Dunedin mayoral candidate Steve McGregor has kept a low profile this campaign, but insists he has big ideas to make the city a better place.
First among them is a renewed focus on developing the city's tourism sector, through projects such as investing in the St Clair hot salt water pool, to make the open-air facility a truly steaming outdoor baths.
Projects like that, he says, will attract more visitors - and their money - to the city, and help the council address other pressing problems, such as debt.
He has also sounded a warning about the dangers of oil and gas exploration off the coast, after helping clean up Mount Maunganui's beaches after the Rena disaster.
Why are you standing for mayor?
I just see the potential in Dunedin. I've sort of lived in most major cities throughout New Zealand, and I sort of just want to see it go down the right track.
What are the major issues facing the city, and how would you address them?
Basically paying off the city's debt. I'm more for tourism and the technology sector in the city.
I don't think we should be relying on the stadium to pay all its debt off. It would just be impossible. Tourism's our second-biggest earner [as an] industry in New Zealand - it's worth billions of dollars - and if we can tap into a lot more of that than we already do, it could mean millions of dollars coming into the city.
I'd actually like to see such things as updating the St Clair pools to heat them and refurbish them. That could bring in hundreds of thousands [of dollars] for the council and city and give us a good tourist attraction.
There's no outdoor hot pools in the whole district, even though it's one of the coldest districts in New Zealand. It's an amazing location so it would be an amazing tourist attraction for us - not just for tourists but also for locals to enjoy.
I'd like to actually link the two beaches. We've got this amazing beachfront down here but it's sort of segregated at the moment, with St Clair and St Kilda. I'd actually like to put a boardwalk between it, so it sort of links it all together and gives us a great beachfront.
The tech industry is going to be huge in the future and if we can sort of tap into that and promote it - if the council can promote 'Hey, we've got this great city' to bring down industry, we've got a lot of empty buildings down here that could be used, and it could be linked to the university as well.
Debt is a major issue the council has identified and is trying to address. Is it doing enough?
No, I don't think they're doing enough on debt.
They're trying to get the stadium to pay off its debt and all these little things like that. But what we need to be doing is concentrating on these other industries, like tourism.
It could bring millions of dollars more into the city ... and use that to actually pay off the debt and make Dunedin a vibrant city and a wealthy city.
You've been relatively low-profile so far in this campaign, missing the mayoral forum and public debates - are you committed to this campaign and the job, if elected?
Yes, it's just I'm tied up in two businesses I run and it's pretty full-on. I explained to the Electoral Commission when I first signed up, I'm sort of unavailable during the week to attend conferences and things, just because I'm away a lot.
What happens if you're elected? Will you have time for the job?
Yes, I'll put a manager in running my businesses.
How do you think your campaign will go if you can't attend these events?
I've just got to do the best I can, basically. It's more tricky for me than someone who's in Dunedin full time, as a lot of the other candidates are.
What strengths would you bring as mayor?
I'm a good people person. I've been involved in the tourism industry for 15 years. I formed the Freedom Camping Club in New Zealand ... I'm quite a good leader.
Do you think the council has enough business experience around the table, or will do after the election, or is that something you're worried about?
I think the council's a little bit disjointed. It needs to all sort of come together so Dunedin's promoted.
At the moment, if you don't live in Dunedin, Dunedin's sort of seen as a cold, dark place to live, and it's not really an attraction to get new residents living down here.
What one thing would you do to try to change those perceptions?
Basically, promoting the CBD into a technology hub and getting new business to actually move into the city, will actually make it quite a vibrant city to live in.
It will create jobs, it will create growth in the city, and basically tapping into the tourism sector. Tourists are basically coming to Dunedin, staying a night and then leaving. The average tourist spends $180 a night.
If we can get them to stay an extra night, or two nights, or even a week, that's millions more dollars flowing into the city which flows on to all businesses.
What's your vision for the city?
I'd like it to concentrate a lot more on tourism. There's so much we can do to actually create jobs and businesses in the city to do with tourism. And just really concentrate on the technology hub in the city.
We've got all these empty buildings in the city that are unused and they are perfect for technology industries to actually set up. We sort of need to move on that front before another city, like Wellington or another city, actually goes down that line and the businesses all move there.
The council already has a plan for the warehouse precinct - is that enough or would you do things differently?
I still don't think it's enough. Turning down the harbourside hotel was a mistake. We need five-star accommodation in the city for our tourists and visitors.
Instead of just ... saying no, they should have reviewed it and maybe altered the height of the building or the design ... We need to connect that whole harbourside to the city, and I think putting the hotel there would have actually created more growth and more businesses wanting to move on to the harbourside.
You're aware the council is still talking to the hotel developer about alternative sites and designs?
No, I wasn't aware of that ... That's good.
What community involvement have you had?
I'm involved with a community organisation called Plantalive.org. We've basically been trying to get a lot of farms riparian planted along the streams to filter out all the pollutants and things.
We've been trying to get councils to plant dead areas ... land that's not used much and councils come in and mow it and spray it every second week ... If it's planted with a bit of bush, or a bit of natives, it saves them wasting all this money.
What's your view on oil and gas exploration off Dunedin's coast?
I was actually involved in the Rena clean-up off Mt Maunganui, so I'm a bit wary of it. We were cleaning up all the oil off the beach and it was a real mess ... I'm just a bit wary on it.
The jobs that it creates are specialised jobs that the average Joe Blow in Dunedin won't be a part of ... If anything was to go wrong, we're the ones taking the risks. I think those royalties should come back from central government to the area, which could then be used to maybe pay off the stadium debt or something.
So, at this stage, are you for or against oil and gas exploration off the coast?
Oh, definitely against it. I just don't see it creating a lot of jobs like they make out. The rigs are built overseas, they're brought in, all their workers are brought in.
How are you funding your campaign?
Just personally at the moment.
Any donations?
No, I haven't [received any].
How much do you expect to spend?
Probably about $1000 to $2000.
How would you describe your politics?
I believe in keeping New Zealand pure. I believe that's where all our wealth is. Tourism's huge ... It's worth billions of dollars to the economy and we don't sort of want to ruin that.
National does a lot of oil drilling and that at the moment. That's their main policy and I don't think it's going to really be a lot of benefit to New Zealand. We've sort of got to be a bit careful.
Who do you vote for nationally?
I voted last time for the Green Party, basically because I don't think National or Labour have got any great ideas or plans or anything to get the country going really - basically, mining and oil drilling.
Who are your supporters here?
Basically, everyone I meet seems to sort of like me.
Steve McGregor
Age: 46.
Family/marital status: Single, two children.
Occupation: Manager, Happy Days Mini Golf, St Kilda.
Council experience: None.
Running for: Mayor.
