Prior to my own election in 2013, I petitioned the Regional Council and the Hastings Council to initiate video recording of council meetings. The HBRC began to do so, starting initially with only full Council meetings, but then adding standing…
Tom Belford04 October 2017
[Editor’s Note: This article was originally written before the last Regional Council election in 2016. Our automated system went ‘rogue’ and re-published it this week. The good news is that good ideas endure. The ‘Future Farming’ concept has been gaining…
Tom Belford01 October 2017
Sandwiched between our parliamentary election, culminating on September 23rd and the Hastings mayoral election, results on November 25th, is the far more ‘under the radar’ election of five trustees to the Hawke’s Bay Power Consumers’ Trust (HBPCT). HBPCT, as most…
Tom Belford17 September 2017
In the tradition of The Economist, New York Times, The Guardian and most other publications that analyse public affairs and thereby form opinions, I am taking the editorial prerogative of sharing my thoughts on the election choice before us in…
BayBuzz10 September 2017
The Regional Council proposes to significantly step-up a community-wide effort to clean-up Lake Tutira … and further, to make that area a model of integrated management to achieve all of the environmental, economic and social benefits that are latent in…
Tom Belford01 April 2017
New Faces To Watch: Paul Bailey, Alex Walker, Damon Harvey, Geraldine Travers, Larry Dallimore, Claire Hague. And veterans waving goodbye: Cynthia Bowers, Wayne Bradshaw, Mark Herbert, Michelle Pyke, and Peter Butler. Voters delivered some clear messages in the recent local…
Tom Belford02 December 2016
Here’s my Talking Point on council secrecy (unabridged version), published Wed in HB Today. Win or lose, I will continue to fight against council secrecy. After all, before I was a councillor, I managed — with the help of dozens of…
Tom Belford04 October 2016
Voting papers have started to arrive, and I hope you will take this opportunity to have your say, whoever your preferred candidates might be. Of course, I’d welcome your vote! I won my regional council seat by only 61 votes,…
Tom Belford18 September 2016
