Q You've spent a year getting to know the Clutha from a position that gives you access to quite an overview of the district. What were your first impressions of the people and the place? What has been the biggest change from life in the Bay of Plenty?
A It's a big shift moving from Tauranga and when you're comparing Tauranga you've got sun, sand, sea - fantastic beaches and generally pretty hot weather. When you're moving away from there you've got to be pretty sure you're going to have a pretty decent lifestyle. We've always loved the South Island and though we've never lived here before, we've always wanted to.
It's a nice district: the natural environment's really good; the river was really impressive; we're used to rural provincial farms; and the coastline. It's a different coastline, but it's a fantastic coastline, as well. And it really is true about Clutha Country - ''Where everyone says hello''. Funny about that, we thought ''what is that slogan?'', but it's true. I think the people are fantastic.
Q How have you seen the council change since your arrival?
A It's not so much that it's necessarily change, but I know that the way we operate now, what I've brought to the table, is more clarity and quite a robust process around decision-making. When do you need to consult something? When is it an elected member decision? When is it a staff decision?
Q What are the district's biggest strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats?
A You've got to say that what [Clutha] produces and its contribution to GDP for the size of the district, and its population, statistically is huge. I think the opportunity side of things is that it therefore has an ability to grow, not just economically, but everything that services it economically.
The fact that we've got more jobs than we've got people, that's one of our biggest weaknesses: our inability to attract people, business, and investment into the district to support what's occurring through the rural provincial side of things.
The threat to us is the sustainability of our smaller communities, because of our low population and the increased costs around supporting those communities. For a district like ours, we've got to start thinking about the district as a whole, as opposed to individual communities.
Q After the council adopted the long-term plan on June 18, you told councillors ''this is just the beginning'' of the work that needs to be done. What are your goals for the council, or the district, over the next three years?
A If you blink, you can sit here looking to implement things and not much will happen. We've got to make things happen. The real thing is around prioritising. What things, that are quite rightly going to take ages, need to be started?
Q How do people from outside the district view Clutha? What do you like about the perception people have of the district? And what would you like to change?
A The few people who we have brought down here, who don't know anything about the Clutha district, have loved the place before they go.
People up in Tauranga have never heard of it. If you don't see it on the weather map, you don't see it at all. That's not bad, but if you're trying to attract people for tourism that's not good, we've got to try to change that: develop a presence, and develop some credibility around that presence.
Q The council this month adopted a document called ''Living and Working in the Clutha District''. What does living and working in Clutha offer you personally? What's lacking, from your perspective?
A For me, it was obviously the opportunity to step up. That's the opportunity it has provided me, my work environment has changed. Equally, it meant Lana could retire from work. Plus, we do see the dog as part of the family and it's great for her. She's never seen so many rabbits that she can't catch.
We just love going around to the beaches and getting outside. And ... I like going to the movies and it hasn't got a movie theatre. I think that's been identified in some submissions ...
