Broad focus for Westland District byelection candidates

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Brendon McMahon:

A $600,000 spend on a Hokitika playground and a lack of realism are common concerns among the six candidates vying for election to the Westland District Council's Northern Ward.

Voting is now open in the byelection, which comes just months after the three-yearly local body elections.

Asked what the issue of concern for voters was, most candidates preferred to talk more broadly about what the council should be focused on.

First timer Charley Cowie, of Stafford, noted the ward had about 50% of the rateable value for the whole district and it was clearly ''going ahead''.
A vote for him would help him ''represent everyone'' in the district and he was reluctant to pin down a common concern.

He cited the collective effort to restore the historic Stafford Cemetery as an example of what could be achieved by ''getting the community working better together''.

''At the end of the day, I'm not there to represent [only] the Northern Ward. At the end of the day, I don't need this job - if people think I will make a good councillor, good on them.''

Another first time candidate Patrick Phelps, a former journalist and now champion of the West Coast mineral industry, said council management and governance had got out of step with ratepayer expectations, while the rating burden burgeoned.

With a shortage of housing stock in Westland, relative to population size, the council seemed to be inhibiting supply rather than being an enabler.
Freeing up the council to get back to its core business would be his focus, including the council ''exiting a lot of the commercial enterprises it is involved in''.

''How long are you waiting for council to process a consent or whatever?'' Phelps asked.

While direct accountability for northern concerns was needed, ''I'm not a particularly parochial person''.

''I do think there is a case for wards - you could easily be forgiven if you are in Otira to think the council does not take account,'' he said.

Flow Ir Inn said they were looking at the macro picture and how the council operated for everyone, including the rates strike.

''To be honest, my main focus is to get costs down . . . We can't really spend more money until we get costs down.

''Anyone who lives on the Coast knows our council is spending lots of money on things that they don't need to be spending on.''

The $600,000 playground was a case in point, Flow Ir Inn said.

New Kaniere resident and first time candidate Euan Mackenzie said voter feedback suggested widespread worry about the council accessing funds for projects which were then ''frittered away''.

He preferred to see the council act as a positive facilitator of the local economy.

Its key responsibility was for citizens to access employment and the basic need for housing, education, health and youth services so they could get on with life, Mackenzie said.

Perennial candidate Jacquie Grant said a lot was at stake for the Northern Ward.

''As I've said on my election stuff, I'm there to represent the ward first and foremost,'' Grant said.

She cited community issues at both Ross and Kumara which had been festering and neglected by the council - and''Hokitika-centric'' spending.
Again, the $600,000 proposed spending on a new playground in Hokitika when the town was already rich with accessible facilities needed to be brought into line.

''We've got to get real,'' Grant said.

She also claimed some Northern Ward voters were ''incensed'' at a system where the next highest polling candidate last October - herself -was not brought up the list when the seat was vacated.

Nelson Lakes resident and Money Free Party advocate Richard Osmaston said after running for six mayoralties inthe South Island in October, as well as in the Hamilton West byelection, he did not have much in reserve this time.

However, the cost of living was probably the main issue in the Northern Ward ''keeping most people awake at night - the fact they are going backwards''.