Central Otago community at the heart of everything for Cromwell man
Fire, water and community take centre stage in Cromwell community leader Neil Gillespie’s life — he is a volunteer fireman, manager for Contact Energy and highprofile local body representative. As the region dries out, discussion over the Cromwell hall c
How do you manage to fit so much in — civic responsibilities and leadership, volunteering, work and play?
I consider myself really lucky to have an understanding employer, I’ve basically had the same employer since 1978, and they support me to go and do the things I do. This [electricity] industry is what got me back to live in Cromwell, where I come from. Through all the changes in the sector — and there have been some massive ones — there’s always been a role for me. Now I’m the community relations and projects manager for Contact Energy. In terms of everything else I also do I just spend time at night and the weekend working through things. It’s just a balancing act, but there’s a surprising amount of overlap — I can be out and about talking about one thing and other things will pop up.
How has the Clyde dam changed Central Otago and how does the water that powers it factor into the district?
I take my ‘‘Contact’’ hat off to say this, but if you look at Cromwell and all of Central Otago, the past, the present and the future has been about water, and the dam has been a big part of that. It doesn’t matter how you cut it, so much of our industry — farming, horticulture and viticulture — comes from water. The politicians of the day said ‘‘Think Big’’ would encompass five hydro developments — Clyde, Luggate, Queensberry and two on the Kawarau River. But in the end it was economics that meant Clyde was the only one that progressed. So many people have so many different ways of looking at it, but the dam and Lake Dunstan have provided opportunities and changed the fabric of our community. It’s not necessarily better, just different. If you ask where would Cromwell and Central Otago be today without the dam and the lake, I’m not sure. The lake has provided economic, recreational and community benefits. But at the same time I acknowledge that we lost a lot too. Either way, we’ve [Central Otago] survived and we’ve moved on.
In terms of the issues that have faced the Cromwell Community Board over the years, how significant do you see the possible Cromwell Memorial Hall upgrade, and the various Uturns the board has made over the issue?
The hall is the biggest issue facing the board at present. It’s been going on for 17 years, and I’ve been part of it that whole time, now as Cromwell Community Board chairman and Central Otago District Council deputy mayor. I don’t agree with the new board members that have voted against the upgrade; the process so far had been well informed and appropriate and the community and previous board wanted the upgrade. I think what the new board has decided is going to cost us more in the long run. But I have to respect the democratic process we follow. The hall will be one of the things we’ll keep talking about with a future planning exercise the board is doing.
We’re still working with the Urbanism Plus Cromwell town centre report done in 2010 and using it as a blueprint, but now we’re taking stock again and making sure we’re heading in the right direction.
What do you enjoy about your firefighter work?
Basically it’s every little boy’s dream to be a fireman. My father was a fireman, and other family and friends had connections to the fire brigade. The big thing for me is being with a group of likeminded people that are trying to provide services and support to the community. They’re [firefighters] a diverse bunch that want to be able to help others in the community — that’s the reality of it. At present I’m deputy chief fire officer of the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade, and I’m also a rural advisory member for Fire and Emergency New Zealand. You get asked this question at every local body election — will you ever stand for Central Otago mayor?
At this stage I haven’t entertained it — if you ask if I want to one day be mayor I would say ‘‘no’’. But I never say never to anything, it all depends on what opportunities arise. I’ve never had any great hankering to be the leader of anything. There’s a little part of me that says ‘‘that’s quite cool, being the deputy mayor’’, but basically I downplay it. I’m just doing a job, and I think it’s important to never ‘‘unground’’ yourself and think you’re bigger than the thing you’re doing. You should always constantly say ‘‘this is about doing the right thing for the right reasons. It’s not about me’’.
What stamp do you hope to make on the Central Otago community?
This community supported my wife Joy and me to bring up our four kids and my whole logic is to make sure that if our kids come back to raise their children they will come back to the same opportunities we had. I want to make sure that others in the community continue to have the same benefits that we did.
If you have any time off work, what do you like to do?
Family is a big thing for me, we have a very strong family and are closely connected. I’ve got a mountain bike that I don’t get out enough on, I like catching up on those odd jobs that need doing around home and Joy and I travel a lot. I also did 10 cavalcades as a ‘‘gofer’’ for trail boss Murray McMillan, and I still do a bit of announcing at rodeos. Contact used to set up a tent at the rodeos and one year I went and I got hooked. I was the president of the Wanaka Rodeo Club for about four years and this season I’ll be announcing at the Wanaka and Maniototo rodeos.