Greytown is one of three towns in the South Wairarapa district. PHOTOS/FILE
Last-minute candidates come forward for SWDC
Marcus Anselm
South Wairarapa District Council expected last minute nominations before last Friday’s election deadline – and that’s exactly what they got.
Council officers anticipated a late flurry of nominations ahead of the midday deadline and they were not disappointed.
Incumbent mayor Viv Napier has learned she will face four challengers, including Graeme Farr, who will run in the South Wairarapa, Carterton and Masterton mayoral races on his ‘Vote For The Tunnel’ ticket.
Featherston ward councillor Lee Carter, her former colleague Dayle Harwood and new face Alex Beijen were confirmed.
None of Greytown ward’s existing councillors – Colin Wright, Margaret Craig and Mike Gray – were on the list of submitted nominations.
Five candidates new to council will seek the vacancies.
They are community board chairwoman Leigh Hay, Ruamahanga Whaitua committee member Rebecca Fox, police campaigner Warren Woodgyer, and former Greytown School board chairman Alistair Plimmer and Jim Bicknell.
Martinborough will also have a five-way contest.
Deputy mayor Brian Jephson will look to keep his post in the Martinborough ward.
Jephson and fellow incumbent councillors Pam Colenso and Pip Maynard face challenges from Jason Jackson and Daphne Geisler.
Featherston’s Carter, Colin Olds and Ross Vickery will run to retain their seats.
Community board member Brenda West and wastewater action team leader Garrick Emms will also contest the ward.
A call for further nominees is likely for the Featherston and Greytown community boards.
Each board received only three nominations for four vacancies.
Should more than one extra person stand for each board, new by-elections will take place.
Existing nominees are likely to be accepted.
In contrast, seven new names will look to take one of the four community board spots in Martinborough.
Mayoral candidates – [c=current] – Alex Beijen; Lee Carter; Graeme Farr; Dayle Harwood; Viv Napier – c
Council candidates [total 9 vacancies] – Greytown Ward – [3 vacancies] – James Bicknell; Rebecca Fox; Leigh Hay; Alistair Plimmer; Warren Woodgyer
Featherston Ward – [3 vacancies] – Lee Carter – c; Garrick Emms; Colin Olds – c; Ross Vickery – c; Brenda West
Martinborough Ward – [3 vacancies] – Pam Colenso – c; Daphne Geisler; Jason Jackson; Brian Jephson – c; Pip Maynard – c
Greytown Community Board – [4 vacancies] – Graeme Gray; Ann Rainford; Shelley Symes
Featherston Community Board – [4 vacancies] – Claire Bleakley – c; Indigo Freya; Mark Shepherd
Martinborough Community Board – [4 vacancies] – Aidan Ellims; Nathan Fenwick; Penny Hobden; Michael Honey; Mel Maynard; Peter McKeown; Alex Wall
Carterton mayoralty being eyed up by four hopefuls this year
Gianina Schwanecke
Pontahi Christian School teacher Bernard Bottrill completes a four-candiate field for Carterton’s mayoralty.
Twenty-one people are running for the eight-person council.
Last Friday, Graeme Farr announced he was running for the Carterton, Masterton and South Wairarapa mayoralties.
Bottrill is running under on Rates are Too High [RATH] ticket.
“It is the RATH intention to freeze rates immediately, and once we have established a process, implement rates reductions.”
The mayoralty is being contested by Bottrill and Farr, and councillors Greg Lang and Jill Greathead.
Also running on a RATH ticket for council are Dalina Armstrong, Jenna Hagan, Hank Optland and Justus Verheij.
Councillors Ruth Carter, Brian Deller, Russell Keys and Rebecca Vergunst are also hoping to return.
Vergunst had earlier said she would not be running but had had a change in personal circumstances which allowed her to run.
She wanted for young families to be represented.
“Across New Zealand, only six per cent of elected members are under 40 years of age.
“That’s not representative of our population.”
Other hopeful council candidates include Steffen Bertram, Roger Boulter, Robyn Cherry-Campbell, Steve Cretney, John Fairbrother, Doug Mende, Rob Stockley, Dale Williams, Marty Sebire, and Mike Osborne.
Environmental sustainability consultant Ron Shaw also announced his candidacy last Friday morning.
He is running on a campaign of limiting rates increases, aiming to keep with increases in line with inflation, as well as reducing costs through shared services.
Mayoralty – Bernard Bottrill; Graeme Farr; Jill Greathead; Greg Lang
Council – 8 vacancies – Dalina Armstrong; Steffen Bertram; Bernard Bottrill; Roger Boulter; Ruth Carter – c; Robyn Cherry-Campbell; Steve Cretney; Brian Deller – c; John Fairbrother; Jill Greathead – c; Jenna Hagan; Russell Keys – c; Doug Mende; Hank Optland; Mike Osborne; Marty Sebire; Ron Shaw; Rob Stockley; Rebecca Vergunst – c; Justus Verheij; Dale Williams
Four hats in ring for Masterton mayoralty, one was last minute
Steve Rendle
Electrician Cory Burling has increased Masterton’s mayoral candidates to four, with a last-minute nomination on Friday.
The president of Douglas Villa Football Cclub, the 40-year-old is Wairarapa born and bred, and said the final decision to throw his hat in the ring was the culmination of four weeks of thought.
“You can be someone who sits behind the scenes and complains, or someone who puts their hands up and does something,” he said of the bid.
“I’ve got a close circle of friends and a lot of them thought I should do it – and a few said I was crazy.
“But I was brought up with the idea that if you could do something you should do something.”
In terms of issues, he believes carparking needs to be preserved in Masterton, and roading safety and usability are priorities – a few more roundabouts would make getting around easier, particularly at the intersections of Ngaumutawa Rd and Perry St with State Highway 2.
Burling would also like to see a dam in the Masterton district to store water, with a hydroelectric generation, and a fish farm.
On the future of the town hall, he is pragmatic.
“A lot of people say it is historic, but the building is just sitting there and no one can live in it, or use it.
“I am not particularly fussed [on what is done with it], but it should be what the community wants and needs.
“Being historic is in the past.”
As a single dad, bringing up three children – two girls aged 14 and 11, and a boy aged 9 – he said he knows the financial pressures of living “week to week” – “and I know what it’s like for everyone in Masterton in the same position”.
“I’m trying to do the right thing by my children, and the mayoralty is part of that.”
Burling is joined in the mayoral contest by incumbent Lyn Patterson, Tina Nixon, and Wellington man Graeme Farr.
Mayor – Cory Burling; Graeme Farr; Tina Nixon; Lyn Patterson
Council – 10 vacancies – Gary Caffell – c; Deborah Davidson – c; Brent [BG] Gare; Carys Gibbs; David Holmes; Jonathan Hooker – c; Peter James; Bex Johnson – c; Ronald Karaitiana; Donna Laing; John Lapslie; Britt Leveridge; Frazer Mailman – c; Graham McClymont – c; Isabella McClymont; Tim Nelson; Tina Nixon; Chris Peterson – c; Sandy Ryan; David [Tubs] Wright
Colourful contenders in the running for Tararua mayoralty
Steve Rendle
Tararua Mayor Tracey Collis faces some colourful competition for the job in the coming election.
Pongaroa’s James Harold, 41, who with his brothers was a pioneer in hemp growing, is standing, as is freestyle motocross rider and engineer, Mitch McHardy, 31, of Woodville.
Frustration with council responses on several issues is behind Harold’s bid.
He says the world is changing, with an increasing focus on a clean, green approach that New Zealand is not living up to.
“I propose that the Tararua District Council be the first in NZ to stop the use of synthetic chemicals on public land within the district,” he said.
“This bold commitment will put Tararua on the map and attract investment into the region.”
McHardy, a half-brother of Kiwi freestyle motocross star Levi Sherwood, has ridden professionally in Asia, including performing the first backflip to win an international event in Bali, and said he had set up is own engineering firm building factories “for everyone from Whittaker’s Chocolate to Fonterra”.
He moved to Woodville from Palmerston North two and half years ago and lives off the grid in an eco-friendly home.
He is now keen to get into politics and sees the tilt at the mayoralty is seen as a good first step.
Only mayoral contenders and Southern Ward candidates have been included.
Tararua District Council
Mayor – Tracey Collis – c; James Harold; Mitch McHardy
Southern Ward – 4 vacancies – Alison Franklin – c; Shirley Hull – c; Peter Johns; Raylene Ann Treder; Rena Tyler
Eketahuna Community Board – 4 vacancies – Terry Carew; Denise Clifton; Charlie Death – c; Steen McGhie; Pauline Wilson – c
Other 2019 candidates
Greater Wellington Regional Council
Wairarapa constituency – 1 vacancy – Pim Borren; Richard Moore; Adrienne Staples – c
Greytown District Trust Lands Trust – 3 vacancies – Matt Bell; Phil Holden; Wayne Regnault – c
Masterton Community Trust – 6 vacancies – Mena Antonio – c; Brent Goodwin – c; Lucy Griffiths – c; Aileen Haeata; Bex Johnson; Jock Kershaw – c; Alan Lodge; Belinda Milnes; Ray Southey; Karl Taucher – c
Montfort Trimble Foundation – 2 vacancies – Stan Braaksma – c; Jason Christensen; Belinda Milnes
Masterton Trust Lands Trust – 4 vacancies – John R Bunny – c; Gary Caffell; Chris Gollins; Tom Hullena; Alan Lodge; Belinda Milnes; Adam Graeme Parker; Sandy Ryan – c; Karl Taucher – c
Wairarapa District Health Board – 7 vacancies – Don Baskerville; Tony Becker; Stephen Butcher; Joy Cooper; Norman Gray; Peter McCardle; Helen Pocknall; Ryan Soriano; Leanne Southey – c; Jill Stringer
