Letters to the Editor – July 13, 2026

Ratepayer questions

The recent Mangawhai Focus edition (June 29) tells me that, on June 22, a gathering of “elected members, staff representatives, iwi, hapū and Northland organisations” was held at a remote location to welcome the new chief executive of Kaipara District Council.

That’s all very nice, but were no ratepayers invited? How much did this excursion cost the ratepayers?

Transporting all those people to the venue, hiring the venue and providing suitable catering would surely have cost a considerable amount of money that could have been better spent on improving council’s core business and, ultimately, benefiting ratepayers.

Surely a cup of tea and a sandwich in the  council chambers would have sufficed and been more appropriate in the current climate of tight fiscal restraint for everyone, particularly ratepayers.

Of course, the item is also full of buzzwords that are just that and, as usual, contribute very little to the long-term benefit of ratepayers.

I always remember the old proverb, “Look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”, which simply means that taking care of small amounts of money or minor expenses will naturally lead to significant savings over time. I believe it is appropriate in this instance.

Peter Matheson, Mangawhai

Editor’s note: The welcome was held at Otamatea Marae.