October 2025 Newsletter
A monthly e-Newsletter by CityWatch NZ
Welcome to the 21st Newsletter for CityWatch NZ
With the 2025 Local Government Elections over, we provide a brief summary of the results in the major cities and some general trends from around the country.
Wayne Brown was re-elected as Mayor of Auckland Council and he is continuing his mission to bring Auckland Transport back under democratic control.
In Hamilton, Tim Macindoe was elected Mayor and half of the new council are new councillors. This marks a major shift for Hamilton City.
Wellington City elected Andrew Little as its new Mayor. The former Mayor Tory Whanau only ran for the Māori Ward seat this election, and after losing to Matthew Reweti is no longer part of Wellington City Council.
Christchurch re-elected Phil Mauger as Mayor and 11 of the 13 incumbent councillors were also re-elected. After the election, Christchurch City Council announced that its plan to keep water services in-house and under the Council’s control was accepted by central government.
For Mayor of Dunedin, Jules Radich was replaced with Sophie Barker. Jules Radich will still be on Dunedin City Council having won a seat as a councillor .
Around the country, mayors who instituted double-digit rates increases (and/or were senior figures in LGNZ) were often replaced in this October’s elections.
We cover the negative responses to the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” campaign from Taxpayers’ Union. In an opinion piece, John McDonald describes the campaign as “an important example of what not to do” if you are “an activist group trying to make a good impression on local government politics”. Wayne Brown’s response to the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” campaign was much shorter. This newsletter will contain a few examples of politicians using expletives.
We continue to highlight issues with the new water companies and the “Three Waters” “Local Water Done Well” reforms.
Re-elected Hamilton Councillor Andrew Bydder provides an opinion piece about the raised platforms, shared paths, and public consultation for “Morrinsville Road fit for purpose upgrades” project. The proposed project is open for consultation until 09 November 2025.
Links are provided to open consultations, petitions, and events at the end of this newsletter.
AUCKLAND COUNCIL’S ELECTION RESULTS AND WAYNE BROWN TAKING ON AUCKLAND TRANSPORT
Final results (based on information from the Auckland Council website)
Mayor:
Wayne BROWN (re-elected).
Councillors Elected for the Albany Ward:
Victoria SHORT and John WATSON.
Councillors Elected for the Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa Ward:
Julie FAIREY and Christine Elizabeth FLETCHER.
Councillors Elected for the Howick Ward:
Bo BURNS and Maurice WILLIAMSON.
Councillors Elected for the Manukau Ward:
Alf FILIPAINA and Lotu FULI.
Councillors Elected for the Manurewa-Papakura Ward:
Daniel NEWMAN, and Matt WINIATA.
Councillors Elected for the North Shore Ward
Richard HILLS and John GILLON.
Councillors Elected for the Waitākere Ward
Shane HENDERSON and Ken TURNER.
Councillors Elected for the Single-Seat Wards
Andy BAKER (Franklin Ward), Josephine Ruth BARTLEY (Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Ward), Desley SIMPSON (Ōrākei Ward), Greg SAYERS (Rodney Ward), Mike LEE (Waitematā & Gulf Ward) and Sarah PATERSON-HAMLIN (Whau Ward).
Voter Turnout:
Officially reported as 29.3% (down from 35.5% in 2022 and 35.3% in 2019)
Wayne Brown versus Auckland Transport… Round Two
In his post-victory comments Wayne Brown was focused on bringing Auckland Transport (AT) back under Council’s control, mocking the large organisation and promising to “fix it“.
On Saturday, the often blunt and combative engineer stormed home to win a second term, comfortably beating his main challenger, Kerrin Leoni, by about 90,000 votes…
…“The public voted for me because, unlike governments, they know where they are going,” Brown said.
There would not be any surprises, said Brown, whose focus over the coming months would be on trying to understand what Auckland Transport actually does, “so I can fix it”.
“It’s like a black box. Answers come out of AT all wrong, and no one in there can tell me how they got to those answers. I will continue asking questions and getting stupid answers until I get good answers.”…
…Asked what he hoped to achieve by the end of his second term, Brown said his priorities included embedding a business like approach to council spending, fostering a culture of efficient service, and encouraging Aucklanders to focus more on the city’s future rather than daily frustrations with Auckland Transport.
Bernard Orsman in Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown outlines goals before Christmas break, focusing on Auckland Transport and tech, NZ Herald, 13 October 2025
Wayne Brown has spent years working to have AT “stripped of its decision-making powers“ and to “restore local democracy to Auckland”. This includes allowing local boards to make some decisions around issues such as “whether or not the car parks outside the local dairy should be removed or should stay“. In December 2024, central government sided with Wayne Brown and is changing the legislation for Auckland Transport. Now the re-elected Mayor will be able to use those changes to reform how transport decisions are made in Auckland City.
HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL’S ELECTION RESULTS
Final results (based on information from the Hamilton City Council website)
Mayor:
Tim MACINDOE (replacing Paula SOUTHGATE who did not run for re-election).
Councillors Elected for the East Ward:
Rachel KARALUS, Andrew BYDDER, Anna CASEY-COX, Jamie STRANGE, Leo LIU, and Sue MORONEY.
Councillors Elected for the West Ward:
Geoff TAYLOR, Sarah THOMSON, Graeme MEAD, Mesh MACDONALD, Angela O’LEARY, and Emma PIKE.
Councillors Elected for the Maaori Ward:
Maria HUATA and Robbie NEHA.
Voter Turnout:
Officially reported as 33% (up from 29.4% in 2022, lower than 39.4% in 2019)
Maaori Ward Poll:
KEEP Maaori wards: 19,190
REMOVE Maaori wards: 16,320
Second-placed Hamilton mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson, who sat on a council that hiked rates more than 41 percent over three years, perhaps says it most bluntly: “To be completely frank, it’s been a really shitty time with rates increases, and the cost pressures on local government, and I’m not surprised by some of the results,” she tells Newsroom.
Thomson, a lawyer and climate activist, was comprehensively beaten to the Hamilton mayoralty by former National MP Tim Macindoe.
“On our council, there’s been a shift to the right,” she says. “Those who have come in on a lower rates platform are going to find it really challenging to make a meaningful dent in rates because of the cost of water infrastructure.”
The political shift in Hamilton is one repeated around the country.
Jonathan Milne quoting Sarah Thomson in Ratepayers rout mayors who imposed big rises, Newsroom, 11 October 2025
WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL’S ELECTION RESULTS
Final results (based on information from the Wellington City Council website)
Mayor:
Andrew LITTLE (replacing Tory WHANAU who did not run for re-election).
Councillors Elected for the Takapū/Northern Ward:
Ben MCNULTY, Tony RANDLE, and Andrea COMPTON.
Councillors Elected for the Wharangi/Onslow-Western Ward:
Diane CALVERT, Rebecca MATTHEWS, and Ray CHUNG.
Councillors Elected for the Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward:
Geordie ROGERS, Afnan AL-RUBAYEE, and Nicola YOUNG.
Councillors Elected for the Motukairangi/Eastern Ward:
Karl TIEFENBACHER, Sam O’BRIEN, and Jonny OSBORNE.
Councillors Elected for the Paekawakawa/Southern Ward:
Nureddin ABDURAHMAN and Laurie FOON.
Councillor Elected for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward:
Matthew REWETI.
Voter Turnout:
Officially reported as 49.99% (up from 45.41% in 2022 and 40.12% in 2019)
Maaori Ward Poll:
KEEP the Māori Ward: 52,677
REMOVE the Māori Ward: 24,365
CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL’S ELECTION RESULTS
Final results (based on information from the Christchurch City Council website)
Mayor:
Phil MAUGER (re-elected).
“I wanna tackle debt…The main thing is to keep Christchurch’s momentum going and tackle debt… and see if we can get a few more bob back in the Council coffers…
…We just kept our head down and kept doing the good work we have always been doing. And I new I would come out in the end as it’s common sense and we are heading in the right direction.”
Re-elected Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger, interviewed on Chris Lynch Media, 11 October 2025
Councillors Elected for Ward Seats (Unopposed):
Aaron KEOWN (Harewood Ward), Sam MACDONALD (Waimairi Ward), and Mark PETERS (Hornby Ward).
Councillors Elected for Ward Seats:
Victoria HENSTOCK (Papanui Ward), David CARTWRIGHT(Fendalton Ward), Pauline COTTER ( Innes Ward), Kelly BARBER (Burwood Ward), Celeste DONOVAN (Coastal Ward), Andrei MOORE (Halswell Ward), Tyla HARRISON-HUNT (Riccarton Ward), Melanie COKER (Spreydon Ward), Jake MCLELLAN (Central Ward), Tim SCANDRETT (Cashmere Ward), Yani JOHANSON (Linwood Ward), Nathaniel HERZ JARDINE (Heathcote Ward), and Tyrone FIELDS (Banks Peninsula Ward).
Voter Turnout:
Officially reported as 38.12% (down from 43.31% in 2022 and 41.10% in 2019)
DUNEDIN CITY COUNCIL’S ELECTION RESULTS
Final results (based on information from the Dunedin City Council website)
Mayor:
Sophie BARKER (replacing Jules RADICH who will now be serving as a Councillor).
Sophie Barker listed these ten priorities on her election campaign website…
PRIORITIES
Create Bold, Unified Dunedin Vision
Reclaim Democracy
Implement Financial Discipline
Action-Oriented Leadership
Drive Economic Growth
Cut Red Tape, Roll Out Welcome Mat
Raise Performance Standards
Ensure Value for Money
Advocate for Dunedin
Support Local Business
“My Plan for Dunedin” on the Sophie Barker Dunedin City Councillor webpage
Councillors Elected for At Large Seats:
John CHAMBERS, Christine GAREY, Doug HALL, Marie LAUFISO, Cherry LUCAS, Russell LUND, Mandy MAYHEM, Benedict ONG, Jules RADICH, Andrew SIMMS, Mickey TREADWELL, Lee VANDERVIS, Steve WALKER, and Brent WEATHERALL.
Voter Turnout:
Officially reported as 45.47% (down from 48.22% in 2022 and 45.6% in 2019)
NATIONWIDE LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS AND TRENDS
The mayors who instituted double-digit rates increases, and/or were senior figures in Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) tended to be replaced in October’s elections around New Zealand.
Residents of up to half the country’s cities and districts will have new mayors this coming week, after turning against almost all those who imposed high rates rises.
Newsroom projects that in 66 mayoral races, at least 31 communities have elected new mayors, with two more in the balance…
… it’s a swing to the right, with David Seymour’s Act Party electing up to 10 candidates in its first foray into local politics.
But perhaps more than just a swing to the right, it’s a reflection of the impact of rates rises on cost of living. Of 18 councils that imposed double-digit rates rises this year, 13 have elected new mayors – and a 14th, Whakatāne, hangs in the balance.
Jonathan Milne in Ratepayers rout mayors who imposed big rises, Newsroom, 11 October 2025
Sam Broughton is a clear example of these trends, having lost to Lydia Gliddon in the election for Mayor of Selwyn, and now resigning as President of LGNZ (a role reported to pay $102,215 a year). Newsroom Pro’s managing editor Jonathan Milne makes links to LGNZ being under pressure and facing criticism.
Former Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton will step down as president of Local Government New Zealand following his landslide loss.
The three-term incumbent was earlier this month ousted as mayor by Lydia Gliddon, who won almost three-quarters of the vote…
….Broughton had come under fire as ratepayers faced repeated double-digit rate rises.
Parts of Sam Broughton steps down as president of Local Government New Zealand, RNZ, 20 October 2025
As LGNZ president, Sam Broughton publicly promoted a range of policies including: “double-digit rates rises”, having “Government pay rates on all Crown land”, “congestion charging”, “bed taxes”, “tourist levies”, and four-year terms for elected members on councils.
“A 4-year term of local government would also make a dramatic improvement in productivity across councils and provide certainty. This would in turn create a longer-term pipeline of work for the private sector to partner with councils and deliver for Aotearoa New Zealand”
Sam Broughton as quoted in Councils need more levers to raise funds, LGNZ, 18 December 2023
The newly-elected Mayor of Selwyn, Lydia Gliddon, stated policies during the election campaign involved working with the “community to strengthen trust and transparency in council decision making, while focusing on practical, affordable solutions for Selwyn’s future.”
My priorities
Empower community voices. Decisions made with you not for you, authentic consultation and real input.
Deliver fiscal responsibility. Focus on essentials, ensure value in the dollar and that growth pays.
Restore open council. Clear communication and full transparency to rebuild trust in local government.
Lydia Gliddon’s candidate page on policy.nz
Candidates who were former MPs won a number of mayoral seats around the North Island. Former Green MP Nandor Tanczos was voted in as Mayor of Whakatane, former Labour MP Andrew Little was voted in as Mayor of Wellington City, former National MP Tim Macindoe was voted in as Mayor of Hamilton, and former National MP Nick Smith was re-elected as Mayor of Nelson.
NEGATIVE RESPONSES TO THE “RATEPAYER PROTECTION PLEDGE“ CAMPAIGN
The Taxpayers’ Union (TPU) is an activist group which self-identifies as the “most popular campaign group championing fiscal conservatism and transparency in New Zealand”. For the 2025 local government election campaign the TPU emailed many candidates a “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” certificate. The TPU’s offer to candidates was this… Tick and sign the Pledge certificate, email it back to the TPU and then they will endorse you to the 200,000+ people on their mailing list and on their website.
However, TPU went beyond this simple offer in its treatment of candidates. TPU members around country were encouraged to email candidates and “encourage“ those candidates to sign the pledge. The TPU (and the related Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance) also portrayed candidates who did not sign the Pledge as actively supporting large rates increases and being anti-transparency. This appears to be where the troubles started for the TPU.
Wayne Brown’s response to the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” campaign was short and attracted many headlines in the media. His public scrap with the TPU did not stop Wayne Brown winning a second term.
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown’s inbox was bombarded by 1500 emails from a lobby group to sign a pledge on rates that sparked a profane two-word response.
Brown made headlines yesterday when he told the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance (ARA) to ‘f*** off’ in response to supporters asking him to sign its “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” to keep rates down.
The mayor was sent an ARA email with the headline, “Is Wayne Brown planning a rates blow-out?”, to which he sent his blunt response.
Ratepayers’ Alliance supporters sent 1500 emails to Wayne Brown’s office before ‘f*** off’ reply, NZ Herald, 03 October 2025
The mayor has labelled the pledge “gimmicky”, and said his focus was keeping rates down and stopping wasteful spending.
“From the moment I took office, I have worked extremely hard to keep rates down. We have the best track record of any urban Council this term,” Brown said.
“We’ve done that by tackling the real problem, wasteful spending and excessive costs. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the only way to deliver real results for households.”
Brown said he had delivered, despite dealing with rampant inflation.
Auckland mayor Wayne Brown hits back at claims he’s planning a rates hike after dropping f-bomb, RNZ, 03 October 2025
In Golden Bay, some Community Board candidates criticised the Pledge campaign on the grounds of not contacting candidates with one candidate accusing the TPU of “false advertising”.
“It’s just not the truth that’s being portrayed there…
…I have a strong feeling that is an unethical thing to do.”
Golden Bay Community Board candidate Axel Downard-Wilke as quoted in Rates survey criticised after candidates not contacted, Nelson Mail, 10 October 2025
The TPU’s website put red crosses next to the names of every candidate who did not sign the pledge, and strongly implied that those red crosses represented policy positions that were hostile to ratepayers and transparency.
In his opinion piece, CityWatch NZ editor John McDonald asks “Were over 83% of Hamilton’s 2025 mayoral candidates hostile to Hamilton ratepayers? …or is it more likely that the Taxpayers’ Union was being false and misleading?”.
Only two Mayoral candidates in Hamilton received positive green ticks from the Taxpayers’ Union; Jack Gielen and Rudy Du Plooy.
The rest of the mayoral candidates (including myself) received angry red cross from the Taxpayers’ Union, implying that we all want higher rates increase, all support unelected appointees on council committees, and all oppose transparency measures. In many cases those implications were false and misleading…
…The Taxpayers’ Union has done some good work in the past. The ratepayersreport.nz website is a valuable resource and I respect the amount of research, design work, planning, and official information (LGOIMA) requests to needed to create that website.
The “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” campaign may have been a sincere attempt to inform the public, increase engagement in local elections, and make elected representatives more accountable. However, the campaign became a cause of confusion and frustration among both voters and candidates.
I am not angry with TPU over their Pledge campaign… just disappointed.
If you are an activist group trying to make a good impression on local government politics, then the 2025 “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” campaign provides an important example of what not to do.
John McDonald, OPINION: Taxpayers’ Union Misrepresented Candidates’ Views with the “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” Campaign, 01 November 2025
MORE WATER COMPANY WOES
Recently, S&P Global reported that the ‘off-the-books’ borrowing councils are hoping to achieve with their new “Local Water Done Well” companies will likely impact their credit ratings. Councils might still be treated as having a “contingent liability” for their water company’s debts.
Higher debts can lead to lower credit ratings, and lower credit ratings can lead to higher interest costs on council debt.
The issue though, from a council’s credit rating perspective, is if something goes wrong with that water entity, and we’ve seen this around the world, that means that councils are on the hook…
…They can’t back out…
…And while some officials might say, well, that’s never going to happen, I’ve just mentioned, we have seen that happen around the world, and councils can get into a lot of financial stress when they’re guaranteeing entities.
S&P Credit Analyst Anthony Walker as quote in Proposed government water reforms will cost ratepayers more – report, RNZ, 31 October 2025
Wellington councils are planning to replace their existing water company, “Wellington Water”, with a new “Local Water Done Well” water company named “Tiaki Wai Metro Water”. An article in The Post stated how the new water company “will have greater borrowing power to get on top of the region’s water infrastructure woes”.
Earlier article in The Post reported on a paper where Metro Water is expected to require $25 billion in infrastructure investment over 30 years. This was reported as $6.8 billion more investment than expected over the next 10 years, though it was argued that these costs are still “less than continuing with the status quo”.
“The metropolitan area is facing a significant and escalating bow wave of investment need and due to affordability challenges faced by the councils, many high-cost and high-risk investment requirements were excluded from the councils’ LTPs,” the paper said. It estimated by 2034, the average household annual water bills would cost between $4800-5700, up from $2100 today.
Justin Wong, New water utility Metro Water stares at $2.6 billion hole, The Post, 13 August 2025
The board of directors of the new Tiaki Wai Metro Water company were identified as “Will Peet, Jon Lamonte, Elena Trout and Adrian Wimmers” in The Post article with Jon Lamonte being the “former Watercare chief executive”.
Watercare is still discharging wastewater into the Mahurangi Harbour and causing serious contamination issues for local Oyster Farmers. On the 30 October 2025, RNZ reported on the “biggest wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River this year” with oyster farms facing a “28-day harvest closure” . According the Mahurangi Oyster Association, sewage overflow issues have been happening for seven years, and could happen for another two years until Watercare’s new treatment plant is operational.
HELP SHAPE THE MORRINSVILLE ROAD UPGRADES
Re-elected Hamilton Councillor Andrew Bydder gives his opinion on the “Morrinsville Road fit for purpose upgrades”
Details for the consultation are shown below.
CONSULTATION CLOSES SUNDAY 09 NOVEMBER 2025
Morrinsville Road fit for purpose upgrades
Location
Both sides of Morrinsville Road, between Cambridge Road and Matangi Road.
Aim
Make it safer and easier to walk, scooter, and cycle, especially for:
School children.
Uni students.
Casual and commuter cyclists.
Detailed information
Physically separated on-road cycle lanes on both sides of the road.
Safe, raised crossings at Mullane Street, Morris Road, and Berkley Avenue side road entrances.
Improvements to the existing signalised crossing on Morrinsville Road.
Energy-efficient LED streetlights.
Adjusting some bus stop locations to achieve more efficient spacing of around 400m (see Proposed Upgrade Plans for details).
Link: https://haveyoursay.hamilton.govt.nz/morrinsville-rd-upgrades
OPEN INVITATION FOR OPINION PIECES
Do you have ideas to improve local government?
If you are interested in volunteering an opinion piece for CityWatch NZ, or know of someone who can write well, email content@citywatchnz.org for more information.
OPEN CONSULTATIONS, PETITIONS, AND EVENT NOTICES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT (AUCKLAND COUNCIL TRANSPORT GOVERNANCE) AMENDMENT BILL
CLOSES 11:59PM SUNDAY 09 NOVEMBER 2025
This bill aims to address to increase democratic accountability for transport decision making in Auckland and ensure a long-term cohesive view shared between central government, Auckland Council, and agencies delivering transport services.
It will do this by:
repealing the legislation that established Auckland Transport and re-establishing a council-controlled organisation that will be responsible solely for delivering public transport services in Auckland
transferring most transport and policy planning decisions from Auckland Transport to Auckland Council
allocating transport decisions on local roads to the relevant local boards
establishing the Auckland Regional Transport Committee, a statutory committee that will consist of ministerial appointees, elected council representatives, and an independent chair. This committee will develop the Auckland Regional Transport plan and provide direction for the development of land transport in Auckland while aligning the transport priorities of the government and Auckland Council.
Link:
”NEW ZEALAND TAXPAYERS’ UNION’S “CAP RATES NOW” PETITION
The petition can be found at this link…
The petition text is copied below…
I call on Local Government Minister Simon Watts to cap rates increases to no more than annual inflation
HAMILTON’S SOUTHERN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
The city council is running “community information sessions“ for the proposed treatment plant to be sited south of Hamilton City.
We are pleased to share that we will be holding two community information sessions in November at the JetPark Hamilton Airport Hotel & Conference Centre. These will be held on:
Wednesday 5 November from 4pm – 7pm
Thursday 6 November from 4pm – 7pm.
These sessions are a chance for the community to meet the project team, learn more about the project and about modern wastewater treatment plants, ask questions and understand the process and timelines for this project.
All are welcome to attend.
There will be other opportunities to meet the team.
We’ll have more information to share with you as the project progresses.
There are currently two petitions to change the site selected for the proposed plant
“CHANGE THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED SOUTHERN WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT” PETITION
CLOSES WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 2026 AT 11.59PM NZST
The petition can be found at this link…
https://petitions.parliament.nz/4a5779c1-162c-49c4-9b20-08de0ac20f72?lang=en
The petition text is copied below…
Petition request
That the House of Representatives urge Hamilton City Council to change the location of the proposed Southern Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Petition reason
I believe that HCC has ignored the voices of mana whenua and our local community directly affected. I disagree with the site preferred by HCC. In my view, relocation of the proposed plant is a necessary step towards preserving and protecting our environmental integrity, water, forest, both flora and fauna, local community, identity, history, cultural heritage, and historical site of Ngāti Ngamurikaitaua, Nukuhau Pā.
An earlier and related petition, posted by Te Kopa King, on change.org by can be found at this link…
”INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF DIGITAL IDENTIFICATION SYSTEMS” PETITION
CLOSES SATURDAY 31 JANUARY 2026 AT 11.59PM NZST
The petition can be found at this link…
https://petitions.parliament.nz/c0c80f58-f8c3-4ef8-21d6-08de036dbf3a?lang=en
The petition text is copied below…
Petition request
That the House of Representatives urge the Government to commission an independent review of privacy, security, and civil-liberty risks in digital ID systems, and to suspend plans for any centralised or mandatory digital ID until full public consultation occurs.
Petition reason
I believe that centralised digital IDs could enable tracking, profiling, or data misuse, threatening privacy, freedom, and resilience. In my opinion, an independent review should assess impacts under the Privacy Act 2020 and NZ Bill of Rights Act 1990. Until then, I believe the Government must pause any rollout or funding.
”MAKE SOUND EMITTERS MANDATORY ON ELECTRIC CARS TO WARN BLIND PEDESTRIANS” PETITION
CLOSES FRIDAY 31 JULY 2026 AT 11.59PM NZST
The petition can be found at this link…
https://petitions.parliament.nz/8b70bf69-2e54-4e55-89ce-08ddcfc45c03
The petition text is copied below…
Petition request
That the House of Representatives legislate to make cost-effective artificial sound emitters mandatory on all electric and hybrid vehicles sold in New Zealand to warn blind and low-vision pedestrians when the vehicles are near.
Petition reason
Silent electric cars are a serious risk to blind and low-vision pedestrians. Without sound, we don’t know the vehicles are coming. Other countries require warning sounds at low speeds — I believe that New Zealand should urgently do so too, before more lives are put at risk. In my view, sound emitters should be mandatory on new electric and hybrid cars so that current vehicle owners aren’t burdened with the cost.
Posting of event information, petition information, consultation viewpoints, or other content on the CityWatch NZ newsletter or website does not constitute endorsement of those views by CityWatch NZ or its editors. This section is often based on information readers have sent to us on issues they think are important or checks of government websites for broadly-relevant consultations.
If there is a political/regulatory consultation, petition, or event you think might be of interest to CityWatch NZ readers, email the details to contact@citywatchnz.org