Current Issues

Throughout my campaign, one of the most persistent criticisms I’ve heard about my proposed housing strategy is a personal one – that I “want to

…it’s often what drives real change! Throughout New Zealand, many successful mayors have come in without prior council experience and made a real impact. People

Please see below my letter to Minister Chris Bishop, advocating against an undemocratic Streamlined Planning Process for TDC’s Plan Change 81 and for the exclusion

by Adrienne Matthews A bit more than twelve years ago, Olivia Neubauer, a lawyer, and husband Timo, architect and urban designer, lived in Auckland. “We

Plan Change 81 is with the Minister now. Chris Bishop will decide whether to let Tasman District Council bypass his countrywide pause on plan changes

My heart goes out to the 142 workers who will lose their jobs with the closure of the South Island’s largest sawmill at Eves Valley,

“We have too much infrastructure and not enough ratepayers” – that is the core reason why Tasman’s rates keep going up. I will focus my

To utilise our existing infrastructure more efficiently, we need to drive the intensification of our existing urban areas – but to be successful, this has

In a Facebook post this morning, Tasman District Council proudly declared that “wine makes way for water”, revealing that 10 hectares of productive vineyard land

$198 Million Later — And Still No Plan A recent Stuff article by Catherine Hubbard revealed the latest twist in the Waimea Dam saga: irrigators

I met with Nate Wilbourne, 2025 Young New Zealander of the Year semi-finalist and a passionate advocate for youth voice in politics. We talked about

When you realise that you are losing a war, rather than sending all your remaining resources into a losing battle, sometimes it makes more sense

Would rates caps fix the problem? Simply capping future rates rises seems an easy, straightforward solution to an escalating problem – but one with unintended

Why we should be concerned about Tasman District Council’s finances   The Balance Sheet The Council’s primary costs lie in providing and maintaining the infrastructure

Subject: Opposition to the Regulatory Standards Bill – Undermining Community and Environmental Values Dear Members of the Select Committee, I write to express strong opposition

There are great hopes that the incoming new “granny flat rules” will deal with our tiny home issues. My fear is that in most cases

The involvement of national political figures in local elections raises a broader question: will this strengthen local decision-making, or shift the focus away from community-led

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to attend a packed community meeting at Pōhara Hall about the proposed goldmine development in Golden Bay and its

Community means everyone – not just the well-positioned

OPINION: Nick Smith keeps musing about the amalgamation of Nelson’s and Tasman’s councils, highlighting potential savings (…)

Mapua’s fate is now in the hands of Council

It is Monday night. Mapua Hall is bursting at its seams. Mainly older village folks, but also some of Tasman District Council’s councillors, squeeze (…)

The public needs to have confidence in the Council. This will require the Mayor to lead a serious culture change. I am proposing a series

Tasman’s sprawling housing developments of the last 15 years alone have resulted in the range of $380 million of unnecessary infrastructure costs (compared to the

Sams Creek in Golden Bay is considered New Zealand’s largest undeveloped gold project, with previous studies indicating a significant amount of gold. Siren Gold, an

Tiny house communities can be among the most sustainable forms of rural living with the smallest environmental footprint and strong social bonds, provided that they