Wayne Guppy

Wayne Guppy
JP
Guppy in 2016
11th Mayor of Upper Hutt
Incumbent
Assumed office
2001
Preceded byRex Kirton
Personal details
Born
Wayne Noel Guppy

(1954-08-31) 31 August 1954 (age 70)
Upper Hutt, New Zealand
SpouseSue Guppy
ResidenceHeretaunga
ProfessionPharmacist
WebsiteOfficial council website

Wayne Noel Guppy JP (born 31 August 1954) is a New Zealand local-body politician. He has been the Mayor of Upper Hutt since 2001.

Early life

Guppy was born in Upper Hutt on 31 August 1954, the son of Colin Guppy, a police officer, and Joy Guppy.[1] He was educated at St. Patrick's College, Silverstream, and obtained a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.[2][1]

In 1987, Guppy was a lecturer in clinical pharmacy at Hutt Hospital, and group chairman of the pharmacy practice department at Upper Hutt's Central Institute of Technology, while his wife, Sue, ran Guppy's Dispensary in Upper Hutt.[1]

Personal life

Guppy is married to Sue and they have two daughters.[3] They live in the Upper Hutt suburb of Heretaunga.[4] Guppy is currently the president of the Upper Hutt Rugby Football Club.[5] He is a justice of the peace.[4]

Mayor of Upper Hutt

Guppy was first elected to the Upper Hutt City Council in 1998,[6] and was the chair of the Consents Committee for that three-year term.[4] At the next local body election in 2001, he was elected Mayor of Upper Hutt with a majority of around 6,000 votes[7] and has been mayor since. In the 2007 local election, he was returned unopposed.[8] Guppy and Chris Hipkins launched a petition in 2009 opposing the proposed merger of the Upper Hutt and Lower Hutt police districts.[9]

Amalgamation

In 2009, Guppy stated his opposition to the amalgamation of Wellington region councils to form a super-city.[10]

Water infrastructure controversies

In 2023, Guppy publicly criticised Wellington Water, an asset management company jointly owned by most councils in the Wellington Region. The company manages the water infrastructure in Upper Hutt on behalf of the city council. Wellington Water reported that 52% of the drinking water supplied to the city was being lost through leaks. An Upper Hutt councillor claimed that the state of the water network was the result of decades of under-investment, and that the city was currently only replacing 1.5 km (0.93 mi) of water mains each year. Guppy disputed the claims and said that he had "no confidence" in Wellington Water and its advice.[11] Guppy has also strongly opposed the installation of water meters for all consumers, despite the evidence that they lead to significantly reduced demand.[12] In a separate issue related to wastewater, Guppy disputed advice from Wellington Water about the potential need to invest $1 billion in a total replacement of the long sewage outfall pipe from the treatment plant at Seaview to Pencarrow Head, together with upgrades at the treatment plant.[13]

Guppy diverted money from Three Waters funding to pay for floodlights for the rugby club which he is president of. He was accused of a "conflict of interest".[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Wayne Guppy". Upper Hutt City Library. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  2. ^ "University of Life". Dominion Post. 11 November 2009. pp. B3. ProQuest 507117030.
  3. ^ "Wayne Guppy". Upper Hutt City Library. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c "His Worship the Mayor – Wayne Guppy, JP". Upper Hutt City Council. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  5. ^ "Contact Us". Upper Hutt Rugby Football Club. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  6. ^ Williams, Sharon (3 November 1998). "Councillors promise no more closed doors". Evening Post. p. 5. ProQuest 314580452.
  7. ^ "Deputy mayor takes Wellington". TV One. 13 October 2001. Retrieved 15 October 2011.
  8. ^ Williams, Colin (21 July 2010). "Sparrow v Guppy in mayoral race". Upper Hutt Leader. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  9. ^ Hipkins, Chris (23 February 2009). "Petition opposing police merger launched". Chris Hipkins MP.
  10. ^ Burgess, Dave (31 March 2009). "Mayors at odds over super-city for Wellington". Dominion Post. pp. A6. ProQuest 338341753.
  11. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (10 October 2023). "Upper Hutt loses 52% of its water to leaks". The Post. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  12. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (24 December 2022). "Water meters would help address Wellington's leak problem - but will politicians act?". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  13. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (23 September 2023). "$1 billion shock for Hutt Valley ratepayers". The Post. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 24 September 2023.
  14. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (3 November 2023). "Upper Hutt council uses Three Waters funding for rugby floodlights". The Post. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Upper Hutt
2001–present 		Incumbent