David Langford says the last five years for local Government have been intense.
David Langford says the last five years for local Government have been intense.
Whanganui council boss David Langford hopes whoever takes over from him can “keep the momentum going”.
Langford, Whanganui District Council chief executive since December 2021, will depart for the United Kingdom in October to be director of highways, transportation and waste management at the Nottinghamshire County Council.
He said Whanganuiwas a beautiful city, and he had enjoyed developing personal relationships with the community.
“If you’re going to do a job like mine, you’ve got to be prepared to take the rub,” he said.
“Some people will disagree with the decisions you’ve made, and won’t like you for it.
“In the words of Leslie Knope from (NBC sitcom) Parks and Recreation, when they shout at me, it’s just them caring really loudly.”
Langford said the past five years for local government had been intense, mostly due to the amount of change imposed on the sector, such as Three Waters and Local Water Done Well reforms and the Government’s plans to replace the Resource Management Act and Building Control Authority.
“Councils that come out the other side are going to look very different, and they are going to have to figure out their purpose and role in supporting the community,” he said.
“As New Zealand, we are one of the most centralised systems of government in the whole of the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development).
“Our Government spends 93% of all taxes, and I think the average across most high income countries is more like a 70 (central) 30 (local) split.”
“Almost all our rates’ money is spent on core services already, and the bits that aren’t are the bits people really care about and fought to keep.
“We fund the Christmas Parade, and give $100,000 a year to surf lifesaving to help them patrol the beaches and keep our kids safe. That’s not core services.
“If we put caps on rates, these are the things that will get hit.”
Langford said he would be disappointed if the district did not have the lowest rates increase next year as well, while still increasing investment in core infrastructure.
There was an 11% increase in the council’s infrastructure spend for 2025/26.
A major part of the council’s role was “building things”, whether it be fixing potholes or putting pipes in the ground, he said.
“There are a lot of armchair engineers out there, but it comes with the territory.
“Anybody who’s watched an episode of Bob The Builder thinks they know how to do my job better than I do.
“Like I said before, if you’re not up for the criticism, and you’re not prepared to rise above it, this job is not for you.”
“It delivers around $10 million of GDP into our economy, but the goal was also to get a business paying landing fees at the airport, so the ratepayer doesn’t have to subsidise it as much.
“The intention was always to get it set up as an investment, and once it’s running, sell it.
“Now’s the time to hand it over to the private sector, but make sure we keep those benefits.”
He said his proudest achievements was forming a citizens’ assembly - “a bold move” - to tackle the future of outdoor swimming in the district, including the Whanganui East pool.
“There’s a heap of lessons we’ve learned and when council does the next one, it’ll be a bit slicker and even better,” Langford said.
“For me, it was seeing the community step up and make the most of the opportunity, and really get engaged with an issue they care about.”
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
