages with the town basin; the bridge will also block and slow boat traffic into the marina area; it is too far from the town basin to allow free movement and connection with city centre; it will draw business away from the cbd and will certainly not contribute to the economic health of the cbd ; the cost of the small portion of land to WDC has been estimated at $10 million dollars. WDC sold a 3 times greater size of land to developers for $1.9 million. Turn it into a park and prevent any development.
5. CAPITAL COST: The final price of this project has not been determined. However, as of today, the total cost to the public purse (Government; Regional Council, WDC) is $135,000,000. The major portion of the costs fall to WDC. Now estimated at $70,000,000 and a 7% rate increase. The costs will inevitably continue to rise until the final work has been done by the engineering consultants. The public consultation should in fact start at that point, not part way through a costing exercise. This was supposed to be ‘shovel ready’!! Not even close. With inflation increasing at record breaking rates, CPI increasing, and many other costs increasing, this project will cost in excess of $150 million. My estimate would be closer to $200 million. This will require an additional rate increase of between 3 and 6 % on top of the current 7%. A total of between 10% and 13%. That is on top of the 4.5% in the LTP bring the total rate increase between 14.5% and 17.5%. That is totally unacceptable.
6. OPERATING COST: The project has been budgeted to run at a NET operating cost of $5 million per year – ratepayer funded. That is a staggering amount of money to spend on conferences and events. And that is net cost. What will be the operating cost in year 10! That is no where near any concept of breaking even. No wonder the business community won’t have a bar of it!
7. LOCAL ECONOMY: with the Refinery changing direction and reducing their workforce by up to 150 jobs a few individuals consider it necessary to bolster the local economy. False thinking. The unemployment rate is currently 3.5%. Those individuals likely to lose their employment will have plenty of opportunity to find work, although being a specialist operation (refinery) not all local. The refinery has made the decision that it is not economic to refine oil. The government has agreed. The Refinery will develop an alternative business model. That is the nature of business. But to say we therefore need to stimulate the local economy is fuzzy thinking. Yes, an investment of $150 million into the local economy would be a stimulus, no doubt. But at what cost! And what do you do in 2 years’ time when the construction project grinds to a halt. Another stimulus?? We do not need to stimulate the WDC economy. There is no report that identifies such an injection of funds is or will be required. Our economy will adjust to the refinery changes and carry on just as it did in 89 when the refinery construction stopped.; just as it did when various refinery upgrades started and stopped. I am not in favour of corporate welfare for the sake of it. It benefits very few businesses in the community and those especially who can adjust to a new reality and chase new business opportunities in our thriving and growing economy.
8. JOBS; the project developers indicate that it will create 230 short term construction jobs (in an already overheated market). They have also stated that it will create 130 full time jobs. That is an exaggeration!!! There is NO WAY that many full-time jobs will be created. That is developer’s hype. This is basically a tourism project, ie people coming from outside the district to attend events and conferences. The late Sir Paul Callaghan stated that the worst value for dollar spent by government is in the tourist sector. For every dollar spent there optimistically will be a $0.70 return. The jobs in this project will be low skilled and primarily nonprofessional – coffee makers and wine servers.
9. PERFORMANCE THEATRE: The Forum North Trust has identified a need for an 850-seat performance theatre located at Forum North. Part of the original concept proposed by the community in the early 80s. Oruku Landing will NOT have a performance theatre. Nor will the new Civic Centre. The WDC will be moving out of Forum North next year. They have done no planning for that site and so far, have refused to respond to the Forum North request to take over management of that facility. The community has spoken, representatives of more than 3000 residents are in support of a performance theatre at Forum North. This project will be eligible to receive central government funding. The Forum North Trust has already raised over $1million dollars for the new theatre. Oruku Landing has raised zero community funds. Oruku Landing is a project proposed by 4 men of the Northland Development Corporation.

SAY NO TO ORUKU LANDING

If WDC says no to ORUKU LANDING it will then be able to consider and fund community projects that have been in the LTP for years: eg Hihiaua and Forum North Trust. They already have community support.

04/07/2021

Letter to the Editor: Northern Advocate:
The promoters and supporters of Oruku Landing must be very upset with the decisions of our local government...and justifiably. And yes, 60 million dollars will be lost to the district if current decisions stick. Also a reason to be sad.
But the current Forum North in all its diminished glory from Council's continuous neglect can perform admirably as a conference centre. With proper modernisation, which it definitely needs, it could be an excellent community facility once again. Catering for a range of theatre experiences, community groups and the conference and events category, it would once again regain its importance for both Whangarei and the wider Northland area as was originally planned. The current councillors and certainly the staff need to familiarise themselves with the original purpose of Forum North. It was very frustrating to see the staff ignoring the request of thousands of local ratepayers and entirely removing the 850 seat performance theatre from the Long Term Plan. It has now been placed at year 8 on the plan. If the Oruku Conference centre was placed at year one by staff and has since been withdrawn, why would the arguably best facility for such purpose not even get a look in? The modernisation of Forum North and the development of an 850 seat theatre needs to start now! Year 1. The Forum North Trust is ready to go and has Community backing and can start opening funding channels now.
Get on with it, Council