Alan Adcock - WDC Chief Financial Officer - April 2026

Community First Whangārei held its inaugural get-together at the Old Library in April 2026, with Whangārei District Council Chief Financial Officer Alan Adcock as their guest speaker. Around 20 locals came along to listen, ask questions, and learn a bit more about how council funding works.

Alan’s presentation explained that Whangārei District Council (WDC) generally approaches its spending as an “80/20” split: about 80% of income goes to core services like roads and wastewater infrastructure, and around 20% goes to the “nice-to-haves”. By comparison, some other councils are closer to a “40/60” split and are already at (or near) their borrowing limits. As you’d expect, deciding where the money goes can be a moving target — and a regular source of debate and at times contention e.g. the Hundertwasser.

Alan also spoke about the extra pressure councils can feel from central government decisions. Recent examples include water fluoridation, Local Water Done Well, and local council reforms — where the costs are largely met by ratepayers locally, and where the wider debate can be felt right here in our communities.

The Q&A was a highlight. We heard that dog licensing fees are set to cover the cost of dog management, and Alan also shared that he’s questioned why GST is added to rates (which seems like a “tax on a tax”). Another interesting point was that development contributions aren’t necessarily spent in the same area they’re collected—so, for example, contributions from a subdivision in Whangārei Heads might be spent in the Bream Bay area.