Maggie Stewart looks to lead
‘‘We need to get creative to how we portray ourselves.’’ Maggie Stewart
Building bridges between Taupo District Council and Turangi is the major goal this triennium for Maggie Stewart if elected councillor in October.
Stewart said one of the important parts of being a councillor in the Turangi region is making sure the town is not forgotten.
‘‘I’ve been working with the mayor and the CEO and getting them down to Turangi,’’ she said.
Stewart has proven she can get results with her work at the Turangi Foodbank which has become a vital resource for town, especially amongst those doing it tough.
‘‘When I took over the foodbank it had no food’’ she said.
‘‘I work hard to make relationships and ensure it is well stocked.’’
Stewart is also well known for the charity she set up, Maggie’s Storage Cupboard, which helped people find things they needed for their house.
Her charity work has kept her in touch with community agencies and she is in constant contact with WINZ, and other agencies, to see what issues arise.
‘‘It helps me have the full picture of what issues our community faces,’’ she said.
‘‘While we do not have a homeless problem in Tuirangi, we do have a number of people facing mental health issues. That’s a group that needs to be looked at and catered for.’’
Stewart said the big issues for Turangi at the moment are employment and the Lines Company power prices. ‘‘Jobs are a problem,’’ she said. ‘‘We need to get creative to how we portray ourselves.
‘‘We’re on the right track at the moment working with Destination Great Lake Taupo and setting up a community vision.’’
Stewart said high power prices are working against the community as it is a inhibitor to start up businesses.
‘‘Power prices impact our economic development,’’ she said.
‘‘We need to keep the momentum going in the fight against The Lines Company to get fair power prices.’’
Having spent three years in council, Stewart is very passionate about getting re elected saying it has taken some time to understand how the council works. ‘‘I really want this,’’ she said. ‘‘I love this town and I have some unfinished projects that I want to get completed before I leave council.’’