John Howard
Chairman, Whakatāne Action Group

Whakatāne Action Group Inc held its first meeting of 2026 to review the previous year and set a focused action plan for the year ahead.

The group remains committed to advocating for transparency, accountability, and responsible governance within the Whakatāne District Council and associated public agencies.

■ Reflections on 2025

Mayor Nandor Tanczos’ inaugural council meeting was a striking start to the new term, with two rooms filled – largely by supporters of reinstating Toi’s Track rather than by any organised effort from WAG.

Several observations from that meeting continue to shape our concerns:

■ Public engagement dropped sharply after the three public speaking presentations, raising questions of whether the council is meeting the needs of the community

■ Staff responses to “Simplifying Local Government” appeared defensive, with councillors – excluding Cr Malcolm Whittaker – showing limited understanding of how regional and district responsibilities align.

The repeated “you know” statements highlighted a lack of clarity rather than confidence.

■ Misconceptions about GST on rates persist. Removing GST does not reduce rates for residents; it simply increases the council’s discretionary spending.

■ Comments made during the rates capping discussion revealed a concerning disconnect between council and community.

Comparing essential services to choosing where to buy milk and bread ignores the reality that ratepayers have no alternative provider.

Despite these issues, two positive outcomes stood out:

■ Progress on the Pekatahi Bridge.

■ Mayor Nandor directed staff to identify further savings – an approach previously resisted when proposed by former Mayor Victor Luca. This shift demonstrates that public pressure and vigilance from groups like WAG are influencing council behaviour.

■ Focus areas for 2026

1. Demanding greater council transparency

The Toi’s Track presentation by Angus Robson highlighted a serious transparency issue.

A GeoTech report completed by Tonkin & Taylor was delivered to council staff on August 7, 2025, yet by December 4, 2025, the Mayor stated it had not been released to councillors.

This raises critical questions:

■ Who held the report for four months?

■ How many other reports are being withheld?

■ What is the cost to ratepayers of delayed or concealed information?

This example underscores the need for stronger oversight and clearer accountability and transparency.

2. Ensuring council delivers for residents

The first official council meeting on December 4 was filled with frustrated residents. Three major presentations demonstrated widespread dissatisfaction:

■ Toi’s Track Repair Volunteers offer action and demand transparency.

■ Putiki Road residents still battle the impacts of the solar farm.

■ Whakatāne Yacht Club members’ vessels are being damaged due to council’s failure to uphold dredging commitments under maritime policy.

Only the Putiki group received any form of action – an extremely soft letter encouraging Genesis to “minimise impacts where possible”.

This wording offers little real support. If the council’s hands are tied, they should state clearly which higher authorities hold decision-making power.

3. Reducing over-reliance on consultants

Despite campaign promises to reduce consultant spending, the list continues to grow:

■ Tonkin & Taylor (Three Waters, Climate Adaptation, GeoTech)

■ Recreation Sport Leisure (Rex Morpeth Hub redesign)

■ BECA

■ MartinJenkins

This trend contradicts commitments to fiscal responsibility and internal capability.

4. Monitoring the wind-up of the failed marina project

WAG will closely track the liquidation process and determine how much of the $5.4 million council contribution is recoverable.

5. Scrutinising The Strand East development

This project appeared without mention in the current Annual Plan or the 2024-2034 Long-Term Plan. WAG will investigate how and why it emerged outside established planning processes.

■ Whakatāne Hospital – key areas of concern

WAG will continue monitoring developments at Whakatāne Hospital, focusing on:

■ Restoration of obstetric services by April 2026, as promised by Health NZ’s Cath Cronin.

■ The MRI machine purchased for Whakatāne, but left sitting in a crate at the Port of Tauranga for over a year.

■ Establishing an eye clinic in Whakatāne, reducing the need for residents to travel to Tauranga.

■ Governance and management oversight, particularly the extent to which Whakatāne Hospital is controlled by Tauranga-based administrators.

With limited authority held by Jennie Martelli, WAG will monitor whether the appointment of a general manager strengthens local leadership.

■ Conclusion

Whakatāne Action Group remains committed to being a vigilant, constructive watchdog for the community.

Our goal is not to oppose for the sake of opposition, but to ensure that public institutions operate transparently, responsibly, and in the best interests of Whakatāne residents.

Our next meeting and AGM will be held at 1pm on Wednesday, February 25 at the Fletcher Cole Hall