“What do you most want voters to understand about you and your vision for Waitaki?”

I hope voters understand that we face a time of real crisis for the Waitaki District. Rates have been soaring to the point where everyone is suffering and some people are being pushed to the wall. Yet Council has been running deficits and neglecting to pay for depreciation of water assets.  Government is demanding big increases in water charges. Our tourism promotion has been less than satisfactory. Our farmers are strongly rejecting abusive "overlays" on their land in the new District Plan.  Some decisions have complicated our situation--for example, owning the new Sports/Event Centre will impose $1.3 million in new costs each year on Council for operations and depreciation, over and above the $15 million in new debt that Council has incurred for it. 

I'm not running for Mayor in order to preside over a continuation of the practices that have left us in this situation. I'm hoping for a brand-new council that replaces incumbents with qualified people who will apply their knowledge and experience to bring about major changes.

The first job will be reopening the current year budget. I will appoint several new councillors, together with qualified non-councillors, to the Spending (PAR) committee to join with me in going line-by-line to learn what spending is essential and what can be eliminated.  It will be hard. There are many more good things we would like to spend rates on that we cannot presently afford.  Our employees may be directly affected but they need to understand that we really have no choice. I will work diligently to seek understanding and support from the Council staff. Recommendations from this Spending Committee will go to the full Council for enactment as amendments to the budget.

The next job will be re-examining the Water Services Delivery Plan that Council has submitted to Government. While this Plan may serve the function of proving that Waitaki can do whatever is necessary to properly manage water and wastewater, it appears to be based on unnecessarily harsh and sudden increases in water charges. The Plan was put together very quickly by staff, under intense external pressure, and deserves a much more thoughtful appraisal. Should increases in water charges be spread across over several years? Can the size and timing of investment expenditures be changed? Are there opportunities for collaboration with other councils to obtain quantity discounts in contracting or purchasing, without compromising local control? These questions would be investigated by a new Water Committee, with myself, some councillors, and qualified non-councillors from the community, to make recommendations for action by the entire Council. 

Yet another priority will be Tourism Waitaki, our council-controlled organisation to promote our tourism economy. It should play an essential role in our economic prospects, but it can do better. Our tourism providers haven't had an organised voice in recent years and need to be gathered together to identify what they would like to see done next. Council has advanced a plan to separate the Penguin Colony from Tourism Waitaki as a new CCO and take away this funding source from tourism promotion in general. I am opposed to this plan--up to $1 million per year profit is generated by the Penguin Colony, and most of this needs to fund effective campaigns to bring long-staying visitors to our amazing attractions in arts, culture, heritage, wildlife, geopark and the natural environment.

The "transformation" programme that Council has allowed to take place for the past three years, at a cost of more than $3 million, has had a big impact on Council staff and our community. It's not clear that all of this impact has been good. A thorough evaluation of these changes must occur, from the fresh eyes of a new Mayor and council. Some non-essential positions can't be afforded any longer, and they must go. But the biggest question is whether reorganisation has really improved Council performance. If it has, we'll keep it. If not, we'll go back to what we had or find a different setup. But staff has experienced major disruption and uncertainty for some time now, and we must move cautiously with any additional changes.

The overall relationship of Council to the public needs to change with regard to secrecy. A very large portion of councillors' business is conducted in secret under "public excluded." This secrecy far exceeds what is required for business reasons or personal privacy. There seems to be an intention of the Council and staff to keep the public in the dark as much as possible, rather than involving and informing the public. My intention is to limit public exclusion to genuine personal privacy, or protection of Council's ability to obtain best outcomes in commercial negotiations, or matters involving ongoing or likely litigation. Proposals to keep anything else secret will have to pass a very high bar.

All these changes--and more--must be justified and explained to the public, especially including ratepayers and employees. I view that as a primary duty of the Mayor, and that's why it's a full-time job. As Mayor I will be very focused every day on informing people and listening to their feedback on everything related to our community. There will be many frustrations and disappointments arising because of Council's need for spending cutbacks and a general policy of austerity. The Mayor will need to be a catalyst for community-based, volunteer initiatives that fill the gap and foster the innovation that gives life to a place.  

That's exactly the role that I've filled throughout my working life--bringing people together to improve their community. I helped to start the campaign in 1984 that restored Oamaru’s historic district and harbour, saving them from decay and turning them into a national treasure. In 1989 I was a founder of the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust and am a former chairman and life member.

In 1990, I began 15 years of work with the Department of Labour’s Community Employment Group, becoming the National Coordinator of programmes to develop tourism, community and economic development in communities all over New Zealand. I was project director for Main Street Oamaru Revitalisation which made important improvements in the CBD to support tourism and economic development.

I was a facilitator helping to set up projects in Waitaki Valley, serving as Project Director of the successful establishment of Kurow’s Museum of Social Security. I was adviser to the Vanished World Fossil Trail initiative that ultimately led to the formation of the GeoPark.

From 2005 to 2020, I took my experience world-wide and formed Heritage Futures International, consulting in Australia, South Africa, India, United Arab Emirates, Somalia, Kenya, Malaysia and New Zealand on how to build heritage assets with the energy and resources within local communities.  

In more recent times, I have been chairman of the Waitaki-PukeuriCombined Sports Bodies, Ma Kotukutuku Ancient Cape Wanbrow Project, and Antarctic Oamaru, and also active on the board of the Oamaru Steam & Rail Society.

I'm well-known as an effective board chairman and negotiator for groups and organisations....who brings people together, allows all viewpoints to be heard, and

stimulates action. That's how I contribute. Waitaki is my home and I believe that as Mayor, I can help it flourish

Kind regards,

David Wilson

Candidate for Waitaki Mayor