David Trewavas standing for Mayor again
By Chris Marshall
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas admits October’s election may be his swansong.
If re-elected as mayor, Trewavas will equal the five terms served by Joan Williamson (her first being the final term of the Taupō Borough Council before local body amalgamation in 1988/89.)
He is certainly keen to do one more term.
“It’d be just nice now to get back and really concentrate on looking after the people.”
The current team at the council had set the district up well for the future, he feels, with facilities like the new airport terminal, Waiora House and the public space at Te Ātea Tapuaeharuru.
“With the events now secured, you know Supercars and the World Ironman, I think there's been enough on the actual place and now it's all about the people being able to afford to live here, and be part of it and enjoy living here, to enjoy the environment… That'll be the campaign I'll be running…
“It's an honour and a privilege to do this job. I'd like to think I started off trying to be the mayor for all and I've tried to live to those values.”
However, he could understand current cost pressures on households were tough.
“Including our own, and it's a privilege to live here, of course and unfortunately, you know it comes… with a bit of cost and we're just going to keep an eye on those.”
Of the big issues facing the council, he felt it was in a healthy position to meet the requirements of Local Water Done Well with the preferred option of keeping control of three waters in-house.
“We do have the benefit of not deferring any maintenance over the years. We've spent the money. We've upgraded the water plants if they've needed doing. Let's give it a couple of years and just let it settle in and do a few shared services and then if we need to join another entity at that stage.”
The good bill-of-health holds for other areas too.
“I think we're in a very, very strong position and with the AA+ credit rating, we've got a good balance sheet… We've got a bit of debt of course that we will need to address as well over the coming years, but we've had incredible growth.”
The residential development at Kokomea and industrial area at Ashford Park were good examples, he says.
“But now I think it’s time to consolidate and make sure people can still live here and it’s affordable.”
A second town bridge across the Waikato River had to be seen as another reasonable priority, he says, with money set aside in this year's Long-Term Plan for research. People’s views, growth on the northern side of the river and that the bridge conveyed wastewater pipes to the treatment plant were all factors to consider.
“We're certainly working on that.”
Keeping rates affordable is always a challenge.
People don’t know that councils have a cost-neutral balance sheet, he says.
“So, we don't make any money as such, we formulate our costs and divvy it up from there… We're lucky we've got commercial users that are paying a bit of a differential which helps out the resident ratepayers as well, but we don't want to pick on one sector over another.”
New ratepayers moving into the district also help with the bills, he says.
“Spreads the workload, the operating costs around a bit. But you know the old retailer in me; operating costs are one of my pet subjects.
“If we can save some money we'll do it, but there is a balance here between level of service as well… So, it's all very well cutting this and that but then your level of service drops.”
Accompanying the vote for councillors and mayor this October will be a local referendum on the district’s Māori ward – Te Papamārearea.
Having the ward’s two councillors, Danny Loughlin and Karam Fletcher, at the council table had worked well, Trewavas says.
“I enjoy the company and the inclusiveness of our Māori representatives.”
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is a big landowner in the district, he says.
“And we're making decisions on some of that land. Now we have some representatives around the table. It just makes sense. Absolutely makes sense… they've been wonderful contributors and certainly I'm still supportive. There's nothing in my history that's changed my view on that in the last triennium so I'd like to think that the referendum would view it that way, but we will go with the decision of the people.”
On the decision to defer the draft Joint Management Agreement between the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board, Trewavas says the new council will have to conclude it.
“It needs to be socialised more, so people understand it a bit better.
“We all want to protect the beautiful lake that we swim in every summer, but unfortunately people have gone off in all directions. They need to familiarise themsleves with it and that’s partially our job as councillors.”