Candidate highlights water worries
‘‘I'm concerned about the increasing frequency of toxic algae blooms and storm water runoff.’’
Improving the party vote for the Greens is the main objective of Stefan Grand-Meyer, its Rimutaka candidate.
Grand-Meyer, a 32-year-old French New Zealander, will primarily look to reverse the 2014 electorate result where the Greens’ 8.52 per cent vote trailed New Zealand First (10.28) and was also less than the 10.7 per cent country-wide.
‘‘I’ll be campaigning hard to connect with the local communities and increase the party vote for the Greens. We’ve been underperforming in Rimutaka for a while, but the time is rife for change,’’ he said.
Rimutaka, covering the northern Hutt Valley including all of Upper Hutt, has been Labour-held since it was created in 1996.
The issues Grand-Meyer will campaign on - inequality, affordable housing, water quality and climate change - are relevant both in Rimutaka and nationally, he said.
‘‘Our government has failed to tackle the biggest challenges of our time and we need to start thinking forward for the benefit of our future generations.’’
‘‘Take climate change. There is little doubt it is already affecting the Hutt Valley with frequent flooding and what was once considered to be a 1 in440 year flood in the Hutt area is projected to become 1 in 50 year in the next century.
‘‘We have to act now and the Greens are the only ones with a realistic and achievable plan to tackle these environmental and social changes.’’
Water quality, the Hutt River especially, is something GrandMeyer cares about. A supporter of environmental projects he has taken part in local native tree plantings and Hutt River cleanups.
‘‘I love cycling alongside and swimming in our river, but I’m concerned about the increasing frequency of toxic algae blooms and storm water run-off.
‘‘We have to pick up our game, we can do better.’’
Rimutaka is an area where the Green Party has the potential to significantly grow its vote, Party co-leader James Shaw said.
‘‘It’s important our campaign is led by strong candidates and we are confident Stefan will be a very effective representative.’’
Grand-Meyer moved to New Zealand eight years ago to pursue a career in translation.
He has experience in the language, immigration and education sectors and works in management at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
He is also spokesman for the New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters, a volunteer group translating the Treaty of Waitangi into 30 languages.