It’s hard to believe that three years have passed and it once again election time. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have served the South Wairarapa District as Mayor during this time.
Over the course of this triennium we have faced some tough decisions around the affordability of environmentally acceptable waste water plants, upgrades to aging infrastructure and of course the fate of the Martinborough Town Hall.
Through the debate surrounding these issues plus all the day to day, business as usual matters that take up the majority of our time, the outgoing council have been a pleasure work with. It is fair to say that there have been some spirited discussions and solid disagreements but always faced with good humour. Your councillors have worked hard for the interests of the people, often involving long hours and intrusion into their own time.
They certainly do way more for the district than their small council salary implies. All of them deserve a big thank you for their dedication to a job that is both very rewarding but equally frustrating at times. A very special thank you goes to Councillor Sexton who is retiring after twelve years as a councillor.
This election there is healthy competition for the seats around both Council and Community Board tables. This is great to see as interest in local government means interest in the community as a whole.
Whoever is successful will no doubt have challenging times ahead as the role of local government remains under tight scrutiny. I wish everyone all the best for the election and look forward to working with the next team chosen to represent South Wairarapa.
Adrienne Staples
