Pickett announces mayoralty bid for Southland District
Te Anau businesswoman Kirsty Pickett has announced her mayoralty bid for the Southland District Council.
Pickett joins current district councillor Rob Scott in announcing she will run for the mayoralty at the October local body elections.
One of the issues Pickett has identified is whether there is merit for championing one territorial authority for Southland.
She supported ‘‘starting the conversation’’ about having one council, but would not be drawn on her preference. ‘‘I am an evidence based person and don’t have evidence either way on what is the best option, but logic suggests there would be efficiencies to be made [with one council],’’ she said.
‘‘Whether it’s in the best interests of Southland is a conversation we need to have.’’
Local Government was about to face huge reform and it would be naive to think the amalgamation of councils wasn’t on the table.
‘‘We need to front these issues.’’ Pickett said she would only be running for the mayoralty, not a councillor’s seat.
She had never been on a community board or council, but didn’t believe it would affect her ability to do the job.
As a former journalist, she had covered local body politics for 30 years and was a Community Trust South trustee, so had governance experience.
‘‘I wouldn’t have put my name forward if I didn’t think I could do the job.’’
Pickett said New Zealand’s system of local democracy and governance was about to enter a period of change, with the roles and functions that defined councils coming under unprecedented scrutiny.
Southlanders had a long history of beating the odds and emerging stronger when backing each other, she said.
‘‘Quite simply, we’re better together.’’
Change was not to be feared, but the council needed to be able to meet it head-on, ‘‘to ensure those things we can influence are done with Southland’s best interests front and centre’’.
‘‘I believe I have the leadership skills necessary to help the council navigate the journey ahead, and the communication skills to ensure that nobody in our district is left behind.’’
Pickett and her husband David are born and bred Southlanders who live in Te Anau.
Pickett is a former journalist and with her husband runs a publishing company.
‘‘I wouldn’t have put my name forward if I didn’t think I could do the job.’’
Kirsty Pickett