New councillors to be sworn in
A bevy of new faces will be seated around the council table when the Mackenzie District Council meets for the first time on Tuesday.
Four new councillors will be officially sworn in, along with a new mayor and a new deputy mayor.
Newly elected mayor Graham Smith said he was looking forward to getting things underway.
He will take over the mayoral chains from Claire Barlow, who stepped down after two terms in the role.
Councillors had attended a couple of workshops last week to get them up to speed, Smith said.
‘‘I’m really looking Tuesday’s meeting.’’
Smith will be assisted in the top job by returning councillor James Leslie, who will be sworn in as deputy mayor on Tuesday.
Leslie will be back around the table for his second term as a Pukaki Ward councillor.
He said he had ‘‘quite lofty’’ goals for the next three years.
‘‘Mackenzie could become the district that sets the example for other provincial districts in managing its booming tourism and farming communities in a way that is sustainable for the future.’’
Leslie will be joined in representing the Pukaki Ward by incumbent Russell Armstrong, who returns for his second term.
Newcomer Paul Hannagan will round out the trio of Twizel-based councillors.
Hannagan, 56, owns Twizel Computers and has been a volunteer firefighter for more than 15 years.
He moved to Twizel 13 years ago with his wife, Paula.
Across the district in the Opuha Ward, incumbent Noel Jackson lost his seat.
With incumbent Evan Williams stand- forward to ing down and Graham Smith winning the mayoralty, three new councillors will represent the ward.
Anne Munro received the most votes with 592, followed by Stuart Barwood and Chris Clarke. Munro and her husband Philip farm the 1037 hectare property Wairewa Station, near Fairlie.
She served two terms on the Beef + Lamb New Zealand board before stepping down at the end of 2015.
Barwood is a stalwart of the rural transport industry, having owned Barwood Motors for several decades.
As for Clarke, he is well known in Fairlie as the chairman of the Fairlie 150 Years committee.
Tuesday’s meeting will feature the swearing in of the new council and community board members, as well as the appointment of council representatives to community boards.
The council will then meet again on October 31, when it is expected to adopt its annual plan. The first council meeting of the new term, which is open to the public, will be held in Fairlie at 5.30pm on Tuesday.