Mayoral candidate wants ticket to stand with him
A Waitaki district mayoral candidate hopes a candidate information night will be the push needed for like-minded residents to take the leap into local politics and join his campaign.
Confirmed candidate David Wilson does not just want to be elected mayor of Waitaki. He says he wants a whole new majority of councillors too.
"The mayor can't do it alone," he proclaimed in a full-page advertisement in the Oamaru Mail, last month.
He is seeking candidates who share his desire for change in Waitaki District Council to join his electoral 'ticket'.
"The search is going well," Mr Wilson said before next Tuesday's candidate information night.
He is talking to six potential council candidates and hopes a group of "reform candidates" to stand for most of the 10 council seats will emerge before the nomination closing deadline of August 1.
"It does no good for one or two councillors to be a lonely voice against bureaucratic errors. A determined majority has to set the policy, set the spending priorities, and demand follow-through.
"Candidates won't agree on everything, and that's OK, but we need a strong council majority that has a completely new attitude towards rates, spending priorities, secrecy and the way to make Waitaki grow."
Mr Wilson said councillors need to be setting policy not just "rubber-stamps".
One of the biggest obstacles for the new council would be popular indifference, he said.
"Many local residents have contacted me saying they do not believe local government can make a difference.
"I do not subscribe to this theory. The council matters, and must be a community enabler and partner in key economic revitalisation initiatives."
All potential mayoral, council, regional council, community board and Oamaru Licensing Trust candidates can attend the Waitaki District Council-run information briefing evening next Tuesday.
Outgoing mayor Gary Kircher also encouraged people to attend.
"It's an opportunity for people thinking of standing, to find out more about what is required, ranging from the commitment to the workload and responsibilities.
"Hopefully, it will help bust some myths, and for some, be a reality check. While doing that, it's also about how to be effective in council and navigating the bureaucracy that is an inevitable part of being a highly regulated organisation."
The event will be held at the Oamaru Opera House from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
It will involve an introduction from Waitaki District Council chief executive Alex Parmley, a presentation from Elections NZ about becoming a candidate, and representatives from Otago Regional Council, Waitaki District Council and the Oamaru Licensing Trust to answer questions about becoming an elected representative.
Nominations for the upcoming 2025 Local Government Elections. open on July 4.
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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Mayoral candidate wants ticket to stand with him
A Waitaki district mayoral candidate hopes a candidate information night will be the push needed for like-minded residents to take the leap into local politics and join his campaign. Confirmed candidate David Wilson does not just want to be elected mayor of Waitaki. He says he wants a whole new majority of councillors too. "The mayor can't do it alone," he proclaimed in a full-page advertisement in the Oamaru Mail, last month. He is seeking candidates who share his desire for change in Waitaki District Council to join his electoral 'ticket'. "The search is going well," Mr Wilson said before next Tuesday's candidate information night. He is talking to six potential council candidates and hopes a group of "reform candidates" to stand for most of the 10 council seats will emerge before the nomination closing deadline of August 1. "It does no good for one or two councillors to be a lonely voice against bureaucratic errors. A determined majority has to set the policy, set the spending priorities, and demand follow-through. "Candidates won't agree on everything, and that's OK, but we need a strong council majority that has a completely new attitude towards rates, spending priorities, secrecy and the way to make Waitaki grow." Mr Wilson said councillors need to be setting policy not just "rubber-stamps". One of the biggest obstacles for the new council would be popular indifference, he said. "Many local residents have contacted me saying they do not believe local government can make a difference. "I do not subscribe to this theory. The council matters, and must be a community enabler and partner in key economic revitalisation initiatives." All potential mayoral, council, regional council, community board and Oamaru Licensing Trust candidates can attend the Waitaki District Council-run information briefing evening next Tuesday. Outgoing mayor Gary Kircher also encouraged people to attend. "It's an opportunity for people thinking of standing, to find out more about what is required, ranging from the commitment to the workload and responsibilities. "Hopefully, it will help bust some myths, and for some, be a reality check. While doing that, it's also about how to be effective in council and navigating the bureaucracy that is an inevitable part of being a highly regulated organisation." The event will be held at the Oamaru Opera House from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. It will involve an introduction from Waitaki District Council chief executive Alex Parmley, a presentation from Elections NZ about becoming a candidate, and representatives from Otago Regional Council, Waitaki District Council and the Oamaru Licensing Trust to answer questions about becoming an elected representative. Nominations for the upcoming 2025 Local Government Elections. open on July 4.
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Oamaru commuters wanting to catch a bus to Dunedin will have to wait at least three more years under draft regional transport plans but the region's politicians want funding for even more transport services. The Waitaki District Council has shown its support of the introduction of a 112km direct bus connection between Oamaru and Dunedin and a connecting service to the town's North End in a submission to Otago Regional Council's draft Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) 2025–2035. "WDC has strongly advocated to ORC for public transport opportunities in the Waitaki district," Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said. While the council continued to support the ongoing Total Mobility programme that provides opportunities for door-to-door public transport for disabled people in Oamaru and the regional bus service between Dunedin and Palmerston, the submission laid out aspirations for improved connectivity for Oamaru residents. "One example relevant in the Waitaki district is providing public transport options to access hospital services in Dunedin," Mr Kircher said. "WDC supports the implementation of daily services between Oamaru and Dunedin via Palmerston." While a key proposal in ORC's draft RPTP is to "investigate" an Oamaru-Dunedin service, the WDC submission asks for much more. The council submission also pushes for the implementation of a "fixed urban connecter service" between Weston and Oamaru via South Hill, as well as an "on-demand" service between Oamaru North and the town's city centre. The submission suggested the regional transport plan "proactively engage with communities and organisations, including iwi, to foster trust and ensure public transport projects meet local demand and align with community priorities". Oamaru residents are already charged a $5.45 public transport rate by the ORC to support regional planning and potential future services. The inclusion of the Oamaru to Dunedin proposal responds to community interest expressed during the Long-Term Plan 2024–34 consultation in which over 400 submissions region-wide highlighted demand for public transport trials, including in Oamaru.
