New candidate throws hat in the ring
Wakelin says he offers fresh perspective
Election fever is upon us as the countdown to the local body elections begins. Last week Taupō independent auctioneer Sean Wakelin, 51, became the third person to take up a nomination for Taupō mayor. He is also running for a position as councillor for the Taupō ward. He says taking a leadership role within the community is part of his family values instilled in him by his parents.
“Running for council is in my culture. My mum [Betty Wakelin] always encouraged me to put my hand up if there was something I could do for my community,” Sean says.
He says starting up and running his own pub in Palmerston, cafe Volcanic Kitchen in Taupō (now closed) and selling real estate has given him experience at management level of mediating between different groups, and the opportunity to develop his own leadership style.
“As a leader, I create an open and safe environment where people are safe to bring out their best.”
He views his lack of governance experience as an advantage because he hasn’t been trained to limit his expectations.
His agenda for the Taupō district is to bring back domestic tourism by focusing on tourist facilities, manage business and housing development so growth is sustainable, and to focus on mental health.
Sean says he enjoyed his years at
Volcanic Kitchen, and a personal highlight was his pizza coming third in a New York competition.
“I know what it’s like to make enough in the summer to cover the bills in the winter. I understand the ups and downs of tourism, the importance of customer numbers, the long
hours and a lack of staff.
“I have a good understanding of small to medium enterprises and the reliance on outside dollars.”
His role as an independent auctioneer takes him all over the North Island and says he has a good insight into land development issues.
“We need to slow down and manage growth so the infrastructure is there.”
If he is voted into council, Sean says he will push for an information technology hub, which he says is much-needed if Taupō is going to attract overseas professionals who are actively looking for a town where they can be connected via their laptop, be centrally located and access the great outdoors.
He loves living in Taupō and thanks to his father, who worked for the Department of Conservation, “has had the pleasure of seeing the best of the outdoors”. His hobbies include photography, drone flying and boating on the lake. He also likes spending time with his wife and young family and when he spoke to the Taupō & Tūrangi Herald “had just ducked out to hang out the washing, because I’m being a good husband”.
He is a comedian at heart, loves being in front of a crowd, and at one point performed stand-up comedy. In recent years, keeping faith with his mother’s wishes, Sean has brought entertainment acts to Taupō with the aim of making a contribution towards mental health.
Two years ago he organised standup comedy at the Taupō Cosmopolitan Club with the proceeds going towards mental health. When police officer Matthew Hunt was shot in 2020, Sean made 50 dinners and donated them to the Taupō Police. Next month, he is putting on a free event at the Great Lake Centre featuring motivational speaker Brown Buttabean aka David Letele who will speak to the theme “It’s okay to not be okay”.
Sean says a competitive advantage he has over the other contenders for mayor — mayor David Trewavas and deputy mayor Christine Rankin — is that he offers a fresh perspective.
“You have the same chefs in the kitchen, regardless what tasks you give them. Going forward in a postCovid environment it’s time to start afresh. Our best days are ahead of us. If you vote for me, then you vote for change.”