About Palmerston North

Situated on the banks of the Manawatu River nestled at the foot of the impressive Tararua Mountain Range, Palmerston North is a vibrant, youthful city with an active student population, nearby military bases, and an impressive array of educational, scientific and research institutions. The largest centre of Manawatu, Palmerston North city lies 140 km north-east of Wellington and 546 km south of Auckland. The city’s central location also places it within easy two hour drives of the North Island’s Central Plateau with its thermal areas and ski fields, the beaches and wineries of the Hawkes Bay, Mount Taranaki and historic Maori sites of the Taranaki region, the Wairarapa with its vineyards, and the attractions of New Zealand’s capital city, Wellington. On our doorstep, we have the spectacular Manawatu Gorge, nearby West Coast beaches, river activities, museums, galleries, golf courses, parks and walkways, and enough cafe’s, bars, restaurants and shops to cater for every taste.

Since my inauguration in 2003, I have been asked by many people, “What is it like, being a councillor?” Recently, a couple of people have e-mailed me, asking me to sum up what exactly a councillor does. These are really two different questions but as so many people have asked them in the same conversation, I will endeavour to answer both here.

The Department of Internal Affairs produces some interesting information about local government. Just in case any of you may get these questions on a Trivial Pursuit challenge, I thought I would share…

In both 2001 and 2004, the sitting Mayor was defeated. 2001 saw 4 Mayoral candidates, in 2004 we had 6.

The average number of registered voters for each of the 15 council positions was 3,398 in 2001 and 3,439 in 2004.

In 2001, 40 candidates stood for election to council, in 2004 it was 37, but in 2001 only 53% of sitting councillors were re-elected, whereas in the last election, 80% were re-elected.

Palmerston North City Council has assets of just over $1 billion. It is estimated that there are currently around 28,000 ratepayers in the city. This means every ratepayer has an investment of over $35,000 in Palmerston North.

Manukau City has recently quantified the investment their residents have. “Most would agree if they had $20,000 invested in any company they would certainly be interested in the decisions being made and the board that represents their interest,” Manukau Electoral Officer John Skelton said.

Palmerston North is enjoying a period of economic expansion and strong employment growth. Business confidence is strong and, all in all, things are looking pretty rosy in the city at present. However, we cannot forget that in the last year the city has lost both Click Clack and Sunbeam. Sunbeam started life here in the 1970’s as Ralta but was forced to close its last manufacturing plant and go offshore for cheaper labour costs. This is a salutary reminder that, in a country dependent on trade, national and international influences have a major impact on the local situation. Vision Manawatu is now working well for the city and its latest reports on KPI’s are encouraging. However, while this council has had an economic development focus, an incoming council may not.