Local election voting papers are out, and Masterton’s mayoral candidates are eagerly seeking support from the community. Local Democracy Reporter EMILY IRELAND got candid with the candidates.
If there is one thing you want voters to know about you, what is it?
Craig Bowyer
My business and governance background. Twenty years owning my own companies, employing up to 25 people. I’m on the Masterton District Council SAG committee, the Wairarapa Road Safety Council, chair of the Wairarapa Automobile Association, Associate Member of the NZ Institute of Directors, and National Council Member for the NZ Automobile Association.
Gary Caffell
I have thrived as a leader both in the community and sporting spheres over many years and will never shirk a challenge, something we are going to have plenty of over the next three years. I understand the value of teamwork and building respect, both within and outside council.
Jo Hayes
I’m a collaborative, transparent, inclusive leader.
William Izard
I’m a young conservative pensioner that likes climbing the Tararua mountains regularly to keep my mind and body clear. I have the vision to sort this town out. Love holding public meetings. Have gathered a lot of experience during my manufacturing years employing large numbers of people all over the world.
Tina Nixon
I love working with and leading teams, and my greatest joy is seeing former staff go on to great things, especially the younger ones. My motto is play people to their strengths and passions – it always works.
What is the biggest challenge or stumbling block facing your town and how will you work to address this as an elected representative?
Craig Bowyer
Councillors need to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. The culture needs to change to bring council and community together.
We need to build trust through honesty and transparency – then, we can work together to make things happen.
Gary Caffell
Having a young mother tearfully tell me about having to potty-train a child on a portaloo because of the water infrastructure hassles in certain parts of town makes this an absolute no-brainer. We have to place the enhancement of our water infrastructure at the top of every priority list.
Jo Hayes
Horizontal infrastructure including access to water.
William Izard
Getting Masterton back working as a socially active community. We need the Town Hall opened quickly, regular public meetings, no secret meetings. The dynamics of downtown are changing with big box stores. We need people living in town to support boutique shops and services.
Tina Nixon
Water is our biggest challenge. We are a national hotspot, meaning we need water storage for our future water security and economic growth. Working with the other two mayors to keep water storage high on the agenda with central government will be a priority.
What initiative would you like to facilitate as an elected member?
Craig Bowyer
That Masterton is seen as being a destination. Celebrate our agriculture, celebrate our arts, and celebrate our airshow. Get community and business on board to support these initiatives for growth.
Gary Caffell
Our library is too small and we have $5m already ear-marked for its upgrade. We can facilitate that on the current site and work could start very early in the triennium. Why wait when the money is there?
Jo Hayes
Speeding up the horizontal infrastructure issues and addressing water shortage issues into the future
William Izard
Bring in a new team to council to curb wastefulness of money. Get on with fixing the basics. Footpaths, water, sewage, hall. Set up businesses groups to activate ideas to enhance downtown, industries, and housing.
Tina Nixon
Water storage.
If you could overturn one past governance decision, what would it be?
Craig Bowyer
The decision six years ago by council to investigate shifting the Town Hall and library to a new site. It has proven to be a great exercise in time-wasting, and a huge cost to ratepayers.
We could have, by now, been using the strengthened building and have moved on.
Gary Caffell
Spending a very significant amount of money on a new civic centre without having a location was bizarre.
I would dearly love to be able to overturn the 6-5 vote, which saw the current town hall site fail to become an option for this project, and therefore have the most viable option back in play.
Jo Hayes
The decision over the Town Hall.
William Izard
Stop the civic centre development, stop the Park street upgrade. Stop the enlargement of the library.
Tina Nixon
We should have continued with the Masterton CBD revamp. We made the wrong decision to delay it for the right reasons – the uncertainty regarding covid, but people are looking for a CBD that has some character and sense of community, so we need to revisit it.
What are your top three priorities in the role?
Craig Bowyer
Sort out the stormwater issues, fix the roads, better recycling options. Reticulation – Roads – Rubbish. Do the things we need well. The rest is a nice to have, not a need to have. Together we can do better and get Masterton the way you want it.
Gary Caffell
Enhancement of our water infrastructure, facilitating early decisions on both the civic centre and library, building trust between community and council.
Jo Hayes
Rates affordability, sustainable environment [effects of climate change, supporting environmental initiatives like planting and management of gravel build up in parts of our rivers], and infrastructure – that’s roads, three waters management [storm, wastewater, and fresh] and rail.
William Izard
Being a mayor that listens to the community and works with councillors for sensible decisions that the community is informed about.
Bring back regular public meetings, summer swimming pool open days for kids and family, concerts in the park, street parades, curb rates increase. Level off rate increases so they don’t double every 10 years.
Tina Nixon
Water, water, water.
Responses were only edited for clarity or to reduce word count as specified in instructions to candidates.
Masterton mayoral candidate Hakepa did not respond.
This is the first in a six-part series. Up next: Masterton ward candidates.
– NZLDR
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
