Meates to stand for mayor
Former Canterbury health board boss David Meates has finally confirmed his bid for the Christchurch mayoralty, but his policies remain unclear.
The born and bred Cantabrian is in the United Kingdom, where he has been working as a specialist health systems adviser. He is returning to Christchurch in the coming days to begin his campaign.
Meates, 60, did not make himself available for an interview before his mayoralty announcement, so his views on various issues including Christchurch’s stadium project are not publicly known.
According to Meates’ campaign secretary, he plans to release a ‘‘definitive statement’’ on the stadium in the coming days.
In a press release, Meates said there were a number of shortterm challenges facing Christchurch City Council, but there was also a strong need for clear direction on the city’s future.
‘‘There are immediate issues for the incoming council, but our goal should be making our city a better place for the future,’’ he said.
‘‘It is critical to focus now on issues like sustainability, growth, the environment, how we want the city and Banks Peninsula to look in 10 and 20 years’ time, and what sort of jobs and businesses we want to attract.’’
Meates resigned as chief executive of Canterbury District Health Board (CDHB) in 2020 after 12 years amid tension between senior managers and the CDHB board. There were issues over the organisation’s deficit and how to reduce it.
In a statement, Meates said he cared deeply about Christchurch’s future.
‘‘Now is the time to use my experience, and collaborative approach to the role, to make my hometown New Zealand’s most attractive and vibrant city.’’
He said he was ‘‘aspirational for Christchurch’’.
‘‘We can do better than basic.’’ Meates is the second person to officially declare a tilt at the mayoralty after first-term Burwood councillor Phil Mauger announced his intention in August last year.
Mayor Lianne Dalziel will stand down at the local body elections in October, after holding the position since 2013.
According to a 2013 profile, published in The Press, Meates is the seventh of 10 children and he attended St Bede’s College.
His late father Bill Meates and uncle Kevin Meates were both All Blacks, and while Meates dreamed of following in their footsteps, he said in 2013, rugby talent had ‘‘skipped a generation’’.
He completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science at University of Canterbury and his first job was a farming adviser for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries on the West Coast.
Following a six-year stint in the UK working for department store giant BHS (formerly British Home Stores), he came back to New Zealand and started his career as a health administrator.
He was general manager of Northland District Health Board for about two years in the early 2000s and then chief executive at Wairarapa DHB before moving to CDHB in 2009.
Meates was a popular boss at CDHB with staff saying he built a ‘‘can-do’’ culture, demonstrated ‘‘true leadership’’ and ‘‘transformed’’ the organisation during his tenure.
On his last day at the health board hundreds of people lined Oxford Tce to form a guard of honour, clapping as he left.
Following his departure, more senior managers resigned in the following days and weeks, – seven out of 11 executives.
The departures prompted two staff protests and calls for government intervention.
Then-health minister Chris Hipkins responded by sending Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield to try to ‘‘stabilise’’ the situation.
Meates said the council needed to re-connect with its residents, be seen as relevant, and be willing to engage and work with its communities, especially bringing youth into the decision-making process.
‘‘Christchurch needs to be an amazing place to live, connect, cooperate, and innovate.’’