Key Election Issues

What’s Really Going On in Whangarei Council

Whangarei is at a turning point. Rates are rising, accountability is vanishing, and ideology is replacing practical leadership. It’s time for residents to know the truth and reclaim control.
We are CROW — Concerned Residents of Whangarei. We're locals who are fed up with the financial mismanagement, political spin, and arrogant leadership in our council. This election, we’re laying out the real issues — the ones they don’t want you to talk about. 

🚨 The Real Issues This Election
🟣 1. WOKE Agendas Trumping Common-Sense

Our council has lost sight of its core role: roads, water, waste, and community service delivery. Instead, we’ve seen a creeping shift into ideological territory — climate declarations, DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) consultants, “strategic storytelling,” and Treaty-based restructuring that lacks real public mandate.
These distractions come at your expense — literally. 

💸 2. Rates Are Out of Control

Rates are increasing at unsustainable levels. Some homeowners have seen double-digit rate hikes, with little to no service improvement.
Yet somehow, there’s always money for:
• PR firms
• Coastal retreat workshops
• Internal rebrands
• Endless “vision” and “strategy” documents
Where’s the restraint? Where’s the real value? 

🕵️ 3. The Four “Wellbeings” Excuse – How the 2002 Act Changed Everything

Under the Local Government Act 2002, councils were given a much broader scope to act — with a mandate to promote the “Four Wellbeings”:
• Social
• Economic
• Environmental
• Cultural
Originally intended to guide balanced decision-making, this clause has become a loop-hole for mission creep. Councils now push projects far beyond their core responsibilities — from arts funding and ideological campaigns to “equity audits” and “strategic narratives” — often without ratepayer consent.
In other words: They no longer need to focus on what you care about — they focus on what they care about.

Key Election Issues

🙉 4. They Don’t Listen – They Just Do It Anyway

Public consultation is treated as a box-ticking exercise. The council runs surveys, holds forums, and then ignores feedback. We’ve seen this with:
• Three Waters consultation
• Māori ward proposals
• Coastal zone “managed retreat” plans
• Budget priorities
The “we know best” culture is rampant — and it's killing trust. 

🧻 5. Wasteful Spending & Vanity Projects

The spending priorities are alarming:
• Thousands spent on consultants to rewrite internal values statements
• “Engagement advisors” hired while libraries cut hours
• Council-funded “co-design” workshops that deliver nothing measurable
• Councillor expenses on lavish catering, domestic travel, and vague “strategic partnerships”
Where is the scrutiny? Where is the basic respect for your money? 

💬 Rates Horror Stories — Real Impact on Real People

We believe in a Whangārei where:
• Rates don’t fund Fiji holidays or junkets
• Council lunches aren’t more lavish than local school budgets
• Consulting gigs aren't handed out to mates
Pensioners are being forced to choose between rates and heating.
Young families are struggling to afford first homes and basic services.
Businesses face rising costs and choking regulation.
Meanwhile, the Council is busy chasing status and ideology. 

🛑 It’s Time to Leave LGNZ & LGFA

Realising the dangers the LGFA holds over the Whangarei residents WDC councillor Cllr Marie Olsen, bravely put in a motion to leave the LGFA, the vote was a tie and Mayor's casting vote rejected the motion. (*Note see voting records)

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) are not neutral. They push top-down policy, lobby for ideological agendas, and saddle councils with debt.

We say:

Get Whangarei out of the swamp. Leave LGNZ and the LGFA now.
They don’t speak for us — and they don’t represent ratepayer priorities. 

Key Election Issues

✅ What CROW Stands For

We’re not asking politely. We’re demanding:
• 🔍 Transparency
• 💰 Accountability
• 🧹 The removal of councillors, managers, and staff who defy public trust
• 🗣️ A council that serves people, not ideology
We're building a nest of watchdogs, not lapdogs. We’re watching every budget, every committee, and every backdoor deal — and we will shine a light on it all. 

🐦 Join the Movement

We’re CROW — Concerned Residents of Whangārei.
This isn’t a protest — it’s a plan.
We’re standing up to mismanagement. We’re rejecting ideology-as-governance.
And we’re bringing back real leadership, fiscal sanity, and community voice. 

Join us. Ruffle feathers. Vote smart. Make Whangarei great again.

SMART Councils Not SMART Cities

🛑 It’s Time to Leave LGNZ & LGFA

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) and the Local Government Funding Agency (LGFA) are not neutral. They push top-down policy, lobby for ideological agendas, and saddle councils with debt.
We say:
Get Whangarei out of the swamp. Leave LGNZ and the LGFA now.
They don’t speak for us — and they don’t represent ratepayer priorities. 

LGNZ & LGFA

We believe in a Whangarei where your rates don't fund lavish council lunches, extravagant holidays in Fiji or questionable 'consulting' gigs for mates. We're here to shine a spotlight on each and every individual responsible and every dollar spent, ensuring it benefits the community, not just the selected WOKE ideology driven agendas and the connected few. Think of us as the financial hawks, circling above the council chambers.

Tired of watching Whangarei's finances disappear faster than a politician's promise? So are we! CROW, or Concerned Residents Of Whangarei, is a grassroots movement of fed-up locals demanding accountability from our council and out of the  LGNZ & LGFA. We're not just asking; we're building a nest of transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Our mission is simple: transparency, accountability, and the removal of all councilors, management and staff who feels they are above this.  a council that actually listens to the people it serves. We're not afraid to ruffle feathers, challenge the status quo, and demand better for Whangarei. Join us, and let's build a brighter, more financially responsible future together. Let's make Whangarei great...again!

https://crow-nz.com/

Why Rates Matter:

A $73,000 QUESTION

In NZ, local councilors are generally not entitled to receive director fees for serving on organisations where they undertake that role on behalf of the council, unless explicitly approved by the council. That convention is less clear when it comes to council staff.

Alan Adcock is the Council’s finance manager. As a senior manager, he receives a salary package within the top salary band of $180,000 to $399,999. The exact figure is not known, but it is likely to be more than $250,000 and less than the CEO’s salary package of $382,000.

He is also a director of the Local Government Funding Authority (LGFA). The LGFA is, in effect, a finance company for local councils and council-controlled organisations. By all accounts, it is well managed and does a good job of reducing council borrowing costs and risk.

The LGFA is 20% owned by central government and 80% by local authorities, including the WDC (3.3% shareholding).

LGFA paid OUR COUNCIL FINANCE DIRECTOR  $73,000 in the 2024 financial year (source: LGFA Annual Report).

The Board consists of five independent directors who are experts in finance, and one non-independent director (Aland Adcock) representing the local council shareholders. He has been in that role since November 2021. For that role, the LGFA paid him $73,000 in the 2024 financial year (source: LGFA Annual Report).

Prior to being appointed a director of LGFA, he was the chairman of the LGFA Shareholders Council, which acts as a watchdog over governance matters.

The question being asked is whether Mr Adcock’s directorship on the LGFA is “part of his council duties” and should be considered to be part of his council salary package, or is he acting in a personal capacity and entitled to keep the fee?

The LGFA annual website says this: “Alan Adcock Non-Independent Director...His involvement with LGFA began in its initial planning stage, as a representative of the ‘tight nine’ councils that worked together to turn the concept into reality in 2011. He was an inaugural member of the Shareholders’ Council, which he chaired from 2014 before joining the Board on 23 November 2021.”

NET ZERO AC0UNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY

The $73,000 question is one for the council's Chief Executive to answer, but one would expect the council to have a written policy guideline on this issue.

Alan Adcock is also a director of Whangarei Waste Limited, which is 50% owned by the WDC and 50% by Northland Waste Limited. It is not known whether he receives a director's fee for that role. LETTERBOX has requested a copy of the annual accounts of Whangarei Waste Ltd. The WDC replied:

“Whangarei Waste Limited does not produce an annual report as it is a shell company that sits within Northland Regional Landfill Limited Partnership, and is an exempt organisation. The annual report for the Northland Regional Landfill Limited Partnership is not publicly available on the basis of section 7 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 because the information could prejudice the commercial position of the person who supplied (or is subject to) the information (section 7(2)(b)(ii)), and to enable Council to carry out commercial activities without prejudice or disadvantage (section 7(2)(h)). That being said, some financial information about the landfill is published in Council’s annual report, which is publicly available on our website.”

* * END **

(FOIR) - Freedom Of Information Request

We suggest local residents repeat the (FOIR) Request

Dear Sir

Information request

I make the following information request under S10 of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987.

Does the Whangarei District Council have a policy that addresses a councillor's right to personally benefit from fees they may receive from an external organisation or council-controlled organisation for a role they hold in their capacity as a councillor or shareholder/stakeholder representative? If so, please provide a copy of that policy. and

Does the Whangarei District Council have a policy that addresses a staff member's right to personally benefit from fees they may receive from an external organisation or council-controlled organisation for a role they hold in their capacity as a staff member or shareholder/stakeholder representative? If so, please provide a copy of that policy.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully,
CROW
Concerned Residents Of Whangerei

Voices Of CROW 

CROW, Concerned Residents of Whangarei, are fed up with the council's out of control spending. We're tired of watching our long term residents on a fixed income worrying about their future.

Our hard-earned money is disappearing into a black hole of questionable WOKE projects and inflated egos. It's NOW time for change!

**Accountability Now!** We demand transparency in council spending. Show us the BUDGET & ACCOUNTS! We want to know where every single dollar is going, and we want to know why. No more backroom deals, no more secret agendas. No more $93M called Other Expenditure, a question often asked at previous budget meetings... We need plain, honest accountability.

**Enough is Enough!** Join CROW and let's make Whangarei a better place. A place where the council listens to the people, where rates are reasonable, and where leadership actually leads and is transparent, honest and accountable. Let's take back our town!

https://crow-nz.com/

CROW's Burning Questions (and Answers!)

What is the $93M called Other Expenditure?

Whangarei Council still has since 2023 an unexplained line item of
$93 million called Other Expenditure?

Who controls our councils spending decisions?

Whangarei Council needs to hold fire on this budget until it gets a corrected, updated, truthful report from NIWA that has been independently verified then you can correct the budget & explain where this money is going.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW about LGFA Local Government Funding Agency? 

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW about LGFA

if we really want to understand the LGFA we need to identify who is in each role:

1 Who are the FUND model originators?
2 Who are the FUND MANAGERS?
3 Who are the shareholders?
4 Who are the investors ?
5 What is the detailed FUND MODEL?
6 What are all the TAX incentives behind the model?
7 What are the income ratio's? for example is it a 5-2-20?
8 How is equity distributed between fund managers, directors, non exec directors and shareholders?*

Is CROW affiliated with any party?

Absolutely not! We're a non-partisan group of concerned residents who are united by our love for Whangarei and our frustration with the council's out of control spending. We welcome anyone who shares our goals.

Will CROW ever give up?

Never! We're in this for the long haul. We'll keep fighting for a better Whangarei until the council starts listening and acting in the best interests of the community. We're like a persistent rash, but for good!

Contact CROW Now

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Disclaimer: CROW is a grassroots community movement. All information provided is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice. Participation is voluntary and at your own risk.

© 2025 CROW. All rights reserved.

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