Coverage in the Taranaki Daily News on the Meet the Candidates hui in Ōpunake the other night:
Ōpunake lively debate at candidates’ meeting
There was no chance of dozing off on the sofas of Everybody’s Theatre when 14 candidates fronted up to voters at Ōpunake on Wednesday evening.
Despite the wild, windy night, 52 people turned out to hear from candidates for the Taranaki Coastal seats on the South Taranaki District Council, the community board and the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC).
“Our biggest mandate is to make sure people don’t fall asleep in those comfy chairs,” Urs Signer, who is standing for the TRC, said. “We need some robust debate.”
That came further into the meeting, when candidates were asked who supported Māori wards. All hands on stage were raised.
Then New Plymouth District councillor Dinnie Moeahu challenged Walker, saying that he did not support Māori wards.
The accusation was in reference to an issue at a Taranaki Regional Council meeting in December, when Walker was one of the councillors who colluded to stop a submission on the Treaty Principles Bill and halt debate on the matter.
In explanation on Wednesday, Walker said he was trying to “ride trouble with a slack rein”.
“I believed partly that the TRC is supposed to be dealing with other matters,” he said.
Signer said the issue contributed to his bid for election. “I decided I would stand as one small voice to honour the Treaty of Waitangi. That’s why I’m running.”
Full article by Catherine Groenestein: ​https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360819324/lively-debate-candidates-meeting-opunake

​Tonight, I spoke at the Meet the Candidates hui at Everybody's Theatre in Ōpunake, a great evening of discussion organised by Ōpunake & District Business Association. First question: crunchy or smooth peanut butter (i went with crunchy). Second question: rugby or league - and I yelled out 'soccer' to which the MC responded, "and that's how you end your political aspirations in Ōpunake." lol
Hopefully, I improved slightly when it came to discussing actual politics. Regenerative agriculture, public transport, stopping seabed mining and keeping the Māori ward - I tried to jam as much as I could into my speaking time.
On the question of installing security cameras in Ōpunake, I explained that the key to a safer society is building strong and vibrant communities. The biggest safety concern for me is climate change and the extreme weather events associated with it. There are no cameras needed to record that but instead urgent action to reduce emissions while building our local resilience.
For the question about the lake in Ōpunake, I articulated the need to look at the whole Waiaua catchment. Monitoring confirms, the water is pristine when it leaves Te Papakura o Taranaki but after traversing 20kms of farmland, it is in a dire state. The key is to work with hapū and iwi and Andy Whitehead from the community board noted that the lake in fact used to be a kūmara garden.
On rates capping, I took the position that we need to bring social justice into the discussion. Decades of underinvestment in public infrastructure by previous generations has created this problem for us. I suggested, that GST on rates (essentially a tax on a tax) is particularly unfair for lower-income families, but also renters because GST is a regressive tax that hits the poor harder.
Finally, there was a question by NPDC councillor Dinnie Moeahu to TRC councillor Neil Walker around his well-publicised shocking behaviour with the TRC's submission on the Treaty Principles Bill where councillor Walker, with others, shut down any debate. Neil Walker was unapologetic despite the fact that an internal TRC review concluded that the decision-making process had been inconsistent with Council standing orders, established meeting protocols and the broader principles of good governance, transparency and natural justice.
I would like to remind voters that it was in fact the incumbent Neil Walker who voted in favour of reducing South Taranaki’s representatives from three to two at the September 2021 council meeting. Like Stratford was awarded some years ago, a special option was presented to the council which would have resulted in two Māori seats and retained South Taranaki’s three seats. Councillor Walker voted against that proposal and as a result, South Taranaki lost one seat and all Māori across the Taranaki region were reduced to only having one seat. Hopefully, this can be addressed at the council’s next representation review but for now, let’s all vote to keep the Māori ward.
The very last question - a summary in only three words - is obviously a challenge. I was thinking about 'climate justice now' or 'stop seabed mining'. In the end I went with 'Keep Māori Wards'. Kia ora tātou.
Photos - Dinnie Moeahu and Fiona Young. Thank you!

VOTING PAPERS START ARRIVING FROM TOMORROW. Here's what you need to know:
These elections are really important. Not just do you get to choose the people who make decisions about things that affect our daily lives, our environment, the climate and our communities, this election there is also a REFERENDUM about whether we should keep or remove the Māori Ward
Council elections are done by postal voting. If you are enrolled to vote, your voting papers will arrive between 9-22 September.
If you're not yet enrolled to vote or haven't updated your address, you can still cast a Special Vote until 10 October, by visiting the South Taranaki District Council’s Administration
Building or calling the electoral office on 0800 922 822.
TRC elections use the FPP (First Past the Post) system. When you vote in an FPP election, you tick the name of the candidates(s) you most prefer, up to the number of vacancies. There are two South Taranaki seats on the Taranaki Regional Council, and three candidates. If you only like one candidate, then it is best to only vote for that candidate! If you want me to get elected, the best thing you could do is to ONLY vote for me for the TRC, and none of the other two candidates.
For the Māori Ward referendum, you will be asked whether to KEEP or remove the Māori Ward. It has already been in place for 3 years, but central government is forcing us to have a referendum on it. The result of the referendum will be binding for 6 years from 2028. NO STRESS, VOTE YES
Make sure you remind all your friends, whānau and colleagues to vote! But voting is never enough. We need to be active in our communities and organise for change.
Voter turnout in local government elections here is only around 45% - which is why often the Council elected often doesn't really reflect the community it represents.
Voting closes at 12pm on Saturday 11 October. You can drop your vote in one of the orange ballot boxes at Council facilities, or make sure it is in the post box at least 7 days before the deadline. Finding a letterbox to post your envelop seems to be getting trickier every year. If you haven't sent mail in a while (there are plenty of youth in our community who have never sent or received mail in their entire life!), there is at least one in every town in South Taranaki. You can also drop your voting papers at EVERY library across South Taranaki.
Photo of me posting my vote for the election three years ago.

5000 flyers! We have hand-delivered 5000 flyers across South Taranaki to letterboxes in Waitotara, Waverley, Pātea, Hāwera, Manaia, Ōpunake and Eltham. A huge THANK YOU to Ali, Moss, Abe, Karne, Kate, Emily, Barry, Phoebe, Hoengārangi, Piriniki and Tuhi-Ao for helping deliver these on bikes, scooters, skateboards and on foot.
From this Tuesday onwards, you can expect your voting papers in the mail. The Taranaki Regional Council uses the first past the post (FPP) voting system. When you vote in an FPP election, you tick the name of the candidates(s) you most prefer, up to the number of vacancies. There are two South Taranaki seats on the Taranaki Regional Council, and three candidates. If you only like one candidate, then it is best to only vote for that candidate! If you want me to get elected, the best thing you could do is to ONLY vote for me for the TRC, and none of the other two candidates.
All voters should receive their voting documents in the mail by Monday 22 September 2025. To check that you are on the roll or to enrol, please head to https://vote.nz/enrolling/enrol-or-update/enrol-or-update-online/ If your name is not on the roll or you do not receive your voting papers, please call the electoral office on 0800 922 822 so you can make a special vote. If you have any questions around voting, please reach out.
Photo at the St. Mary's Community Garden in Hāwera - the māra looks stunning!

​On Tuesday night, I spoke at the meet the candidates hui in Arakamu / Eltham, organised by the Eltham Lions. The Taranaki Daily News journalist wrote this: 'Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) candidate Urs Signer promised a fresh vision for the council, including public transport and regenerative agriculture, and gave half his allotted four-minute speaking time to a plea for retaining Māori wards. “I encourage everyone to vote in favour of Maōri wards – Māori wards are about justice, recognising that Māori should have a seat at the table,” he said.'
I am not sure how many people I managed to convince but a sitting councillor came up to me afterwards and said he used to be opposed to Māori wards but has since changed his mind.
I support Māori aspirations for tino rangatiratanga, as guaranteed to hapū under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Māori wards are a small step towards Te Tiriti justice and were adopted by all councils across Taranaki because strong, inclusive representation makes better decisions that reflect the needs of the whole community. Māori Wards have been a positive solution. By bringing in Māori culture, knowledge and ways of life, councils have become a better reflection of our communities and our shared concerns. I encourage you to vote to keep Māori wards at this election.
Photos by Te Aroha Hohaia - thank you!

I want to give a big shout-out to our bus drivers. We are lucky to have amazing drivers for the Southlink that connects coastal communities on SH45 from Ōpunake to New Plymouth, and the Connector linking Hāwera with New Plymouth on SH3. From my personal observation as a regular public transport user and looking at the Taranaki Regional Council reports, passenger numbers have grown significantly over recent years which has led to increased services - because many of us have been asking for a better public transport system for a long time. There is still a lot to do in this space. Evening and weekend services are still missing so there is room to expand. Given the obvious benefits that public transport brings to the region - such as lower emissions, reducing congestion, enhancing community connections, particularly for the elderly, youth and those who are financially struggling - it is important that we have councillors who value, understand and prioritise public transport. And tell our drivers they are awesome!
To find out more about public transport options in Taranaki, head to the TRC website for information on routes and timetables: https://www.trc.govt.nz/buses-transport/routes

First Meet the Candidates hui tonight in Te Hāwera, hosted by Ngāti Ruanui. Great crowd, awesome kōrero around the importance of the Māori wards and informative presentations from lots of candidates from across South Taranaki and Whakaahurangi. In the words of Dinnie Moeahu: no stress, vote YES to KEEP the Māori wards. I talked about my vision for change: for regenerative agriculture and increased public transport, to stop seabed mining and Te Tiriti justice.
I love these kinds of events: debate, discussion, expanding the political discourse and raising the collective consciousness. Unfortunately, there is only one more event planned for South Taranaki at this point: the Eltham Lions Club are hosting a Meet the Candidates evening on Tuesday 2nd September, 7pm at the Eltham Fire Brigade. If your community group, your workplace, your hapū or whānau is interested to hear from me, please let me know. Hopefully, some more events will be added over coming weeks.
Photos by Te Aorangi and Ali - chur