What are your priorities for the year ahead?
Keeping rates under control. Making sure every dollar spent can be explained. Being honest when things get tough and fronting up with clear communication. That’s what people expect and deserve. I’m focused on infrastructure that works, plans that are realistic, and a council that keeps ratepayers front of mind.
What opportunities do you see in the year to come?
Clutha district’s greatest opportunity this year is to reset and refocus. We’ve had our fair share of curveballs, the October storm, rising costs, and central government changes. But what hasn’t changed is the strength of our communities. We’ve got passionate people doing great things in every corner of the district.
What challenges do you see?
The big one? Cost escalation. Households are feeling it in their weekly shops, and council’s feeling it in every project we price up. Our challenge is delivering the essentials, water, roads, infrastructure, and in a way that’s cost-effective and doesn’t hammer ratepayers. That’s a fine line to walk, and it won’t get easier anytime soon.
How do you plan to navigate these?
By sticking to the basics. Council is deep into annual plan and long-term plan discussions. We’ve already had full-day workshops looking at where the money goes and what trade-offs need to be made. We’re looking line by line at what delivers value and what doesn’t. It’s not about cutting for the sake of it. It’s about investing in what actually matters to the people who live here.
What New Year’s resolutions do you have for yourself?
Keep things real. Say what I mean, do what I say.
Q.. . . and your district . . .?
Speak up. Whether it’s your town, your rates, or your roads, the more we hear from locals, the better the decisions we make.
Q.. . . and your council?
Deliver. If something’s not what the community expected, explain why. No jargon, no hiding, just front it.
How did you spend your holiday break?
Spent it at home with Marie, the boys and our mokopuna. No speeches, no workshops, just good kai, good company, and time to recharge. After a full-on start in the mayor’s seat, it was exactly what we needed as a family.
Anything else you’d like to add?
No shiny projects on the horizon and that’s not a bad thing. This year’s about doing the basics well. We’re not here to reinvent the wheel; we’re here to make it turn.
