What are your priorities for the year ahead?
Delivering my campaign priorities: Fight for the hospital, new city vision and master plan, boost economic development, amplify Dunedin’s profile, rebuild partnerships, deliver better value for rates, improve council culture — and make Dunedin proud of their council.
What opportunities do you see in the year to come?
This is Dunedin’s moment to shine. We need to get our new vision and master plan sorted so we can power ourselves up to grow our city to succeed. A big focus will be on economic development and the mechanisms to allow it to flourish.
What challenges do you see?
The government reform storm is the biggest challenge. A tsunami of legislation was dropped just before Christmas, so many of us are coming back to work much earlier than planned to analyse and respond to these changes. While some are useful, many will make for a hugely challenging environment for us and councils around New Zealand. Other challenges include ensuring our infrastructure is sound and well planned, especially getting the work done on South Dunedin and redoing our budget in light of signalled government changes. Tragically, we’ve lost one of our very experienced councillors with former mayor Jules Radich passing away, so we also will have a by-election.
How do you plan to navigate these?
We’ve got a great team at council who will support councillors in navigating these changes. The most important thing for us to do is to decide on the future and vision we all want for Dunedin and focus on that, not allow ourselves to be too buffeted around by the winds of other people’s ideas.
What new year’s resolutions do you have for yourself ...?
Spend more time with people I love.
... and your city ...?
Make us shine spectacularly.
... and your council?
Work hard to create a strong council leading the charge to make us the best place to live in New Zealand.
How did you spend your holiday break?
Staycation. Going feral in my garden; spending time composting, planting, digging, moving bricks and dirt. Channelling Worzel Gummidge, nil grooming — not doing my hair, wearing no makeup and wearing my most disgraceful clothes. Helping my daughter babysit two large dogs. Catching up with friends.
