Mayor and councillors

You can contact the Mayor and councillors any time to discuss your ideas, issues or concerns. They are your elected members to represent you and your community. The members were elected in October 2022 and will remain in office for 3 years. We will update this page as information becomes available.

Representation on external committees and sub-committees

The Council appoints members to represent it on a number of external organisations, including the following:

Civil Defence Emergency Management Joint Committee: Mayor Guppy

Hutt Valley Flood Management Subcommittee: Mayor Guppy and Councillor Hammond

Ōrongomai Marae Community Centre Trust: Mayor Guppy

Regional Transport Committee: Mayor Guppy - Deputy Mayor Swales as an alternate

Remutaka Hill Road Committee: Deputy Mayor Swales and Councillor Ultra

Wellington Region Leadership Committee: Mayor Guppy

Wellington Waste Forum: Deputy Mayor Swales - Councillor Holderness is an alternate

Wellington Water Committee: Mayor Guppy - Deputy Mayor Swales as an alternate

Zone 4 Local Government Association: Mayor Guppy and Councillor Newell

 

Elected Members' Register of Interests and Pecuniary Interests Summary

Elected members must declare any interests that may arise between their roles as members and any private or other external interests they may have. If any interests are declared, members should stand aside from decision-making related to any such interests.

The Elected Members' current Register of Interest(PDF, 85KB)

The current Pecuniary Interest Register(PDF, 94KB) 

Code of Conduct  

This Code of Conduct provides guidance on the standards of behaviour that are expected from elected members.

Elected Members expenses and allowances Policy  

This policy covers the entitlement of elected members to allowances and contributions towards expenses. Each year the Remuneration Authority sets the remuneration and allowances for all elected members through the Local Government Members Determination. The payment of any or all allowances and expenses is at the discretion of the Upper Hutt City Council.

Review

Once every three years, in the year of local authority elections, Council will review the Elected Members’ Expenses and Allowances Policy. Council will also make changes to the Policy each year based on the Local Government Members Determination that is issued by the Remuneration Authority. Council may also choose to make amendments as required.

Travel entitlements and allowances

VEHICLE-KILOMETRE ALLOWANCE

Council will pay a vehicle-kilometre allowance to elected members when the elected member is:

• attending meetings and workshops of external bodies, outside of Upper Hutt, to which the elected member has been appointed by Council, or
• attending meetings, conferences, training programmes, and other Council business, outside of Upper Hutt, where attendance by the member has been resolved by Council or authorised by the Mayor, or
• undertaking specified Council business, outside of Upper Hutt, pursuant to a resolution of Council or authorised by the Mayor.

  Elected members are entitled to a vehicle-kilometre allowance when they are:

• ·not provided with a motor vehicle by Council, and
• travelling in a private vehicle for Council business, and
• travelling by the most direct route that is reasonable in the circumstances.

Eligibility for the vehicle-kilometre allowance commences from the elected member’s primary place of residence until the conclusion of their Council business travel.

The vehicle-kilometre allowance will be paid at the maximum rate per kilometre as set out in the current Local Government Members Determination.

CAR PARKING

Elected members will be provided with parking spaces at the Council office for their use when on council business.

Parking costs are reimbursed when a carpark is not provided, and the elected member is acting on Council business.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Elected members who incur public transport charges, when on Council business, are entitled to reimbursement of the actual and reasonable cost of the travel.

Travel and attendance at conferences, seminars, training programmes, and other Council business

Prior approval is required for all attendees.

All actual and reasonable costs associated with attendance at the conference, seminar, training programme, or other Council business will be reimbursed, including registration, travel, accommodation, and meals (excluding alcoholic beverages).

ICT allowance

Elected members are provided with a tablet computer for Council business use.

When used for Council business, elected members are entitled to be reimbursed for the cost of any ICT equipment, services and consumables (i.e., mobile phones, home landline, internet connection and printer consumables e.g., ink cartridges and paper).

A maximum of $750 per annum may be claimed for the ICT allowance. Maximum amounts able to be paid for each type of claim are set out in the current Local Government Members Determination.

The ICT allowance will not be paid for any equipment, services or consumables already supplied by Council to elected members.

In addition, Council will provide a mobile telephone for the Mayor and pay for the full cost of the basic plan and reimburse the Mayor at half cost for basic landline costs and all council related calls. All personal calls made from the mobile phone are to be paid for by the Mayor.

Fees relating to hearings

An elected member who acts as the chairperson of a hearing is entitled to be paid a fee, as specified in the current Local Government Members Determination, per hour of hearing time.

An elected member who is not the chairperson of a hearing is entitled to be paid a fee, as specified in the current Local Government Members Determination, per hour of hearing time.

For any period of hearing time and preparation time that is less than one hour, the fee must be apportioned accordingly.

These fees are not payable to the Mayor or to an acting Mayor who is paid the Mayor’s remuneration and allowances.

The definition of a hearing and hearing time is provided in the current Local Government Members Determination.

Childcare allowance

A childcare allowance may be claimed in accordance with the current Local Government Members Determination for childcare while the elected member is engaged in Council business.

An elected member is eligible to be the paid childcare allowance in respect of childcare provided for a child only if:

• the elected member is a parent or guardian of the child, or is a person who usually has the responsibility for the day-to-day care of the child (other than on a temporary basis); and
• the child is aged under 14 years of age; and
• the childcare is provided by a person who:
• is not a parent of the child or a spouse, civil union partner, or de facto partner of the elected member; and
• does not ordinarily reside with the elected member; and
• the elected member provides evidence satisfactory to the local authority of the amount paid for childcare.

The amount payable for the childcare allowance to an elected member must not total more than $3,000 per annum

Payment

Expense claims must be made monthly and will not be accepted if the claim is provided more than two months after the end of the financial year to which they relate.

Full original receipts or evidence of payment must be supplied, where appropriate.

Expense claims must be approved by the Mayor’s Office, with more complicated claims referred to the Chief Executive for final approval.