2025 – A year for significant decisions

Published on 22 January 2025

Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo, pictured at the new water treatment plant at Whau Valley, says water service management in Northland and our District is one of the big decisions to be made this year.

A message from Mayor Vince Cocurullo

Welcome to 2025, a year that looks to be full of interesting challenges and opportunities for all of us – as individuals, Whangārei residents, Northlanders, and citizens of the wider world.

The big economic picture

Whenever I can, I love to talk to one of our very own former residents, Infometrics CEO Brad Olsen, who is a proud son of Whangārei and former chair of our Youth Advisory Group (YAG). He recently made some interesting observations on the growth, finances and short-, medium- and long-term projections for Whangārei, Northland and the country.

We talked about how the big economic picture relates to our District and what we need to keep in mind as we plan our work and make the most of every ratepayer dollar in the coming year.

Commodity prices (for things we export) have improved, so Whangārei and Northland’s farmers and producers are seeing stronger returns. Dairy, meat and horticulture prices are all higher, providing a well needed cash injection and confidence boost for Whangārei.

Interest rates have fallen (something we all like to hear) and are set to drop lower in 2025. As some of us refix onto lower mortgage rates, the cost-of-living pressure will ease up a bit and provide support to our back pocket as the year goes on.

Inflation looks to be much more under control than in previous years.

Brad commented on employment numbers. While they are lower than a year ago and some businesses are reluctant to hire, there are some signs of positive change.

One of the growth areas has been in tourism, and our District is gaining a larger share of that market with the recent cruise ship visits.

Brad commented on the heavily constrained Central Government finances. I acknowledge that they must prioritise projects, even postpone some, to keep the country going. For us at Council, this means we need to do the same, as a vast amount of our roading budget comes from Central Government.

Doing the basics well

Our key focus coming into 2025 is making sure our District and roads are accessible, which means fixing the slips of the previous storms and making sure our roads are of a condition that they will last longer.

This means you will see more contractors working on various aspects of our District, please be patient with them. Last year, we heard from Central Government about doing the basics well. The basics for us obviously mean transport, water supply, wastewater, solid waste and stormwater management.

They also include streamlining processes and increasing the monitoring of what happens within our District. This is where we need you. Good planning and processes can only achieve the best outcome when we all get involved. Let us know when the pipes are broken, the road is moving or graffiti is happening.

The most important thing of all is to know and clearly understand what our communities’ priorities are, and to find real, meaningful and effective ways to achieve them through the work we do as a council.

That will mean a lot more listening, by all of us. Our social media pages and our What’s New Whangārei newsletter are great ways to stay up to date.

Having your say

This year, we want to know what the bottom (and top) line is for you on many topics, including delivering the basics, planning the medium- and long-term future, and how you want your District to be led.

We will ask what your vision is for developing the Knowledge Precinct between Western Hills Drive and Bank Street. In April, we will be engaging with you about the back-to-basics Annual Plan for 2025-26. We also want to know your views regarding final decisions on the way water services will be delivered in our District and region. We will want to know what you think of our parking strategy and we will be discussing the future of air transport for the District.

October will be decision-making time again, about how you would like to be represented for the next few years. Yes, the last three years have been a whirlwind, and it is that time again to vote at the 2025 local body elections.

In summary, it is going to be a big year, and we need everyone to be a part of the important decisions to be made. Please keep an ear and eye out for opportunities to read up online, attend meetings and drop-in sessions, to speak and make submissions, and, finally, to vote.