NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • Deloitte Fast 50
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Billboards put heat on council

Nikki Preston
By Nikki Preston
NZ Herald·
7 May, 2012 05:45 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Ray Stark intends to take his billboard campaign to other cities around New Zealand he has connections with. Photo / Christine Cornege
Ray Stark intends to take his billboard campaign to other cities around New Zealand he has connections with. Photo / Christine Cornege

Ray Stark intends to take his billboard campaign to other cities around New Zealand he has connections with. Photo / Christine Cornege

The Hamilton businessman and "Concerned Citizen" behind a new and visible campaign taking the Mayor and councillors to task says he has no personal agenda.

The Herald can reveal the "Concerned Citizen" bankrolling a costly campaign targeting the city council is Ray Stark, executive chairman of Hamilton-founded global interactive messaging company TalkingTech.

Mr Stark's campaign has become the talk of the city in the past few days and so far comprises two billboards, a Facebook page and the concernedcitizen.co.nz website. And there is more to come, including another billboard in the city and more online activities.

Mr Stark planned to roll out campaigns in other cities in New Zealand he is connected with.

The two Hamilton billboards have been strategically placed.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The first, on the corner of Mill and Willoughby Sts near Waikato Stadium and the V8 track, blamed the council for the $40 million V8 blowout. The other, on the corner of Claudelands Rd and Grey St, mimics a real estate sign selling a "busted" Claudelands Event Centre. The Roadsite Attractions-owned billboard have a monthly rental fee of $3500 each.

But Mr Stark, who is a Hamilton resident, said he put up the billboards because he was genuinely worried about the city. He claimed to have no backers and no intention of standing in the local body elections in October 2013.

"City hall needs to take stock. It's spending way out of its remit. I'm not getting into a personal situation, but some of these local politicians have got to be on drugs. They don't have any regard for the average person in the street.

"You get to a stage in life when you can't tolerate it any more so you can do one of two things. You can turn a blind eye and let the next generation pick it up and have the problem - well, I'm not prepared to do that. I don't know what will come out of this but I've made a statement and I'm true to my word, I will follow through with stuff."

While his main goal was to make people think, he also hoped it would encourage like-minded people with fresh ideas to stand in the next election.

Discover more

Business

Tauranga billboard 'just a bit of fun'

30 May 05:30 PM

The concernedcitizen.co.nz website described itself as a forum for Hamilton citizens to gain information and express their views on the city council's policies, activities and governance.

Mr Stark has kept a low profile since standing for Hamilton City Council under the City Vision team in 1998. He was previously a member of the Citizens and Ratepayers Council, as it was called then.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Councillors were yesterday also doing their own investigations on the billboards.

Dave Macpherson and Hamilton Deputy Mayor Gordon Chesterman called the people behind the campaign "cowardly" and said they should front up. Other high-profile Hamiltonians and business groups, including former mayors David Braithwaite and Margaret Evans, Waikato Property Council and Hamilton Citizens and Ratepayers Association, denied having any knowledge of who was behind the campaign.

Mr Braithwaite said the billboards were a signal the community was concerned and there would be an increasing interest in next year's election.

Ms Evans said the concern among ratepayers had deepened largely because of the council's latest crisis, dubbed "floodgate" when there was public outrage after 28,000 properties were labelled a flood risk.

There are no rules around putting up a politically based billboard providing it was on a consented billboard site and the message was not offensive.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Business

Premium
Airlines

Kiwi victims of Qantas cyber attack can lodge complaint in NZ, expert says

Premium
Property

How a teen warehouse job led to a $73m supermarket opening

Premium
Opinion

Cecilia Robinson: Pharmac must adopt smarter, more flexible funding approaches


Sponsored

Sponsored: More cash, less stress - a lending strategy for investors

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Recommended for you

Be in to win a double pass to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Promotions

Be in to win a double pass to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Last-gasp Lions try sees Australia surrender test series in Melbourne
Rugby

Last-gasp Lions try sees Australia surrender test series in Melbourne

Lawson takes top-10 finish in Formula 1's Belgium sprint race
Formula 1

Lawson takes top-10 finish in Formula 1's Belgium sprint race

Fire crews extinguish blaze at smoke-logged Mitre 10 Westgate
New Zealand

Fire crews extinguish blaze at smoke-logged Mitre 10 Westgate

Auckland Lotto player wins $1m, Powerball jackpots to $12m
New Zealand

Auckland Lotto player wins $1m, Powerball jackpots to $12m

Black Caps meet South Africa in Twenty20 Tri-series final
Black Caps

Black Caps meet South Africa in Twenty20 Tri-series final



Latest from Business

Premium
Premium
Kiwi victims of Qantas cyber attack can lodge complaint in NZ, expert says
Airlines

Kiwi victims of Qantas cyber attack can lodge complaint in NZ, expert says

An NZ lawyer says affected people in this country can still take action against Qantas.

26 Jul 12:26 AM
Premium
Premium
How a teen warehouse job led to a $73m supermarket opening
Property

How a teen warehouse job led to a $73m supermarket opening

26 Jul 12:01 AM
Premium
Premium
Cecilia Robinson: Pharmac must adopt smarter, more flexible funding approaches
Opinion

Cecilia Robinson: Pharmac must adopt smarter, more flexible funding approaches

25 Jul 11:00 PM


Sponsored: More cash, less stress - a lending strategy for investors
Sponsored

Sponsored: More cash, less stress - a lending strategy for investors

22 Jul 07:56 AM

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search