October 15, 2025 • 14 mins
Outgoing Upper Hutt Mayor Wayne Guppy joins Nick Mills in studio on Wellington Mornings.
They discuss his 24-year mayoralty, the progress of Upper Hutt, whether they are ready for amalgamation, and what's next after one of the longest mayoral runs in the country.
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'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We've been lucky enough to be able to secure the
services of Wayne Guppy for half an hour to have
a little bit of a chat. We felt in our
organization that he was deservant of a chat because he
had given so much to our area, our our communities
and we wanted to have a chat. Good morning and
(00:34):
welcome mate, Good morning. How are you feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh, it's disappointing. I mean, you know, I mean that's
you know that that's always a chance, but certainly you
know you're disappointed. But certainly you know, I wish the
new administration will and we'll move on.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
When did you first find out.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Phirly early on on Saturday afternoon when I had a
phone call to say that I was trailing and you know,
you didn't need to be very smart to know that
eighty five percent of the vote had been cast and
it was effectively.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
All over, right, And what was your first thought?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Oh, gain disappointment. And I mean it's like anythink there
was I mean, there were you were there were things
that I still thought were worthwhile to achieve. And that's
That's why I stood for in the last three reason
it was definitely going to be my last my last team.
But so you know, you thought about those you think, well,
you know that's not going to happen. So you know,
a lot of things go through your minds. As I said,
(01:30):
with when you when you you don't play a game
of rugby or in a contest or play a game
of basket, will lose.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, but you kind of know whether you you should
have won or you should have lost. You know what
I mean, when you're playing when when Upper Huts playing
p Toni in the heyday, you know that it's a
big it's a big it's a tough call, you know exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, well I knew it was going to be tough.
There was no question about that. There was five other
candidates this time, and and and and they were all
strong candidates, and and there was a strong move to
particularly amount of the story on campaign. And the reality
was that during the last three years, we know how
(02:12):
tough it's been, and people are a bit down, and
you know, we want to blame anyone, and and and
some of those tough calls that we had to make
with you know, the cost of living inflation and the
cost of construction that put the rates up. Then you know,
at the end of the day, I'm the captain of
the ship and you take some of that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Can I ask you if you were piedef.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
No, no, not at all. No, you be disappointed. But
again I mean look, I.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mean you didn't have any anger, you didn't think shivers.
I think I did enough and I should have still
been there.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Well no, no, because at the end, when you into politics,
you you understand that you judged every three years and
and and whilst I was disappointed once you know, the
people judge that's potentially someone else could do a better.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Job, right, and that was down again.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
No, No, that's that's uh doub You know, I think
I said, or get on a west bound seven forty
seven and that's it.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
They don't fly seven forty sevens anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Gaps.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But you know, I mean, you're a qualified pharmacist. What
do you just look at doing that again?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Or my days are over doing pharmacy too.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, So what you're just going to stay on the
boards that you're on. Yeah, And you know, I mean,
obviously you're a very respected member of the Wellington Region,
so boards and stuff will be calling.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And yeah, I'll look at all opportunities, but you know,
and then we can do that. We've got a bit
of traveling to do with daughters and one daughter in
Auckland and one in Melbourne, so that gives you a
bit more free time.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
What is the biggest change from nineteen ninety eight to now?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, I think there was a couple you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I think I mean, how does how is Upperhut change?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, I mean it's changed dramatically, and you think one
of the things that I've that many people have said
to me since Saturday is that you know, we may
move to Upper Heart ten twenty fifteen years ago, and
we're saying it's a different place and we're proud to
live here and we're proud to call up a Hut home.
When I first took over, you go back and we
were a bit of a sleepy stuck on the outskirts
(04:08):
of the city, high crime rate and people go Upper
Heart and now that was important to me in those
early years that we made sure we got some respect
and that's what you know. I very proud that that
that's occurred.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
We've been joined by Upper Hut Mayor leaving Upper Hunt
Mayor Wayne Guppy, what is the biggest achievement that you
think you personally wanted, drove and succeeded with.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I think council's role and the measure is to
make sure that people have confidence to invest in a city.
And I'm talking about the private sector. Forget about what
local government does and central government does. If you don't
have if the private sector doesn't have confidence to invest
in your area, in your city, then then you're not
going to go ahead. And for me, it was really
(04:59):
important to make sure that we made consistent decisions. We
had no surprises for them and there was no change
of direction. And that gives investors, It gives the private
sector confidence to want to invest. And if you look
at some of the investment that's going on all by
the private sector, and of.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Course you're talking about things like brew Town and nz
c I s and housing.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Development, movies and you know, and with Willison Bond coming
to town, they are all really important things. And that
gives a community confidence, It gives it gives communities and
pride and when you get that, you can generate something
like that. Then you get other people saying, what's happening
out there. We want to be part of it, and
you could create that, but local government the only thing
(05:46):
that local government can do is to stuff it up,
and we see that around the country. So but you've
just got to be got.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
To splain that to me. Well, I thought you were
going to say the only thing that local government could
do is say yes.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
No, Well, I mean it's about creating the environment, making
sure that you, as I said, that your decisions are consistent.
They have confidence in you that you know that this
in a stable environment. But if local governments interfere too
much and change direction and you know, someone's talking to
your woman, and then all of a sudden they go, oh,
you can't do that today because we've changed where that's
(06:19):
enough for the private sector to pack up and go home.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Now your family is synonymous with Upper Hut, correct, really?
I mean if you talk about anyone from Upper Heart
from generations, they talk about the guppies, don't they.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah, Well, you're dad and mum with their ear, their life,
and my brother to it before he moved off to
go farming.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Would you will you stay there? Will you stay in
Upper Heart?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah? Yeah, there's time And I'm proud of hut so
I'll be there, right.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Is there anything that you didn't achieve that you wanted
to achieve?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What was?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
What was the thing that's you know, there's always something,
isn't it? Even if you use your analogy played the
game and one you think if I already got that
tackle you, I would have been well.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Look, the other thing that's always been for me is
that the region's got to be unified. And you know,
over my twenty four years we've had periods where the
region has worked, but a fractionated, non unified Wellington region
affects all of us and that's that's a disappointment to me.
(07:21):
And we've looked and you can see successive central governments
have paid little attention to Wellington and rightly so, because
they say, if you haven't got you act together, why
would we be involved with you? And so you know,
the unification of working together and for the Wellington region
(07:41):
and we all win the city hums, we all.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Now, if someone's point of gud at my head and
said tell me whether one guppy was for or against
the amalgamation, I would say it would be depend on
what day of the week it was.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
No, not at all, And I said during the during
the campaign, and I was probably one of the few
during our campaign and Upperhart the community has to be
ready for that discussion because there is no look, there
is absolutely no way that in the next two or
three years that the discussion about amalgamation will take place.
(08:15):
You only have to look at the changes that central
government are making to local government and you've got to say, so,
what is the best way of delivering local government services
for the next twenty or thirty years, And so you
know there will be discussion, and you look at what's happened.
Piru and Lowerhart did have a referendum and they have
(08:36):
changed their views obviously during that during the election.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Because did that surprise you? Because I had just a
lester in here on Friday saying, oh, just wait for
those votes. It's not nobody wants it, it's not going
to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
In Lisa.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Government tells you it's going to happen. No one's going
to want it, and then we have those results.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was surprised too, as you will, but it seems
to be a shift. But from the point of view
of a maturing of the region, we need the region
has to be unified and the region has to work together.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
And that you're still not telling me. I'm sort of
half by right because you're still not telling me what
one guppy.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, I think it's inevitable and but.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
That's not That doesn't tell me that you want it.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Well, I'm working together because what happens is the issue
we have in Wellington is it suddenly we get a
change in personnel and then people start to cherry pick things.
They say, well, it's quite good working together on this,
but when it comes to that, we don't think we're
going to get much out of it. Well, what you've
got to remember when you're working together, you're not going
to win every time. And so the discussion, what do you.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Think would have happened if you had that referendum and
upper heart?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Ah, well, I probably would have thought that we would
would still struggle to go through through. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, Now something that you've had a lot to do
with Wellington water, What do you think the outcomes there?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
What do you think we've got to look forward to?
Wellingtonians are all listening to this with bita breath. You're
against yourself meters water meters. You think it's a waste
of money, water meters. Where I'm for water meters and
correct me, tell me where I've got it wrong.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Look, water meter is inevitable. That's that. But the new
entity that will be inevitable. The issue that people have
got to be prepared for is that suddenly there won't
be a decrease in costs. The cost will go up.
There's no question about that. And and and what what
we've got to hope for here in Wellington is that
(10:26):
we just don't get the change of the name on
the board from Wellington Water to Mature Water. That's really important.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
So you need complete sweet clean needs to be here,
and and and and you're on the boarder are you
on the board of that?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I'm willing to water on the on the willing to
water committee. But the but the the other issue will
be that the new directors need to be very vigilant
on making sure that we know when you get independent
directors are going to be gold plated scenarios, and that
means costs.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
We're lucky enough to have upper huts x mere. I
don't even like saga. It sounds weird, does the upper
huts x beer?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, you shouldn't say lucky enough to have me here.
I've got plenty of time.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I just mentioned before we went to a break that
you're the second person that I have a bit of
respect for that told me that my water prices gone.
About a year ago, I happened to be shopping a
New World and ran into Tim Brown and he said
to me, Wellington x well into city Council. A lot
of ex's on the show with there, that one thing
is for sure that the water is going to cost
a lot more in the coming years. And now you're
(11:30):
telling me the same way.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Well and well, one of the things that that will
happen is that that particularly we know what what's what's
need to be, what what what, what expenditure needs on
the on the three waters. But what we'll see is
that with independent boards, they'll want to do things done
quite quickly. And that adds in one way of of
of making sure that that doesn't happens. You've got to
(11:52):
spread it out. But but they'll want to do things,
and they want there will be the gold say, they'll
be the gold plate sort of, and that will be
a cost to us all and you know I and
be honest, The corresponding decrease and rates won't occur.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
They won't save us.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Anything but that there will be some savings. Of course,
there'll be some savings, but but the cost of the
water will be will be significant.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And what what what what's going to change? I mean,
what is going to change this metro water?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, what will change is that there will be a
set there will be a very clear pattern of what
needs to be done, and there'll be and there certainly
will be very little political influence, so you won't have
you know, politicians saying oh we can hold off doing that,
hold off doing that. So there'll be a very structured
program and you will see improvement, but it will take
some time. But as I said, you'll have independent directors
and there will be you know that they will want
(12:43):
to produce the goods quickly and the more you do early,
the more the cost.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Do we know who's going to be involved in that?
I mean, is there going to be any of the
ex people involved?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Well at the stage, well, there'll be from not at
director's level, I wouldn't think, but certainly from the point
of view of some of the staff and that from
Willington water will be there.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, because we keep hearing about another x mayor that
might be involve Yeah, used to me. So there's no one,
no one naturally being a shoulder tapped or sorted out.
Do you think it's going to work.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Oh, it'll work, it'll work, but but again you know
it'll come. It comes at a price, but it will work.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
If there was one thing that we as and that
all the regions could do to try and reduce the
rates or reduce the increase of the rates, what would
it be.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Well, I mean, the one thing that needs to happen
is there needs to be some tough calls around the
around the around council tables at every council. That's reality,
and it means that for some you will see and
that would be one of the discussions if we if
I had still been there, we would have had it
will be changing what councils do and maybe you're dropping
service levels because you're continuing on doing what we're doing
(13:56):
and with the increases is not working. And so there
needs to be some real tough calls and less expectation
from the community because the expectation it won't change and
the cost will continue to arise.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Wyne Guppy, thank you very much for everything you've done
for our region. Thank you very much what you've done
and what for you being you. You're amazing, amazing man.
I call you a friend and I think you're a
great guy, and you've done amazing things for Upperhut, and
I for one want to take this opportunity to thank
you and appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Thanks very much, Nick. I'm sure we'll keep in contact
and still I'll have time now to listen to your
show all the time.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
And we can come on face off more often. He
normally tells me no every time I rag him, come on, Wayne,
come on face off. No No, No, too busy. Thanks,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
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'd be.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
We've been lucky enough to be able to secure the
services of Wayne Guppy for half an hour to have
a little bit of a chat. We felt in our
organization that he was deservant of a chat because he
had given so much to our area, our our communities
and we wanted to have a chat. Good morning and
(00:34):
welcome mate, Good morning. How are you feeling.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Oh, it's disappointing. I mean, you know, I mean that's
you know that that's always a chance, but certainly you
know you're disappointed. But certainly you know, I wish the
new administration will and we'll move on.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
When did you first find out.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Phirly early on on Saturday afternoon when I had a
phone call to say that I was trailing and you know,
you didn't need to be very smart to know that
eighty five percent of the vote had been cast and
it was effectively.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
All over, right, And what was your first thought?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Oh, gain disappointment. And I mean it's like anythink there
was I mean, there were you were there were things
that I still thought were worthwhile to achieve. And that's
That's why I stood for in the last three reason
it was definitely going to be my last my last team.
But so you know, you thought about those you think, well,
you know that's not going to happen. So you know,
a lot of things go through your minds. As I said,
(01:30):
with when you when you you don't play a game
of rugby or in a contest or play a game
of basket, will lose.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Yeah, but you kind of know whether you you should
have won or you should have lost. You know what
I mean, when you're playing when when Upper Huts playing
p Toni in the heyday, you know that it's a
big it's a big it's a tough call, you know exactly.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah, well I knew it was going to be tough.
There was no question about that. There was five other
candidates this time, and and and and they were all
strong candidates, and and there was a strong move to
particularly amount of the story on campaign. And the reality
was that during the last three years, we know how
(02:12):
tough it's been, and people are a bit down, and
you know, we want to blame anyone, and and and
some of those tough calls that we had to make
with you know, the cost of living inflation and the
cost of construction that put the rates up. Then you know,
at the end of the day, I'm the captain of
the ship and you take some of that.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
Can I ask you if you were piedef.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
No, no, not at all. No, you be disappointed. But
again I mean look, I.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
Mean you didn't have any anger, you didn't think shivers.
I think I did enough and I should have still
been there.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Well no, no, because at the end, when you into politics,
you you understand that you judged every three years and
and and whilst I was disappointed once you know, the
people judge that's potentially someone else could do a better.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Job, right, and that was down again.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
No, No, that's that's uh doub You know, I think
I said, or get on a west bound seven forty
seven and that's it.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
They don't fly seven forty sevens anymore.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Gaps.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
But you know, I mean, you're a qualified pharmacist. What
do you just look at doing that again?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Or my days are over doing pharmacy too.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah, So what you're just going to stay on the
boards that you're on. Yeah, And you know, I mean,
obviously you're a very respected member of the Wellington Region,
so boards and stuff will be calling.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
And yeah, I'll look at all opportunities, but you know,
and then we can do that. We've got a bit
of traveling to do with daughters and one daughter in
Auckland and one in Melbourne, so that gives you a
bit more free time.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
What is the biggest change from nineteen ninety eight to now?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, I think there was a couple you're talking about.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
I think I mean, how does how is Upperhut change?
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Well, I mean it's changed dramatically, and you think one
of the things that I've that many people have said
to me since Saturday is that you know, we may
move to Upper Heart ten twenty fifteen years ago, and
we're saying it's a different place and we're proud to
live here and we're proud to call up a Hut home.
When I first took over, you go back and we
were a bit of a sleepy stuck on the outskirts
(04:08):
of the city, high crime rate and people go Upper
Heart and now that was important to me in those
early years that we made sure we got some respect
and that's what you know. I very proud that that
that's occurred.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
We've been joined by Upper Hut Mayor leaving Upper Hunt
Mayor Wayne Guppy, what is the biggest achievement that you
think you personally wanted, drove and succeeded with.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Well, I think council's role and the measure is to
make sure that people have confidence to invest in a city.
And I'm talking about the private sector. Forget about what
local government does and central government does. If you don't
have if the private sector doesn't have confidence to invest
in your area, in your city, then then you're not
going to go ahead. And for me, it was really
(04:59):
important to make sure that we made consistent decisions. We
had no surprises for them and there was no change
of direction. And that gives investors, It gives the private
sector confidence to want to invest. And if you look
at some of the investment that's going on all by
the private sector, and of.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
Course you're talking about things like brew Town and nz
c I s and housing.
Speaker 3 (05:23):
Development, movies and you know, and with Willison Bond coming
to town, they are all really important things. And that
gives a community confidence, It gives it gives communities and
pride and when you get that, you can generate something
like that. Then you get other people saying, what's happening
out there. We want to be part of it, and
you could create that, but local government the only thing
(05:46):
that local government can do is to stuff it up,
and we see that around the country. So but you've
just got to be got.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
To splain that to me. Well, I thought you were
going to say the only thing that local government could
do is say yes.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
No, Well, I mean it's about creating the environment, making
sure that you, as I said, that your decisions are consistent.
They have confidence in you that you know that this
in a stable environment. But if local governments interfere too
much and change direction and you know, someone's talking to
your woman, and then all of a sudden they go, oh,
you can't do that today because we've changed where that's
(06:19):
enough for the private sector to pack up and go home.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Now your family is synonymous with Upper Hut, correct, really?
I mean if you talk about anyone from Upper Heart
from generations, they talk about the guppies, don't they.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Yeah, Well, you're dad and mum with their ear, their life,
and my brother to it before he moved off to
go farming.
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Would you will you stay there? Will you stay in
Upper Heart?
Speaker 3 (06:40):
Yeah? Yeah, there's time And I'm proud of hut so
I'll be there, right.
Speaker 2 (06:44):
Is there anything that you didn't achieve that you wanted
to achieve?
Speaker 3 (06:48):
What was?
Speaker 2 (06:48):
What was the thing that's you know, there's always something,
isn't it? Even if you use your analogy played the
game and one you think if I already got that
tackle you, I would have been well.
Speaker 3 (06:58):
Look, the other thing that's always been for me is
that the region's got to be unified. And you know,
over my twenty four years we've had periods where the
region has worked, but a fractionated, non unified Wellington region
affects all of us and that's that's a disappointment to me.
(07:21):
And we've looked and you can see successive central governments
have paid little attention to Wellington and rightly so, because
they say, if you haven't got you act together, why
would we be involved with you? And so you know,
the unification of working together and for the Wellington region
(07:41):
and we all win the city hums, we all.
Speaker 2 (07:44):
Now, if someone's point of gud at my head and
said tell me whether one guppy was for or against
the amalgamation, I would say it would be depend on
what day of the week it was.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
No, not at all, And I said during the during
the campaign, and I was probably one of the few
during our campaign and Upperhart the community has to be
ready for that discussion because there is no look, there
is absolutely no way that in the next two or
three years that the discussion about amalgamation will take place.
(08:15):
You only have to look at the changes that central
government are making to local government and you've got to say, so,
what is the best way of delivering local government services
for the next twenty or thirty years, And so you
know there will be discussion, and you look at what's happened.
Piru and Lowerhart did have a referendum and they have
(08:36):
changed their views obviously during that during the election.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
Because did that surprise you? Because I had just a
lester in here on Friday saying, oh, just wait for
those votes. It's not nobody wants it, it's not going
to happen.
Speaker 3 (08:47):
In Lisa.
Speaker 2 (08:48):
Government tells you it's going to happen. No one's going
to want it, and then we have those results.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
I was surprised too, as you will, but it seems
to be a shift. But from the point of view
of a maturing of the region, we need the region
has to be unified and the region has to work together.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
And that you're still not telling me. I'm sort of
half by right because you're still not telling me what
one guppy.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, I think it's inevitable and but.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
That's not That doesn't tell me that you want it.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Well, I'm working together because what happens is the issue
we have in Wellington is it suddenly we get a
change in personnel and then people start to cherry pick things.
They say, well, it's quite good working together on this,
but when it comes to that, we don't think we're
going to get much out of it. Well, what you've
got to remember when you're working together, you're not going
to win every time. And so the discussion, what do you.
Speaker 2 (09:35):
Think would have happened if you had that referendum and
upper heart?
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Ah, well, I probably would have thought that we would
would still struggle to go through through. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Yeah, Now something that you've had a lot to do
with Wellington water, What do you think the outcomes there?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Do you?
Speaker 2 (09:52):
What do you think we've got to look forward to?
Wellingtonians are all listening to this with bita breath. You're
against yourself meters water meters. You think it's a waste
of money, water meters. Where I'm for water meters and
correct me, tell me where I've got it wrong.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
Look, water meter is inevitable. That's that. But the new
entity that will be inevitable. The issue that people have
got to be prepared for is that suddenly there won't
be a decrease in costs. The cost will go up.
There's no question about that. And and and what what
we've got to hope for here in Wellington is that
(10:26):
we just don't get the change of the name on
the board from Wellington Water to Mature Water. That's really important.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
So you need complete sweet clean needs to be here,
and and and and you're on the boarder are you
on the board of that?
Speaker 3 (10:40):
I'm willing to water on the on the willing to
water committee. But the but the the other issue will
be that the new directors need to be very vigilant
on making sure that we know when you get independent
directors are going to be gold plated scenarios, and that
means costs.
Speaker 2 (10:56):
We're lucky enough to have upper huts x mere. I
don't even like saga. It sounds weird, does the upper
huts x beer?
Speaker 3 (11:02):
Well, you shouldn't say lucky enough to have me here.
I've got plenty of time.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Now.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I just mentioned before we went to a break that
you're the second person that I have a bit of
respect for that told me that my water prices gone.
About a year ago, I happened to be shopping a
New World and ran into Tim Brown and he said
to me, Wellington x well into city Council. A lot
of ex's on the show with there, that one thing
is for sure that the water is going to cost
a lot more in the coming years. And now you're
(11:30):
telling me the same way.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Well and well, one of the things that that will
happen is that that particularly we know what what's what's
need to be, what what what, what expenditure needs on
the on the three waters. But what we'll see is
that with independent boards, they'll want to do things done
quite quickly. And that adds in one way of of
of making sure that that doesn't happens. You've got to
(11:52):
spread it out. But but they'll want to do things,
and they want there will be the gold say, they'll
be the gold plate sort of, and that will be
a cost to us all and you know I and
be honest, The corresponding decrease and rates won't occur.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
They won't save us.
Speaker 3 (12:08):
Anything but that there will be some savings. Of course,
there'll be some savings, but but the cost of the
water will be will be significant.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
And what what what what's going to change? I mean,
what is going to change this metro water?
Speaker 3 (12:22):
Well, what will change is that there will be a
set there will be a very clear pattern of what
needs to be done, and there'll be and there certainly
will be very little political influence, so you won't have
you know, politicians saying oh we can hold off doing that,
hold off doing that. So there'll be a very structured
program and you will see improvement, but it will take
some time. But as I said, you'll have independent directors
and there will be you know that they will want
(12:43):
to produce the goods quickly and the more you do early,
the more the cost.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
Do we know who's going to be involved in that?
I mean, is there going to be any of the
ex people involved?
Speaker 3 (12:53):
Well at the stage, well, there'll be from not at
director's level, I wouldn't think, but certainly from the point
of view of some of the staff and that from
Willington water will be there.
Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, because we keep hearing about another x mayor that
might be involve Yeah, used to me. So there's no one,
no one naturally being a shoulder tapped or sorted out.
Do you think it's going to work.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Oh, it'll work, it'll work, but but again you know
it'll come. It comes at a price, but it will work.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
If there was one thing that we as and that
all the regions could do to try and reduce the
rates or reduce the increase of the rates, what would
it be.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Well, I mean, the one thing that needs to happen
is there needs to be some tough calls around the
around the around council tables at every council. That's reality,
and it means that for some you will see and
that would be one of the discussions if we if
I had still been there, we would have had it
will be changing what councils do and maybe you're dropping
service levels because you're continuing on doing what we're doing
(13:56):
and with the increases is not working. And so there
needs to be some real tough calls and less expectation
from the community because the expectation it won't change and
the cost will continue to arise.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
Wyne Guppy, thank you very much for everything you've done
for our region. Thank you very much what you've done
and what for you being you. You're amazing, amazing man.
I call you a friend and I think you're a
great guy, and you've done amazing things for Upperhut, and
I for one want to take this opportunity to thank
you and appreciate you.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Thanks very much, Nick. I'm sure we'll keep in contact
and still I'll have time now to listen to your
show all the time.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
And we can come on face off more often. He
normally tells me no every time I rag him, come on, Wayne,
come on face off. No No, No, too busy. Thanks,
thank you, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
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.
CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist
It’s 1996 in rural North Carolina, and an oddball crew makes history when they pull off America’s third largest cash heist. But it’s all downhill from there. Join host Johnny Knoxville as he unspools a wild and woolly tale about a group of regular ‘ol folks who risked it all for a chance at a better life. CrimeLess: Hillbilly Heist answers the question: what would you do with 17.3 million dollars? The answer includes diamond rings, mansions, velvet Elvis paintings, plus a run for the border, murder-for-hire-plots, and FBI busts.
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