December 16, 2024 • 8 mins
New Zealand's longest serving current mayor has revealed he is running for another term.
2025 will be Wayne Guppy's ninth run for the top job, which he has held since 2001.
This week Wellington Mornings is catching up with the mayors across the Wellington region. Guppy joined Nick Mills to discuss how Upper Hutt has fared over 2024 and what's in store for next year.
LISTEN ABOVE
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This week we're catching up with all the local mayors
around the region to ask how the year's gone, how
this city's firing, and wat's in store for twenty twenty five.
This morning we have the country's longest serving mayor still
in office. He joins us Upper Hut Mayor Wayne Guppy.
Good morning, mister Guppy.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good morning man, and good morning to are your listeners.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Very good? Thanks, very good. It's a great time year,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
It is a great time of year. It feels like
I'm talking to Tim Shehabelt. You've been here so long,
well joking, have some fun.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It's Christmas time exactly. Na Yeah, well was inn office
a long time?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good on you and we appreciate you. How things are
a part at the moment. What's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
What's the buye, what's the feeling? Is it? Christmas? Is
a Christmas spirit? Good?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yes, good good, good buzz in the town and people
starting to really think about It's only a week and
obviously you know a number of people I've run into
in the last week that are looking forward to having
family around them, which is great. I mean, that's what
it's all about when you know that family. Are you
coming from overseas or coming from other parts of the country,
and for them, many of them are coming back home.
(01:20):
And you know that the families have grown up and
gone away, but it's always like to come back home
to Upper Heart.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
What's the mood like in the economy, how business is doing,
how they're feeling after It's been a pretty tough couple
of years, isn't.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
It, no question about that? And that has been tough
for everyone and the other half businesses are no different.
I mean, certainly for there's some buoyancy now, but certainly
from the point of view of everyone in the community,
you know, and across the country. You know, it has
been tough for people, and you know, everyone's looking to
(01:52):
twenty twenty five and let's hope the sunshines and we
are you know, it's not as tough and things. We're
getting to the other end of it.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
So Guvey, I want to also like get a bit
of reality here.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
We've been talking the last couple of days about well
and and rates and increases and everything, but Upper Hut's
probably got higher rate increases.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I mean, what's what's controlling all this?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
And why how are the people in upper Heart feeling
about their rate price bills being so high?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
It sticks everyone, I mean, and those some of those
decisions I've had to make, we've had to make this
year being the toughest that I had to make in
the time I've been in local government. But there, you know,
the costs of things had been enormous. Are all being
reviewed now. Obviously we're looking now for budgets for twenty
twenty five and looking to see where savings can be
(02:39):
made and where changes can be made. But certainly from
the point of view of there's no question that has
had an effect on people.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Do you think that this new plan by the government
Samian Brown announced yesterday you would have had a chance
to have a look at it. Do you think it's
going to make any difference at all? Is it going
to make a new guys tighten your belt and say,
SIVI has we better be careful here. We've got to
release all these figures now. We can't be doing so
much of the good and fuff for your nice stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Absolutely would be great, I mean, I have no problem
with it and when people know they're under scrutiny, there
will be behavioral changes. There's no question there. Across the
country there are the government will pick out and say
councils here, or they shouldn't have done that, or we
should be doing this and not there, and so that accountability.
Don't have a problem with it, and it's certainly a
(03:25):
good move. It shouldn't come as a surprise to local government.
It shouldn't come as a surprise because if you look
at the history, traditionally the NATS and okay, we have
a coalition government led by the National Party, but traditionally
local governments aren't usually under more scrutiny when the National
Party has been in power. So for me, we won't
(03:45):
have an issue with that at all.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You've been there a long time way and you've done
a wonderful job. Do you think there's a few people
that probably think you've been there too long? I personally don't.
I'm personally a fan of yours and I think you've
done a wonderful job for Upper Hut, and I think
you should stay there.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
For as long as you want to.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, what are your thoughts when people do ask you
when's it time to flag it.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I mean question comes have you got to remember?
And politics, it doesn't matter whether you're in local or
central govern or any elected position. There's the long year
there and obviously you're going to generate more critics and
and but certainly from the time, from the point of
view of the time I've been here, are beginning beginning
that ours as we go into an exiliction cycle of it.
Whether you know whether I be be being near too
(04:30):
long or not. But the voters and upp huddle decide that.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And that's what I say to people that you know,
for me on the job here, I think you might
have been there too long because the time for someone else,
I say, well, the Boston decide that. The voters decide
that for you.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Don't They absolutely, and they do that every three years.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
One hundred percent. Now have you spoken to Sue yet?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Have you sat down and had that cup of tea,
looked out out your at your backyard and said, well,
so what do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Well? I said that on on on, sit on you
on the air in your show.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
That's why I'm asking you to go.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
And when I got home, she said, I've heard what
you said to Neck this morning, you've cold over on
your standing.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
You didn't though you said you had to talk to Sue.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I know, but she heard it on the end. She said,
there's no need to ever talk now because you told
Neck that you're standing.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
No, you didn't, you do you said you? I mean,
I remember it. That's why I'm asking you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You said I have to go home and talk to
Sue at some stage, and I'll do that over a
cup of tea and work it out. So you've obviously
worked it out and you are going to stand. Is
that what you're telling me?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That's what I'm telling you. Absolutely Well.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Are we the first to know that we got that
as a scoop?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
No? No, no, not at all. I've been a set
plenty of times already.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Ah gosh, I thought I got a scoop. Then I
thought I got it. I thought I got you thought
it surely could have given the old bat the scoop?
Could you?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
What are you doing for Christmas? What's Christmas coming for
you and Sue and the family and the loved ones.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Well, we're actually having an early Christmas because we got
we our two girls. One lives in the Melbourne, one
lives in Awkland and they are going on and overseas
over Christmas before Christmas are we're actually having an early
Christmas in Melbourne this weekend.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Oh wow, what a great study to have an early
Christmas here.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
So we'll be catching up with our two girls and
their husbands in Melbourne and then we'll be back home
soon and I'll be back home on early next week
and then we Christmas Day will drive to my brother,
my younger brother who lives as a farmer at backer Fielding,
and we'll have Christmas Day up there with him and
his family.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
If you had one dream, wish, hope for twenty and
twenty five, what will it be?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well? The one thing I hope happens in Wellington, and
I'm talking about the greater Way, is that we don't
we stop turning on ourselves and we give away the negativity.
The one thing that's hurting and infecting Wellington is the
fact that there's a lot of negativity and we need
to turn that around the rest of the country. Standing
believe and we're all positive the region will thrive and
(07:01):
I think that's something we really got all going to
look forward to in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Can we do I love that idea. Can we and
I'm taking it on board as well. Can we as
a group as the force major cities in the hub?
Can we actually do that? Can we hold hands and
actually say, hey, let's get bygones and bygones, let's get
get moving forward.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
On the right way we have to.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
There's absolutely no choice, remember, and you and I have
discussed it before. We need Wellington City to hum. The
region needs Welling City to hum, and we've all got
to contribute towards it because you know, whether you live
an Upper hard or the Carpety Coast, the wire Wrappa
or Wellington City, you know, we all need one another
to make sure that we're a real force in this country.
(07:42):
And there's no question about it. We live here because
we love the place, and Wellington City and Wellington Region
has got to be a major plant in this country.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I just can't wait till the day that we are
one major city.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
That's what I can't wait. I just think it would
be so.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, you know, still Upper Hutstall, our Hartstall body
to are still Wellington, but we do more things together
and feel like a region. One guppy, always a pleasure,
never a pay. I love what you do for Upper
Harton and you're an amazing man. Thank you, and have
a really really happy Christmas in Melbourne and have a
happy time when you come back home with your brother's farm.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
It's caught to you early next year.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Thanks Nick, and to you and Gina and the family.
Have a great Christmas and we look forward to working
with you in the new year.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Wine Guffy great Man, great Man.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at b.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
This week we're catching up with all the local mayors
around the region to ask how the year's gone, how
this city's firing, and wat's in store for twenty twenty five.
This morning we have the country's longest serving mayor still
in office. He joins us Upper Hut Mayor Wayne Guppy.
Good morning, mister Guppy.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Good morning man, and good morning to are your listeners.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
How are you doing?
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Very good? Thanks, very good. It's a great time year,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
It is a great time of year. It feels like
I'm talking to Tim Shehabelt. You've been here so long,
well joking, have some fun.
Speaker 3 (00:44):
It's Christmas time exactly. Na Yeah, well was inn office
a long time?
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Good on you and we appreciate you. How things are
a part at the moment. What's going on?
Speaker 4 (00:55):
What's the buye, what's the feeling? Is it? Christmas? Is
a Christmas spirit? Good?
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yes, good good, good buzz in the town and people
starting to really think about It's only a week and
obviously you know a number of people I've run into
in the last week that are looking forward to having
family around them, which is great. I mean, that's what
it's all about when you know that family. Are you
coming from overseas or coming from other parts of the country,
and for them, many of them are coming back home.
(01:20):
And you know that the families have grown up and
gone away, but it's always like to come back home
to Upper Heart.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
What's the mood like in the economy, how business is doing,
how they're feeling after It's been a pretty tough couple
of years, isn't.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
It, no question about that? And that has been tough
for everyone and the other half businesses are no different.
I mean, certainly for there's some buoyancy now, but certainly
from the point of view of everyone in the community,
you know, and across the country. You know, it has
been tough for people, and you know, everyone's looking to
(01:52):
twenty twenty five and let's hope the sunshines and we
are you know, it's not as tough and things. We're
getting to the other end of it.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
So Guvey, I want to also like get a bit
of reality here.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
We've been talking the last couple of days about well
and and rates and increases and everything, but Upper Hut's
probably got higher rate increases.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I mean, what's what's controlling all this?
Speaker 2 (02:13):
And why how are the people in upper Heart feeling
about their rate price bills being so high?
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (02:18):
It sticks everyone, I mean, and those some of those
decisions I've had to make, we've had to make this
year being the toughest that I had to make in
the time I've been in local government. But there, you know,
the costs of things had been enormous. Are all being
reviewed now. Obviously we're looking now for budgets for twenty
twenty five and looking to see where savings can be
(02:39):
made and where changes can be made. But certainly from
the point of view of there's no question that has
had an effect on people.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Do you think that this new plan by the government
Samian Brown announced yesterday you would have had a chance
to have a look at it. Do you think it's
going to make any difference at all? Is it going
to make a new guys tighten your belt and say,
SIVI has we better be careful here. We've got to
release all these figures now. We can't be doing so
much of the good and fuff for your nice stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Absolutely would be great, I mean, I have no problem
with it and when people know they're under scrutiny, there
will be behavioral changes. There's no question there. Across the
country there are the government will pick out and say
councils here, or they shouldn't have done that, or we
should be doing this and not there, and so that accountability.
Don't have a problem with it, and it's certainly a
(03:25):
good move. It shouldn't come as a surprise to local government.
It shouldn't come as a surprise because if you look
at the history, traditionally the NATS and okay, we have
a coalition government led by the National Party, but traditionally
local governments aren't usually under more scrutiny when the National
Party has been in power. So for me, we won't
(03:45):
have an issue with that at all.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
You've been there a long time way and you've done
a wonderful job. Do you think there's a few people
that probably think you've been there too long? I personally don't.
I'm personally a fan of yours and I think you've
done a wonderful job for Upper Hut, and I think
you should stay there.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
For as long as you want to.
Speaker 2 (04:02):
Well, what are your thoughts when people do ask you
when's it time to flag it.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
Yeah, I mean question comes have you got to remember?
And politics, it doesn't matter whether you're in local or
central govern or any elected position. There's the long year
there and obviously you're going to generate more critics and
and but certainly from the time, from the point of
view of the time I've been here, are beginning beginning
that ours as we go into an exiliction cycle of it.
Whether you know whether I be be being near too
(04:30):
long or not. But the voters and upp huddle decide that.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
One hundred percent.
Speaker 2 (04:34):
And that's what I say to people that you know,
for me on the job here, I think you might
have been there too long because the time for someone else,
I say, well, the Boston decide that. The voters decide
that for you.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Don't They absolutely, and they do that every three years.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
One hundred percent. Now have you spoken to Sue yet?
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Have you sat down and had that cup of tea,
looked out out your at your backyard and said, well,
so what do you reckon?
Speaker 3 (04:58):
Well? I said that on on on, sit on you
on the air in your show.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
That's why I'm asking you to go.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
And when I got home, she said, I've heard what
you said to Neck this morning, you've cold over on
your standing.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
You didn't though you said you had to talk to Sue.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
I know, but she heard it on the end. She said,
there's no need to ever talk now because you told
Neck that you're standing.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
No, you didn't, you do you said you? I mean,
I remember it. That's why I'm asking you.
Speaker 2 (05:24):
You said I have to go home and talk to
Sue at some stage, and I'll do that over a
cup of tea and work it out. So you've obviously
worked it out and you are going to stand. Is
that what you're telling me?
Speaker 3 (05:32):
That's what I'm telling you. Absolutely Well.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Are we the first to know that we got that
as a scoop?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
No? No, no, not at all. I've been a set
plenty of times already.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Ah gosh, I thought I got a scoop. Then I
thought I got it. I thought I got you thought
it surely could have given the old bat the scoop?
Could you?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
What are you doing for Christmas? What's Christmas coming for
you and Sue and the family and the loved ones.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Well, we're actually having an early Christmas because we got
we our two girls. One lives in the Melbourne, one
lives in Awkland and they are going on and overseas
over Christmas before Christmas are we're actually having an early
Christmas in Melbourne this weekend.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Oh wow, what a great study to have an early
Christmas here.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
So we'll be catching up with our two girls and
their husbands in Melbourne and then we'll be back home
soon and I'll be back home on early next week
and then we Christmas Day will drive to my brother,
my younger brother who lives as a farmer at backer Fielding,
and we'll have Christmas Day up there with him and
his family.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
If you had one dream, wish, hope for twenty and
twenty five, what will it be?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well? The one thing I hope happens in Wellington, and
I'm talking about the greater Way, is that we don't
we stop turning on ourselves and we give away the negativity.
The one thing that's hurting and infecting Wellington is the
fact that there's a lot of negativity and we need
to turn that around the rest of the country. Standing
believe and we're all positive the region will thrive and
(07:01):
I think that's something we really got all going to
look forward to in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (07:05):
Can we do I love that idea. Can we and
I'm taking it on board as well. Can we as
a group as the force major cities in the hub?
Can we actually do that? Can we hold hands and
actually say, hey, let's get bygones and bygones, let's get
get moving forward.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
On the right way we have to.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
There's absolutely no choice, remember, and you and I have
discussed it before. We need Wellington City to hum. The
region needs Welling City to hum, and we've all got
to contribute towards it because you know, whether you live
an Upper hard or the Carpety Coast, the wire Wrappa
or Wellington City, you know, we all need one another
to make sure that we're a real force in this country.
(07:42):
And there's no question about it. We live here because
we love the place, and Wellington City and Wellington Region
has got to be a major plant in this country.
Speaker 4 (07:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:50):
I just can't wait till the day that we are
one major city.
Speaker 4 (07:54):
That's what I can't wait. I just think it would
be so.
Speaker 2 (07:56):
I mean, you know, still Upper Hutstall, our Hartstall body
to are still Wellington, but we do more things together
and feel like a region. One guppy, always a pleasure,
never a pay. I love what you do for Upper
Harton and you're an amazing man. Thank you, and have
a really really happy Christmas in Melbourne and have a
happy time when you come back home with your brother's farm.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
It's caught to you early next year.
Speaker 3 (08:19):
Thanks Nick, and to you and Gina and the family.
Have a great Christmas and we look forward to working
with you in the new year.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Wine Guffy great Man, great Man.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news Talks It'd be Wellington from nine am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!