Hawkes not standing again
Motueka councillor Paul Hawkes is not standing for re-election to Tasman District Council.
Hawkes said it was with a heavy heart that he had decided to step aside, after saying in July he intended to put up his hand again.
‘‘I’m concentrating on business,’’ he said on Wednesday. ‘‘I’d find it very hard to walk away from work. It’s better to give [the nomination] to somebody who can guarantee their time.’’
Hawkes’ election to the council in 2016 sparked a by-election, because he had also been elected unopposed to the Motueka Community Board, a position he had to vacate.
On Wednesday, Hawkes said he would not be standing for the community board either. ‘‘I’m having a completely clean break.’’
Hawkes is the second Motueka ward councillor to announce he will not seek reelection. Second-term councillor Peter Canton said in July he would not stand again.
On Wednesday, Canton said the council’s decision to proceed with the Waimea dam project ‘‘really scarred me’’ because the majority of submitters did not agree with the governance and funding proposal put out for consultation. ‘‘What’s the point of the consultation if you’re going to . . . ignore what people say?’’
He said he understood the arguments for the dam, but most submitters had rejected the proposal.
‘‘I really value democracy, and my own personal opinion is we took a hit there.’’
Both Canton and Hawkes said they were happy that a new Motueka Library had been given the nod during their time with the council.
However, Hawkes was unhappy that a proposed upgrade of the High St section of State Highway 60 did not make it on to the NZ Transport Authority’s programme of work to be funded in 2018-21. ‘‘I lost so much sleep over that decision,’’ he said, adding that he would still fight to get the street upgraded.
Five nominations have so far been received for the three seats in the Motueka ward – for Paul Dixon-Didier, Motueka Community Board members Barry Dowler and Claire Hutt, incumbent ward councillor David Ogilvie, and Trindi Walker.
Nominations for the local body elections close today, with polling day scheduled for October 12. Home organisation D.I.Y. workshops Book builders workshops Come in-store and find stacks of great value storage throughout August. There will be a huge range of shelves, boxes, garage and wardrobe storage available to declutter your indoors and organise your outdoors.