YOUR MARLBOROUGH - CANDIDATES HAVE THEIR SAY

What kind of Marlborough do you want?

I want a community that respects the elderly for what they have given us without rating them out of a deserved level of comfort.

I want a community that fully engages and provides future opportunities to retain youth in the region by enabling new business to establish here (easily) to create new jobs, new wealth and new opportunities so that youth grow up, stay, play and pay.

I want a region that has potable drinking water, a safe region for people of all ages, places for kids and families to play without leaving the region, a region where people have passion and pride and encourage friends and family to come here to play and stay.

It is people who make a region what it is both within itself and to others.

What are you doing now to contribute to this?

I have actively submitted in writing and in person to MDC on the annual plan process back to 2012 as this is the democratic process one has to make a difference, to put forward suggestions and to engage proactively in the governance process.

I have, and continue, to engage with a wide range of people of all ages in the community from youth to the elderly to those with young families and solo mothers.

I am an active member of the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce and have a very good under- standing of the business issues facing the region in economic terms.

I regularly participate in activities organised for youth and have squirted my fair share of dishwashing liquid down the water slide at various events.

I was the proud wearer of the Beaver costume at many public events in the national Gigatown competition to advance Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) to the region.

I have been a board member and then chairman of Lifeline Marlborough and was instrumental in it becoming a national organisation serving on the interim board of Lifeline NZ and it went through this transition.

I have extensive corporate management experience in both large and smaller organisations both New Zealand-owned and multi nationals. I am accustomed to working with all manner of people and cultures and have enjoyed the experience both professionally and personally. What is your call to action? 1. Strong leadership and a united council team able to debate the issues, agree, or agree to disagree, in a robust and respectful manner and unite on a democratically arrived at majority decision.

2. Immediately put in place a Register of Interests document showing all interests held by elected officials so the community has knowledge and confidence that the interests of the people they elect to govern are known and disclosed.

3. Reduce the number of ‘‘public excluded’’ meetings.

4. Determine what are ‘‘needs’’ and what are ‘‘wants’’.

5. Let others do better what council neither has the skills or experiences to do itself.

6. Respect the environment. Always and all ways.

7. ‘‘Walk the ‘‘talk’’ don’t just ‘‘talk the talk’’. Engage, be seen, be real, be open, honest and available. Tell it how it is.

8. Open, honest and accurate financial management.

9. Embark on the development of an overarching strategic plan for the region uniting, but respecting, the individuality of the respective townships that comprise the District.

10. Decide on a ‘‘brand for Marlborough’’.

11. Debate as many, act as one.