Candidates | Hamilton City Council

About Rachel

Candidate Statement

Head For Detail. Heart For Hamilton. Hamilton deserves decisive leadership. I’m ready to deliver - grounded in integrity, driven by pragmatism, focused on purpose. As a CEO, former lawyer, and longtime governor, I’ve led major commercial developments that empowered communities. I stood with ratepayers at the height of the leaky building crisis and turned complex challenges into real-world solutions.

I know risk. I know regulation. And I know how to turn vision into action.

My priorities for council are clear: Strengthen the foundation and unlock growth; Advance through technology and embrace innovation; Plan boldly for generations we’ll never meet.

Hamilton sits at the heart of the North Island - strategic, innovative, full of promise. But potential alone won’t drive progress. Now is the time to rebuild trust, rein in spending, reduce debt, and bring council back to basics. Leadership isn’t just about vision. It’s about delivery. That’s what I offer.

Candidate Profile Questions

1.What would be your top three priorities for Council the next three years?

My three priorities:

1. Strengthen the foundations and unlock growth

Council must live within its means and focus on delivering core services well — this is the foundation. Sustainable growth comes when that foundation works in partnership with business, communities, and stakeholders, united by a shared vision for the future. We’re stronger together.

2. Advance through technology and innovation

Council champions technology and innovation in its own work and is the catalyst for more growth in this space. Envisage this headline - “Hamilton - New Zealand’s capital of agri-tech, aquaculture, applied technology and broader innovation”. It’s already underway – let’s amp this up.

3. Planning for generations we may never meet.

Long term planning is critical. The future pulls us forward, the present pushes us to act, and the past anchors us in who we are. Let’s scrap short-termism, be guardians of our environment, and make decisions to provide for future generations.

2. What is your aspiration for Hamilton Kirikiriroa?

My aspiration for Hamilton, Kirikiriroa is for us to be a city that:

Is visionary in its planning and open to partnership to deliver on a shared vision
Maximises its context in the heart of the North Island, a stone’s throw from Auckland and from both coasts
Respects the Waikato River as the crown jewel of all the jewels of the city and the Region
Supports its local hustlers, creatives, entrepreneurs and businesses to thrive
Supports those in the community (leaders, providers, groups) wrapping their love around the diverse members of our community
Does the basics well – clean water, affordable housing and housing of choice, an integrated transport system that actively considers future growth, jobs to support, reserves and recreational facilities
Looks after its assets and uses assets to benefit the maximum cohort of community possible.

3. How do you think Council could best use opportunities to meet the key challenges we are facing?

The challenge I hear most about from Hamiltonians are rates increases in a cost of living crisis. This is not a time for blame - it is however a time for assessing where we are at and how we move forward. The first opportunity is to assess each expense against the following questions:

is council delivering the right things (ie what the people of Hamilton need and want); and
are the people of Hamilton getting the best deal for every dollar spent.

Another opportunity is to review procurement processes to make sure the processes are fit for purpose.

There are other challenges such as:

Working in partnership – opportunity - move beyond consultation and co-design with stakeholders/community; partner with community and business to deliver shared outcomes – leverage what is already working well
Government reform – opportunity – assert local leadership through excellent implementation/execution and influence fit-for-purpose local solutions.

4. If there was one thing you could change about Hamilton Kirikiriroa immediately, what would it be?

In answering this broad question, I am assuming that usual constraints exist (ie resources such as people, funding, time are limited).

Hamilton has some complex issues that need to be navigated with care and that will take solid planning and time to get moving in the right direction. Being practical about something that where change could start immediately, it would be building trust in the community. Clearer communication, less red tape, increased visibility, more formal and informal feedback loops and a culture of stewardship of every ratepayer dollar.

Ratepayers are generally accepting of the need to pay reasonable rates – they want to be assured that they are getting value for money. This is about trust, communication and transparency.

5. What qualities would you bring to Council that will help our city thrive?

Head for detail. Heart for Hamilton.

I offer a unique blend of commercial acumen and community commitment. As a CEO, I've led major capital developments, built teams, established new business entities, expanded the business and more than tripled the balance sheet. All this was achieved in a funding-constrained environment, through COVID, and as a responsible steward of taxpayers' money. This is head. During COVID, I led K’aute Pasifika’s response from the front line, personally delivering medicine and care parcels across the city. I've witnessed the realities that shape Hamiltonians’ lives, and I carry them with me. This is heart.