Council hopefuls face off in debate

Marlborough’s mayoral and Blenheim ward candidates will face voter questions at a public debate later this month. The event, called ‘‘The Big Debate’’, is a joint venture between the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce and The Marlborough Express, and will quiz 18 of the 31 candidates chasing votes in this year’s October elections.

The main highlight will be incumbent mayor John Leggett taking on challengers councillor Jamie Arbuckle and businessman Rick Ireland as part of the event, held at Blenheim’s ASB Theatre on September 24, at 7pm.

The mayoral hopefuls expect topics up for debate will include protecting the environment, reducing rates increases, and building infrastructure.

Leggett is seeking a second term as mayor and has been a Blenheim ward councillor for six years. He was not worried about the public face-off, as being in the hot seat was ‘‘part of the process’’.

The 64-year-old’s vision was to invest more resources towards protecting the environment and to further develop the region’s parks and reserves.

‘‘The [2018-28] long-term plan signals several big infrastructure spends. Seeing those through is a key focus for me. I want to send a strong signal that I’m making sure our core infrastructure is up to speed,’’ he said.

Leggett won a landslide victory in the council elections in 2016, almost doubling the votes of nearest rival and former Kaiko¯ ura MP Colin King.

Ireland, 63, was the first to step forward and challenge Leggett for his mayoral chains.

The semi-retired rental property owner promised to fight back rates increases, ‘‘get rid of debt’’ and attract new businesses to the region, if elected.

He also aimed to develop infrastructure and rework the Marlborough Sounds and Wairau-awatere resource management plans which were currently being revised as part of Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan (PMEP).

‘‘They’re doing that up right now, thinking up things people are not allowed to do on their property anymore ... Moving down [the list], it’s the council’s job to manage infrastructure, but they’re not. They’ve turned themselves into property developers and little tin gods.’’

The father-of-two previously told the Express he had ‘‘no problems’’ going up against the one-term mayor, saying Leggett did not have the ‘‘determination’’ to ‘‘just stamp on the rates’’, and was taking ‘‘a considerable softer approach’’.

Arbuckle, a councillor for nine years, is in his third attempt at the mayoralty, and believed Marlborough needed stronger leadership.

He aimed to make rates increases more sustainable and affordable for Marlburians, generate more climate change action, and build a bypass around Blenheim, after the issue was ‘‘forgotten about’’ and ‘‘swiped to one side’’.

He also hoped to improve housing and business revitalisation in Blenheim.

The 39-year-old’s campaign priorities came off the back of a long-standing push to install a bypass and cut congestion in Blenheim, and more recent talk for the council to declare a ‘climate emergency’, after student protests.

‘‘I think the councillors that are putting their hands up are up for this, and as the next mayor, I’m up for this as well. We have to have decisive action, or else we’re right on the cusp of a crisis for a lot of these issues,’’ Arbuckle said.

Candidates will be asked questions by the Express and the Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, before the floor is opened to the public.

There will be time after the debate for residents to talk to candidates.

Debates will also be held for Marlborough Sounds ward candidates at Havelock Town Hall on October 2, from 1pm, and for Wairau-awatere candidates at the new Awatere Hall on October 3, from 12pm.

If you would like to ask a question at one of the candidate meetings, please email Marlborough Regional Editor Ian Allen on ian. allen@stuff.co.nz.