It’s been a privilege to serve as your Mayor for the last three years, and I’m asking for your support to continue for another term.
I’ve continued to build broad political support for the decisions that matter. It doesn’t get much more Labour than David Benson-Pope, and they don’t come much bluer than Mike Lord. Yet here we are, working together to get better outcomes for Dunedin.
The thing about the city council is that elected members aren’t always going to agree. We are elected by a community with a range of values and opinions, and so you’d expect the council to be the same.
It is a feature, not a bug, of our democratic system.
In the three years that I’ve had this job, I’ve shown that I can do this.
I’m proud to live in a city that’s heading in such a positive direction, and to have led a council that is getting on with getting things done in our community.
Finally fixing our ageing infrastructure. Long overdue upgrades to our pools, playgrounds and public spaces. Telling the stories of our mana whenua in the built fabric of the city.
At the same time, we’re plannning for our future.
Tackling the causes and effects of climate change head on. Building a 21st centurt transport network. Planning to support our growing population.
And doing all of this in a way that makes good on our commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi.
We will see billions of dollars being invested into the city over the next ten years and beyond.
Our job is to seize that opportunity, and use it to set Dunedin up for generations to come.
That is my commitment to you.
I will also fight Dunedin’s corner.
The second part of the hospital campaign was to make sure we got the services we -and the wider Otago region - need (‘Save Our Services’), which seemed on solid ground but now seems in doubt.
Dunedin has a proud history of fighting for its public health services. We had 6000 people in behind the hospital campaign, and 10,000 people marching in the streets to save our neurosurgical services.
We’ll do it again if we have to.
I’m proud of what we’ve achieved, but there’s plenty more to do.
Let’s keep going.
If you’ve received your voting papers, you need to post them back by October 4th (or deliver them to the DCC by midday October 8th).
If not, you can find out where/how to cast a Special Vote by following the link here
