Michelle Pye - TDC Councillor

09/06/2026

If you are interested in learning more about the proposed sale of TDHL’s shares in Alpine Energy come along or jump online to watch our workshop next week. Unfortunately I can’t attend but I’ll definitely be watching the recording afterwards.

Timaru District Council will host a public workshop next week to provide independent expert insight into the proposed divestment of Alpine Energy and the broader financial and regulatory context surrounding the proposal.

The session will be available both in person and online and is designed to give the community a clearer understanding of how electricity networks are regulated in New Zealand, and how alternative investment approaches could work in practice.
The workshop, which will focus on providing background information rather than advocating for a particular decision, is being held in the Timaru District Council Chambers on 16 June from 11am – 12.30 and online on the TDC website and YouTube channel.

Mark Butcher, former chair of the New Plymouth Perpetual Investment Fund Guardians will present online on lessons from the fund, including how a council can manage community assets through a diversified, independently governed fund.

Toby Stevenson of economic advisory company Sapere will outline how economic regulation shapes the performance and financial returns of electricity lines businesses.

Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said that these perspectives are intended to help explain some of the key drivers behind the current discussion, particularly the impact of regulation on returns and the options available for managing community-owned capital over the long term.

“Unquestionably Alpine is an important company that the community relies on everyday, the question we are working through is not about the value of the business itself, but whether holding this particular investment continues to deliver the best long-term outcomes for the community.

“Electricity networks operate within a strict regulatory environment that prioritises reliability and consumer protection, but can limit the level of financial returns available to shareholders.

“Regardless of ownership, electricity pricing and service standards are set through national regulation. That means returns are influenced more by the regulatory framework and required investment levels than by who owns the shares.”

The workshop will also explore how other councils have addressed similar challenges by moving from single-asset ownership to diversified investment funds designed to deliver more consistent income while protecting capital.

Under the current proposal, any proceeds from a sale would be reinvested into a ring-fenced, independently managed fund to support long-term community benefit and help reduce financial pressure on rates.

“Our goal is to make sure people have access to clear, factual information, including independent perspectives, so that the community can engage in the conversation with a full understanding of the options and trade-offs involved.”

Community members are encouraged to attend the workshop in person or join online.

Further information on the Alpine Energy proposal and the ability to provide feedback to be presented to councillors is available on the Council’s website at Timaru.govt.nz/alpine

03/06/2026

Like I said in my last post there is lots happening at Council at the moment. Here's our next major decision. I'm keen to hear your feedback. The best way to provide feedback so all of Council see it is to use the link in the post below.

Timaru District Council is proposing that Timaru District Holdings Limited sell its shareholding in Alpine Energy to help provide better financial returns for the community.

TDHL, which owns the shares on behalf of the Council, will reinvest the proceeds into a ring-fenced, diversified fund to help fund an increased dividend to be paid back to council each year.

The proposal comes as councils across New Zealand face growing pressure from rising costs, ageing infrastructure, and limits on rates increases. Timaru District Council says the change would improve the group’s financial position by an average of $7 million a year while protecting the proceeds of the sale in the long-term

Alpine Energy is planning to invest nearly $400 million in its network over the coming decade, which means dividend returns are forecast to remain very low.

Mayor Nigel Bowen said that while the current Alpine Energy investment remains valuable, it is not generating the level of cash return needed to help reduce pressure on rates and support essential services.

“Our proposal is about protecting community wealth and significantly improving financial returns,” he said.

“While the proposal involves selling a long-held community asset, the real question is whether this $130 million investment is capable of delivering sufficient returns for the people of this district down the track.

“Alpine will continue to deliver the essential services as it always has due to the regulatory environment it operates in, whether we own shares in it or not won’t change this.

“Our responsibility is to make sure community wealth is protected, carefully managed, and working as hard as it can for both current and future ratepayers.”

The proposal will not affect the regulation of electricity prices, which are set independently, and would not affect the community ownership of the Line Trust, which remains at the discretion of the consumers.

Any reinvested proceeds would be ring-fenced, independently managed, and used for long-term community benefit rather than day-to-day spending.

Councillors will consider the proposal at the 30 June council meeting, and the community is encouraged to provide feedback to the proposal at Timaru.govt.nz/alpine

01/06/2026

It’s a busy old time at Council at the moment. Between annual plans, long term plans, local government reform, water services delivery plans and business as usual there’s a lot happening. So it was great to have some time out this weekend and take the chance to explore what Temuka has to offer. With a range of second hand, antique and op shops to compliment our normal shops, bakeries and cafes/restaurants Temuka definitely has a lot to fill in a spare hour or two. And don’t forget Wi******er just up the road which has its own second hand shop and cafe.

26/05/2026

We can’t keep doing what we are doing and expect a different result. So I’m excited these conversations are happening and we have the opportunity to reset local government for the next generation. We were in Sydney in the weekend and Leighton commented on the foresight of city leaders who built a bridge fit for the next 100+ years that was far bigger than what the population at the time probably needed. So I hope our region can have the same foresight and deliver a proposal that outlives us. There are many things to consider along the way that are important for our region. Councillors are always “open for consultation” so get in touch if you have views to share.

Representatives from district councils across Mid-South Canterbury and North Otago, alongside Environment Canterbury and the Department of Internal Affairs, met yesterday for an initial discussion on how the region responds to the Government’s Simplifying Local Government reforms.

The meeting in Timaru brought together the Mayors, Deputy Mayors and Chief Executives of Ashburton, Mackenzie, Timaru, Waimate, and Waitaki District Councils, along with local Canterbury Regional Councillors and officers, and a representative from the Department of Internal Affairs.

Timaru District Mayor Nigel Bowen said that the discussion was a valuable starting point for considering the opportunities, challenges and regional implications arising from the reform programme.

“Yesterday’s conversation was exploratory and no decisions were made,” he said.

“We instead focused on building a shared understanding of the reform direction and the need for a considered, locally informed response that reflects the interests of communities across the wider sub-region.”

The councils will continue to work on their response to the reforms, including deciding whether to opt in to the voluntary ‘Head Start’ pathway, which is for regions wishing to progress locally led reorganisation proposals ahead of wider reform from 2028. These must be submitted to Government by 9 August 2026.

“While the deadline for any decision is close, the conversation underlined the importance of taking the time to understand what any future response could mean for governance, service delivery and local representation in this part of the country,” said Nigel.

“This was a useful first conversation and an opportunity for local leaders to come together, hear from officials, and begin thinking through the implications of the reform programme for our communities.

“There is more work to do, but the discussion was constructive and showed a shared commitment to approaching the issue thoughtfully and collaboratively.”

Further conversations are expected as councils continue to assess the reform proposals and consider how best to respond to the process signalled by central government.

If you want to find out more about the reforms and give us feedback, go to: https://www.timaru.govt.nz/council/local-government-reforms

21/05/2026

Simplifying Local Government – Getting ready for change

What are your thoughts on what it should look like?

On May 5 the New Zealand Government announced the Head Start for Simplifying Local Government, a streamlined, voluntary pathway for councils willing and able to reorganise before the 2028 local body elections.

Head Start allows groups of two or more councils to propose creating new unitary authorities by combining regional and territorial council functions. If councils do not participate in the Head Start initiative, central government will make these decisions on behalf of those councils in the compulsory backstop process, after the 2028 local body elections. The status quo is not an option.

For Timaru District, we see the Head Start pathway is an opportunity to take greater control of our future, shaping a model that works for our towns, our rural communities, and every place in between. As a community, we have an opportunity to make our voice heard.

For too long, South Canterbury's priorities have risked being overshadowed by Christchurch based regional decision-making. This reform is our opportunity to reset that balance and build a local government structure that truly reflects who we are and what we need.

We have put together some FAQ's on our website, addressing what we can, with the information we have currently.

We want to hear from you, the community and what your preferred future council structure would look like by June 12

For more information and how to let us know go here: https://www.timaru.govt.nz/council/local-government-reforms -your-say

Please note: Facebook comments will not be counted as feedback

04/05/2026

Tonight we held our regular Temuka Community Board meeting in Wi******er (thank you to Wi******er Rural School for hosting us). As part of the public forum session we invited the various domain users to come and share how they use the domain and give feedback on whether there was any support for a community led and funded walking track in the domain. There were mixed views on the walking track including some sound reasons why it wouldn't be appropriete around the entire domain but might work in specific areas. We also heard from the school about some of their plans for the old tennis court area in the domain along with some exciting plans for a new turf at the school netball courts. There were also a couple of business owners from Temuka looking for support and advice on how they could promote Temuka as a unique destination with nine second hand shops for people to explore. And finally our main official report was to consider the reallocation of some funding for projects from last year which was not fully spent. We are proposing to use some of this money to plan a walking/cycling track along McNair Road which is in our Active Transport Strategy and has been advocated for by the community at a previous meeting.

Send a message to learn more

30/04/2026

It’s going to be great to see this local business on Country Calendar this Sunday. Definitely worth a watch.

27/04/2026

It was great to get out and about in the ward this weekend as I attended the Pleasant Point and Cave ANZAC day services. I was also lucky enough to attend the Super Rugby Weekend on Sunday at the new One NZ Stadium in Christchurch. This is a fantastic asset for Christchurch and it was great to be part of the buzz created by lots of people being in the city for the weekend. I really believe that our two big projects, Aorangi Stadium and the Theatre/Museum redevelopment will create similar economic activity (albeit not at the same scale) for our community and I'm really looking forward to these projects being completed.

We have quite a full agenda for Tuesday's meeting this week with Financial Reports, Submissions on the Rangitata Reserve Management Plan, a Temuka Stadium Upgrade Report and lots more. Remember agendas are available online, meetings are open to the public (excluding the public excluded reports) and the public part of meetings are livestreamed on Facebook or YouTube.

21/04/2026

I'll be joining the Mayor tomorrow at the drop in session in Temuka so if you have anything Council related you would like to talk about we'd love to see you there.

Community Drop ins!

Mayor Nigel Bowen will be at Temuka Library, Service & Information Centre tomorrow from 10.30am, and Gerladine Library and Service Centre from 1pm.

Come and drop in, ask any questions or have a chat!

See you there!

12/04/2026

It is so good to see this project underway with great support from the community. Fundraising is now underway so let's get behind this amazing community facility. Find out more here

https://www.aorangistadium.co.nz/

or here

https://www.facebook.com/aorangistadium

Aorangi Stadium in Timaru is currently under redevelopment, creating a modern indoor sports and events facility for South Canterbury. Follow progress and updates.