Council candidate returning to her roots
Rita Beckmannflay may live outside the district but it’s her roots which have brought her back to the South Waikato to stand for the Tokoroa Ward seat in the local body elections.
Beckmannflay’s mother was of Raukawa and Te Arawa descent and she grew up in Tapapa near Putaruru in the 60s. She was also a foundation student at Putaruru Intermediate.
While she currently resides in Auckland with her husband Richard she also owns a rental property in Tokoroa.
The mother of three, the youngest of which is in Year 12, said she and her husband are now at an age where they would like to leave the city and settle locally. Something which she knows many other Aucklanders are also considering and if elected housing is an area she would like to look more closely at.
‘‘Tokoroa is beautiful and there is a serious problem with housing in Auckland and I think we could capitalise on that,’’ she said.
She said a plan also needs to be put in place to protect the Blue Spring in Putaruru for future generations.
‘‘I personally think the ban on swimming in parts of Te Waihou is a good thing because of the unique flora and fauna and if we continue to open it up to a lot of foot traffic it will actually create a lot of damage,’’ she said.
‘‘I grew up here 40/50 years ago when it didn’t have all the foot traffic so image if we can keep it that way for another 50 years.’’
Having been brought up by a Scotsman, who adopted her when she was seven, and now married to a former banker Dutchman she said she is very frugal when it comes to spending which she said would be a useful skill as a councillor.
‘‘I have a very healthy savings account because my father taught me how to save and I married a banker so I have had a double dose of learning the process and keeping on track, ‘‘she said.