Focus on unity, advocacy for local voice

Toni Biddle

Age: 46 Occupation: Business adviser Marital status: Married

What sets you apart from the other mayoral candidates?

I have been described as a person who can work in partnership with others and bring people together. I am young and energetic and bring strong, established relationships with iwi, business, central government, education and the community, which is critical in the mayor’s role. I am experienced and have seen what a dysfunctional council does to a community. I have never stopped working for our people and am more experienced now to do so effectively.

How would you promote function and unity within the council governance team?

Council unity is a key focus. Council decisions are made through a democratic process, and relitigating decisions without support to effect change is a waste of time and resources, causing frustration and division. Any new mayor must have the ability to work with new and incumbent members of the council. As mayor, I will put the right people in the right roles. My focus will be on strong governance that debates issues, not personalities. I will ensure members know how to effect change, encourage all to participate and hold the council accountable to ratepayers.

What are your personal views on the Three Waters reforms?

This is a legislative change, not a council decision. There are more questions than answers at council level. Losing Three Waters will see about a third of our rates revenue gone. Stranded overheads will mean rates will not reduce as a result. What is likely, is ratepayers and residents will see a new bill in their mailbox. As a council, we must prepare and reduce the capital spending forecasted to offset this new cost. Those on fixed income and pensions can not afford rates increases while receiving new bills for water.

How would you promote Invercargill as a place to live and work?

Invercargill, including Bluff, requires a multidimensional strategy to attract people to live, work, visit and invest in our city. We have always been a city of lifestyle. We have changed our brand so many times and have never established what sets us apart. This work requires a collaborative approach and should not be done by the council alone. We must invest wisely in areas where we create good jobs and sustainable growth and have more available to families so we will attract people to our city.

What do you believe the problems are with the Local Government Act and how would you fix it?

My view is we are losing local decisionmaking. An individual council cannot change the existing Local Government Act alone but having a mayor who understands the importance of working with other mayors and having strong advocacy at a national level, and within the local government of New Zealand, is more than we have now. As mayor, I will advocate retaining local decisions which is a more effective way of meeting our needs. Localism reflects the diversity of our population and moving to an extreme concentration of power and authority is a risk.