Kā Mānia Rolleston Ward hopefuls were put on the spot at a meet the candidates night when one of the estimated 220 people in the audience asked: “Do you think the council should have put the word library on Te Ara Atea?"
The question was met with a round of applause from the audience.
Of the 10 candidates at the meeting – Rhys Laraman, Errol Maffey, Joe Morris, Haydn Porritt, Moneel Pratap, Brendan Shefford, Prabh Singh, Chris Till and Paul Weggery – all said “yes”.
Current Selwyn district councillor Sophie McInnes gave a different response: “The word ‘library’ is on the glass door. Te Ara Ātea is the name of the building and doesn’t actually mean library. There are many things other than a library within the building.”
The Rolleston Residents Association, which organised the meeting, first raised the issue in 2023, asking the council to put “library” under Te Ara Ātea.
It became a major controversy, reported in the Selwyn Times, with hundreds of readers emailing their views – the majority wanting the word included.
The district council eventually added “library” to the main door.
Maffey and Shefford were the only candidates to expand on their answers.
Said Shefford: “Whatever Te Ara Ātea means, I’d like to see the English version.”
Te Ara Ātea, which means “the unobstructed trail to the world and beyond” was gifted to the community by Te Taumutu Rūnanga.
Candidates Ashwin Mani and Avi Aulakh did not attend the meeting, citing other commitments.
The Rolleston Ward is the most hotly contested this election, with 12 candidates vying for three seats.
McInnes is the only incumbent; Phil Dean resigned in April and Nicole Reid has retired.
Candidates were also asked if they live in the ward. Two do not: Laraman lives in Lincoln, while Morris lives in Southbridge.
Laraman told Selwyn Times he was standing in Rolleston because he believed his business experience could best be applied in the town.
He is general manager of Christchurch-based McMillan Civil Ltd.
Morris said he lived in Rolleston for 10 years from 2000.
The candidates were also asked how they would juggle their jobs with council work if elected.
Post-election, councillors will share a $754,690 remuneration pool.
The division is determined by the incoming council, with the deputy mayor typically receiving a larger share and the other nine councillors receiving equal amounts.
Currently, councillors earn $58,613 following a 3.7% increase on July 1, but the pool of money set aside for their salaries is jumping by 26% after next month’s election.
Weggery, a teacher at Cashmere High School, said he has already spoken with principal John Stradwick.
“My principal is really supportive of this. He was the first person I talked to. I will be giving up most of the management roles (at Cashmere High) to focus on Rolleston.”
Porritt and Singh are self-employed and set their own hours.
Pratap and Shefford own businesses and can adjust their hours.
McInnes has no other job outside the council, and Till is retired.
Morris said he starts early and finishes early, so he has the rest of the day to focus on council.
Maffey works in retail and said he would cut his hours.
Laraman said the owners of McMillan Civil Ltd have allowed him to adjust his hours.
