Clyde Graf – 2025
Clyde Graf – Waikato Regional Council
See: Candidates in their own words
Do you support the use of 1080 to combat pests? (50 words) and what is the biggest threat to our native flora and fauna and how should the regional council tackle it? (50 words)
1080 (Sodium Fluoroacetate) is one of the deadliest poisons in existence. It kills every living thing that eats a lethal dose, including insects and birds, deer, dogs and livestock.
It’s inhumane, and without antidote. NZ claims to be clean, green, and compassionate – a contradiction to the use of this poison. No, I don’t support it.
What is the biggest threat to our native flora and fauna, and how should the regional council tackle it (50 words)?
The loss of habitat, and the broad-scale use of poisons like 1080 are significant threats to native fauna. Like most other countries, New Zealand should ban 1080, and be more targeted in pest control, using bounties and employing locals, rather than filling the pockets of corporates.
Waikato River and several lakes in Waipā-King Country – including Te Koo Utu and Ngā Roto – face water quality concerns.
What would you like to see done about those issues? (50 words)
Low-cost things are being done to improve the quality of water bodies, such as plantings that prevent sediment, nutrients and pollutants from entering water. We could also choose to harvest waterweeds such as hornwort, instead of regularly spraying them with herbicides, as is done in many lakes, including Karapiro.
I would like to see ratepayer money being spent on pragmatic solutions, rather than many millions being spent on plan changes that are unreasonable and unaffordable.
Do you support Plan Change One? (50 words)
No, I don’t support PC1 in its current form.
The regional council is responsible for providing and improving public transport services and investing in long-term planning. Can the regional council be doing this better and if so, who should pay for it, ratepayers, users or partnerships? (50 words)
A lot of people don’t feel safe on buses, or they find them inconvenient, and as a result, we have a lot of big empty buses driving around. Public transport needs to be reviewed, to better fit the needs of the communities that use it. There needs to be a split between user-pays, and ratepayers to fund public transport.
Several district councils and Hamilton city are growth councils. How can the regional council balance the need for urban growth with the protection of highly productive land? (50 words)
We need to protect highly productive soils, but we also need to be very careful about squeezing people too closely together with infill housing. Urban living needs to cater to people’s wellbeing, so we need to provide good quality living spaces with access to nature.
Climate change resulting in extreme weather events increases fire risk, rising tides and impacts on our flora and fauna. Is the regional council doing enough to manage and prepare for this? (50 words)
Climate will always change, and funds will always be limited. We need to focus on core services like flood protection, drainage, and stormwater systems, and focus on the highest risk areas in weather events. We need to involve communities in creating cost-effective solutions, as they are the ones who pay for it.
What more could the regional council be doing to manage the region’s waste? (50 words)
Some waste to energy initiatives have been successful, but others haven’t. For example, it’s better to re-use tyres, in the form of roading materials and playground surfaces, than to burn them. I support industries that take responsibility for their waste streams by recycling. I don’t support the Te Awamutu waste-to-energy proposal.
Organisations like Waikato Chamber of Commerce are calling for widespread local body amalgamation.
Do you support that call and if so, what Waikato local authorities would you want to amalgamate with? (50 words)
Absolutely, so long as it results in a reduction in costs and bureaucracy. An amalgamation would require careful consideration and considerable planning. I’ll support the best proposal.
What is your view on
(a) rates capping and (b) linking rates to an inflation index (100 words)
I’ve supported keeping rates under the CPI since I was first elected under the Rates Control Team banner in 2013, but you need a majority of Rates Control people around the council table to keep rates down. Unfortunately, a lot of current councillors have been happy to be frivolous with ratepayers’ money.
What would you do to help people engage more in local government (50 words)
Regional councils are big bureaucracies that use a lot of jargon in their communication, especially in their planning documents. People often don’t understand what they do, what they need to know, or how they can be involved. I would write bi-monthly articles informing the community about current issues.
Finally, why should people vote for you to be their representative on Waikato Regional Council’s Waipā-King Country constituency? (100 words)
I’ve been in council for two terms. I stand by my policies and principles, and voters can be assured that I stick to them when voting. I’ve asked the tough questions and taken a stance on issues that matter to residents, such as the Waste-to-Energy proposal for Te Awamutu. I’ve also fought tirelessly to keep rates affordable and would like the opportunity to achieve more with the help of others in the Rates Control Team. Our policies can be viewed at www.ratescontrolteam.co.nz
