Vote Local.
Vote Paki.

For Central Ward Councillor Hutt City Council Elections 2025

Paki Maaka has called Central Lower Hutt home for more than 30 years. He has led some of our city’s most important urban projects, focusing on housing, business, infrastructure, and turning community ideas into real results. Paki knows how Council works. With your vote, he will keep doing what is right for our community, today and for future generations.

Contact Paki Maaka

email. paki4central@gmail.com

mobile. 021-589-057

Ko Pukeatua toku maunga

Ko Te Awa Kairangi toku awa

Ko Ngati Kahungunu me Ngati Kainuku, Ngati Pokoroa oku iwi

Ko Tama Kahu toku Marae

Ko Paki Maaka raua ko Alice Cowan oku matua

No Te Awa Kairangi Lower Hutt ahau.

Born in Lower Hutt, I have lived in Central Hutt for thirty-two years.

I met Nichola at Wainuiomata College. We bought our first house in Naenae, raised two little daughters in Alicetown, and then moved to Woburn to be closer to Hutt Valley High School.

Central Lower Hutt is our home and we hope to share it with our future grandchildren.

My priorities for council

Thriving communities start with strong foundations.
I care deeply about what makes cities and communities thrive. We need to be prosperous, resilient, and proud of who we are as a growing and evolving nation of New Zealanders.

We need to keep our young people here.
With an ageing population, our young people are our future workers, parents, investors, and leaders of our community. We may not match Australia’s resources, but we can offer something more meaningful — a city with purpose, opportunity, and belonging.

We must make the right decisions now.
We have the opportunity to be inventive and ambitious in dealing with the issues we face. Council and community must confront these challenges together and shape a future that our children and grandchildren will want to be a part of.

2018 Council Community Workshop – Central City Transformation Plan. Photo. P.Maaka

2017 RiverLink – early artist impression.

Priority Projects

Council Service

Council must improve the way it works with our Community and our Partners.

Council must be more inventive in the way it thinks and Council must be more productive in how it acts.

Together, Council and Community must innovate in order to resolve opportunities such as Infrastructure and its price (in rates) which we need to mitigate with our partners.

RiverLink

RiverLink is a template for partnering upon major challenges and opportunities.

However, the RiverLink Project currently under construction must succeed 100% if we want to propose it as a good prototype process for Infrastructure and Cross Valley Link.

Over the next few years, RiverLink under construction must be well managed to minimise the effects of risk and disruption.

Major Infrastructure Projects

Where we must invest large amounts of money, we must maximise the value and benefits received back to our Community.

Partnering judiciously, assertively, but in good faith under a RiverLink type template… I suggest is a good precedent for major projects.

Cross Ward Opportunities

Join forces with other Councillors to leverage common interests for housing, economic growth, recreation, and sustainability.

For example the Cross Valley Link straddles Central and Harbour Wards, but beyond the multiple benefits it offers to Central and Harbour Wards, Cross Valley Link has significant transport and growth potential for Wainuiomata.

Housing and Urban Development

Work with Private and Public sectors toward good and affordable housing options for younger people, families, and older people who increasingly need more choice of aged care.

Always to be proactive for urban development that produces good social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

Rates

New infrastructure is essential and together we need to figure out the most appropriate way to build and pay for it.

In no particular order these are things that I think we should talk over; council staff cuts, council service cuts, service charges, revenue stream options, cuts or postponement of council projects, more efficient council operations, off-setting cost by maximising value returned on council investment, lending options, and how we can partner to share and off-set cost.

I don’t like the idea of reducing library hours for example, but you may have ideas and so will others.

Council will need to facilitate with Community and Partners as we all work together to understand our options and in order to agree on how we can proceed.

An example of major infrastructure - Sewerage Treatment Plan Seaview

Professional background

Architecture
1995 – Ongoing

  • 1995 - 2005 housing, apartments, university campuses, commercial buildings, public spaces, hospitals, public transport, urban regeneration.

  • 1999 - 2001 Advisor Wellington Waterfront Project.

  • 2005 - 2007 own private practice based in Central Hutt.

  • 1997 (ongoing) guest teaching in architecture, urban design, and landscape Victoria University Wellington.

  • 2024 - 2026 Deputy Chair MAPIHI Board Maori & Pacific Housing Research Centre University of Auckland.

2017 Paki talking with Community about RiverLink. Lower Hutt Festival of Lights. Photo. Regional Council.

2020 Council Community Workshop. Cr. Andy Mitchell Naenae Spatial Plan. Photo. P.Maaka

Hutt City Council
Urban Design Manager 2007 – 2020

  • $1.5B RiverLink, which I led in all its versions from 2006 – 2020.

  • Relationship Manager Heritage Building Projects.

  • Suburban Shopping Centre Upgrades – multiple.

  • Relationship Manager E Tu Hutt Public Arts Trust.

  • Cross Valley Link Working Group (Hutt City Council, Waka Kotahi, Regional Council).

  • Area Development Plans – Petone 2040, Making Places, Central City Transformation Plan, Naenae Spatial Plan.

  • Rockefeller Cities 100 regional stakeholder group (Regional Disaster Preparedness).

Kainga Ora Homes and Communities
Principal Urban Designer 2021– 2024

  • Significant housing and urban development nationwide working with Developers, Ministry of Housing & Urban Development, Te Puni Kokiri, Local Councils, Community Housing Providers, Communities, & Mana Whenua.

  • Lead advisor Maori and Pacific Housing Projects Whangarei, South Auckland, Porirua, Mataura, Temuka, Bluff and Wainuiomata.

  • Analysis of alternative models for affordable good housing including multi-generational households so that older people can have the choice to age in place within the care of family.

2024 Papakainga Housing Kainga Ora Homes & Communities. Led by our relationship holders, I assembled a team with expertise in housing development and multi-media to work with Mana Whenua at Te Rau Aroha Marae Motupohue Bluff. Sound-track by Solomon Rahui.

Carefully consider all Central Ward Candidates and make your vote count.

Voting Period. Tuesday 9 September to Midday Saturday 11 October

Final Results. 13 to 16 October

Would you like to help with my election campaign?

  • Do you have a front fence for a billboard? Billboards are light weight core-flute 900x1200mm. Need to be on a busy street in the Central Ward.

  • Can you deliver flyers in the Central Ward?

  • Can you share my Website or Instagram Site on your social media? And ask your friends to do the same?

See my contact information below. Cheers, Paki.