PHOTO
Cr Andrew Noone is leaving the Dunedin City Council after 24 years representing the city's rural north, and says local representation faces a bleak future.
The 56-year-old Waikouaiti sheep and beef farmer stepped down from the city council this election and successfully stood for the regional council.
His Waikouaiti Coast-Chalmers ward was disestablished earlier this year when the Local Government Commission scrapped the city's ward system.
That came after a push for a system allowing all voters to vote for all councillors.
But Cr Noone, who rose through the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board to his role on the council, where the needs of his community were an important focus, said the lack of a local councillor specifically for the area was an issue.
''If you look at the new councillors, with the exception of [former Otago Peninsula Community Board chairwoman] Christine Garey, none of the others live beyond the urban core.
''I think that is a concern and I think the decision was illogical when you consider the make-up of the city in a geographical sense.''
Cr Noone said the city of 3330sq km had 1000km of rural roads, yet only 10% of its residents lived beyond urban Dunedin
To be elected, a councillor needed between 6% and 7% of the vote.
Chalmers Community Board chairman Steve Walker was a good example of someone ''hard-working and respected in the community who did a good job on the community board but did not get over the line''.
''I would argue if there was a ward system he would be the Waikouaiti Coast-Chalmers ward councillor - that worries me going forward.
''I think representing those areas on the periphery is subtly different. The priorities are different.''
Cr Noone said he joined the Dunedin City Council in 1998, determined to be ''a good representative of the Waikouaiti Coast area''.
Things he helped achieve included road-sealing in his area and the $9.3 million northern water scheme that pipes water from the Mt Grand water treatment station at Brockville.
Cr Noone will not take all the credit for the Waikouaiti community sports and cultural centre that opened in 2009 and stands proudly by State Highway 1. Instead, he said ''there's always a team'' behind such initiatives.
He was chairman of the fundraising trust and the councillor at the time.
There was a strong local support base in the town and people inside the council who helped out, and fundraising support.
Reflecting on Forsyth Barr Stadium and other large and controversial projects he supported with his vote, he said: ''I think unfortunately a number of the projects came to fruition at a similar time, and you can't do much about that.
''We bit the bullet and said 'Righto, we're going ahead with the stadium'.''
The same went for the Dunedin Town Hall and the Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, both upgraded about the same time.
''On reflection, we probably did too much at once.''
However, Cr Noone said: ''If that's the only criticism, I can live with that. Because in time you look back and say thank God we did invest heavily in the city, because it was the bullet that we had to bite.''
Of the city now, Cr Noone said he thought things were ''pretty positive''.
''The feedback I get, and I know a lot of other people get, is that visitors to the city keep saying the same thing. They keep saying this is a small city with big city attractions.
''I think that's something we can be very proud of.''
Cr Noone said he would miss the comradeship of the other councillors and the friendship of staff.
''I've had a wonderful time, really. I can't think of where I haven't enjoyed doing what I'm doing.''
Representing an area was ''a pretty humbling experience''.
He had a lot of respect for those in his former ward who ''beaver away'' and do wonderful things under the radar.
''Working with those sort of people was a real thrill. They're positive people.''