Revitalisation, economic recovery and a rates pledge

Saturday, 6 September 2025

As part of the election 2025 coverage, Katie Townshend spoke to Nelson’s two leading candidates for the mayoralty.

Across Nick Smith’s Facebook page there’s pictures of him, brandishing a large placard, getting other council candidates to sign it.

The incumbent mayor has set an ambitious under-5% rates pledge for the coming term, and is getting other hopefuls to add their voice to the promise.

But, while it’s a promise that launched his campaign for a second term as mayor, the long-term politician says it’s not his only platform in the race for the chains against his main challenger - and council colleague - Aaron Stallard.

“The focus is, yes, rates affordability, and city revitalisation, and then issues like transport and housing and environment. I pride myself on being a politician with broad objectives.

“I'm not a single issue person. The very nature of roles like mayor is that you need to have a broad platform.”

But, back to rates, and it has to be asked - is it a hollow promise? After all, the coming years in the long-term plan are already under 5%.

Smith insists it’s not, and says the pattern of local government is to put low increases into the long-term plan, but to then increase them.

“They add in a whole lot of extra costs that just end up with this repetitive cycle of supposedly large rate increases short term but there is going to be this Nirvana out in the future.”

Setting the rates pledge means that he - and others that sign it - are committed to keeping it low, he said.

It’s all with a caveat that increases will be higher in the event of a natural disaster.

For the past three years, recovery from the August 2022 weather event - at the very start of Smith’s first term as mayor - dominated the agenda.

Managing that recovery is what he says he’s proudest of as mayor, and he says economic recovery is set to be the main challenge of the coming trienium.

“The focus has got to be city revitalisation and economic recovery, and part of that economic recovery is acknowledging this huge cost of living pressure around rates … rates affordability is the issue that just comes up over and over again.”

It’s an argument he uses to back his opposition to the new Nelson Provisional Museum storage facility in Richmond, which became a hot election topic in recent weeks.

“I don't mind borrowing money for significant civic assets that are going to contribute to the revitalisation of the city, but I do think it's a significant change from the project that was originally proposed for what is effectively a storage warehouse in Richmond.”

His stance is similarly firm on other topics. He’s adamant amalgamation with Tasman District Council is the future for the region, and he’s a staunch advocate for the Hope Bypass, saying the region needs to focus on advocating for - and getting - a single transport priority finished, before moving on to other projects, such as Rocks Rd.

It’s a benefit, he says, of his years as the Nelson MP and government minister as a National politician - the experience taught him the benefit of a targeted approach.

That experience is one of the things he points to as why he’s the best person for the mayoralty, which he says is the perfect job for him at his stage of life.

One thing Smith says he’s open to changing this term is the council structure, which Stallard has challenged the transparency of, after Smith abolished committees in favour of closed-door taskforces.

Smith believed that worked to make the council more collegial after becoming fractured the previous term.

But, he says he’s open to committees this term - just not a system where important decisions are voted on twice.

And, finally - what’s something about him that would surprise people?

Smith paused and grinned, before revealing a fact that “deeply embarrasses my son” - he once played table tennis for New Zealand (in a trans-Tasman tournament, aged 16).

“He just likes to say that my dad played sport for New Zealand, and likes to hide the fact that it was in table tennis.”