We need thoughtful, honest leadership to navigate the challenging times we’re living through - amidst climate change, growing inequality and division.
Meet Louise
Nō England, Ireland, Wales, me Orkney Islands ōku tīpuna
Ko Hutt o Ngāruawāhia tōku hapū
Ko Hodge o Tāmaki Makaurau tōku hapū
He tangata Tiriti au
I tipu ake au ki Whangamatā
Ko Kirikiriroa tōku kāinga ināianei
Ko Louise Hutt tōku ingoa
During my first term on Hamilton City Council, it’s been my privilege to be the Chair of Regulatory & Hearings Committee – the committee which welcomes and hears public submissions in the Council chamber.
I’ve also been fortunate enough to hold portfolios for other communities and issues close to my heart:
- Climate Strategy Advisory Group lead;
- Disability portfolio holder and Council’s representative on the Age Friendly Advisory Group, and;
- Council’s representative on the funding committee for the Creative Communities Scheme
Before being elected, I worked in public health as a senior advisor at the Waikato DHB, and have a Masters degree from the University of Waikato.
I’m also Chairperson of Go Eco – the largest community organisation dedicated to climate action, sustainability, and biodiversity in the Waikato.
My vision for Kirikiriroa
We need long-term thinking to shape the city our mokopuna will inherit – and we need to act now, not later.
Climate Action
Climate action is only becoming more urgent, and Hamilton is one of the most at-risk cities for extreme heat in New Zealand. We must make strategic investments, help communities vulnerable to climate-related harm, and ease our transition to a low-carbon city.
🌍 There’s much work still to do:
- Ensuring the city-wide risk assessment is completed and action taken
- Continuing to challenge apathy towards climate investment and resiliency from the organisation and well as other elected members
- Ensuring the next Long Term Plan has a climate lens, and where the risks and opportunities are clearly identified and communicated to elected members and the public
- Increased investment in renewable energy opportunities for Council-owned facilities
- Increasing Council debt headroom to manage potential disaster scenarios and reduce dependence on central government intervention
✨ Climate wins this term:
- Reduced Council’s own emissions by 20% from the 2018-19 baseline
- Ensured we invested in critical climate data to inform our climate risk assessment and city resilience work
- Used government climate funding to invest in solar panels for St Andrew’s Library, collaborated with Ngaati Wairere & Ngaati Maahanga for maara kai, and worked with local businesses to become climate leaders
- Saved the School Travel Programme funding - an education programme used by 28 of our schools to teach key bike and scooter safety skills and encourage walking and public transport
- Advocated to Waikato Regional Council for more fast, frequent bus services and to central government to keep Te Huia
- Increased funding for playgrounds to have shade - adding shade to 30 sites in the next 5 years
- Reduced the deferral of biodiversity funding and kept the funding for the Predator Proof Fence for Waiwhakareke Natural Heritage Park
🤝 Some of what I’ll be working on next term:
- Ensuring equity under the new Council-controlled waters entity
- Working on a Local Alcohol Policy to ensure consistent alcohol licensing across the city
- Advocating to central government for vaping regulation (like smoking and alcohol licensing)
- Ensuring work on our footpaths, pedestrian crossings, bus shelters, and accessible facilities is prioritised in our decision-making
- Seeing through policies to improve live music and events in the CBD
- Continuing to create avenues for the rainbow and takataapui community to feel safe to engage with Council
A City for Everyone
Everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, whether you’re 8 years old or 80. That means getting the basics right – ensuring there’s plenty of well-built houses, which are well-connected to public transport, walking and cycling routes, amenities, schools, and workplaces.
✨ City wins this term:
- With their support, put in new pedestrian crossings at 12 local schools, so parents can be confident their kids will get to and from school safely
- Oversaw the biggest upgrade and installation of bus shelters and curb cuts in recent city history - ensuring bus users don’t have to wait in the rain and people using mobility aids can safely get to and from bus stops
- Ensured the Hamilton Jamia Mosque got a pedestrian crossing after six years of requests to Council
- Ensured key Council facilities were looked after and not left to mothball - including much needed maintenance at the Waikato Museum & Gallery, Waterworld, and the Central Library, and oversaw the first upgrade of the transport centre in 20 years
- Advocated for and supported the set-up of a pan-disability panel to ensure the experiences of the disabled community informs Council’s decisions
- Supported an accessibility audit of all Council facilities, as well as a mobility parking review - adding more mobility parks in the CBD
- Guaranteed funding for our regional arts agency (Creative Waikato) and two of our theatres (Clarence St & Meteor) via the Long Term Plan
- Helped distribute $400,000 of arts funding through the government’s Creative Communities Scheme
- Supported the development and adoption of a Rangatahi Action Plan, informed by over 700 submissions from young people and people working in the youth sector
- Crowd-funded a sculpture celebrating LGBTQIA+ and takataapui history for the city
- Implemented the first LGBTQIA+ and takataapui sector meetings between city councillors and people working in advocacy and support services
If you can’t donate, but still want to support this kaupapa, you can always volunteer!
Watch & Read
With a panel of other councillors from around the country, Louise spoke on TVNZ’s Breakfast about the abuse faced by our local body politicians, and how we can make politics a more thoughtful and considerate place.
Authorised by Louise Hutt — vote@louisehutt.com.