Scott joins race for seat at council table
A first-time Timaru local body election candidate believes her community involvement and business-owner experience means she’ll ‘‘add real value’’ if given a seat at the council table.
Stacey Scott has been nominated for the Timaru ward of the Timaru District Council and said she was ‘‘hugely passionate about community, and had been involved in multiple projects and refurbishments in the region, as well as events, youth development and sports. ‘‘Forty-five years I’ve been living in this community, I’ve got a good grasp of what it needs,’’ she said.
Scott joins fellow nominees Peter Bennett, Allan Booth, Troy Titheridge and Shane Wilson for the Timaru ward, with Michelle Pye and Scott Shannon standing for the Pleasant Point/ Temuka ward and Gavin Oliver for the Geraldine ward. As at 5.30pm yesterday, there were no nominations for Timaru District mayor.
Scott’s involvement included project managing the successful MRI scanner campaign for Timaru Hospital, the development of Timaru’s CBay aquatic centre, and project manager for Hunter Downs. She is overseeing Timaru Hospital’s refurbishments and is on the reference group for Aorangi Park and Stadium, she said. ‘‘All of these are about good health and wellbeing for our community, that is really important to me.’’ She said being involved in the reference group involved ‘‘looking at the needs of the community, that is really critical’’ and believed this was an important part of being a councillor. ‘‘We [the Timaru District Council] have a really aspirational long-term plan. I really think it needs responsible leadership and planning and engagement with the community.’’
In 2020, Scott publicly declared her intention to bid for the role of the National Party’s Rangitata candidate. That position went to Megan Hands, who lost in the 2020 general election to Labour’s Jo Luxton.
As well as being a mother of four children, Scott has been chairperson of the Mid and South Canterbury YMCA for two years, and Netball South Canterbury. She has been a Venture Timaru director for two years and been involved with the Timaru Festival of Roses for at least 10 years as a trustee.
Nominations close on August 12, with the election held on October 8.