A platform that proposes to sort out bureaucracy, carry out a full audit to root out district council waste, cut duplication and free up resources for the front line – as well as making council spending fully transparent – has been launched by a second mayoral candidate hoping to head South Wairarapa’s council.
Martinborough businesswoman Leah Hawkins has joined former cabinet minister and Wellington mayor Dame Fran Wilde in seeking the mayoral chains. Then there were two.
Hawkins laid out the pledges at a function in the town last week, following her campaign to cap the district’s rates at 3%.
That campaign saw more than 1,000 sign her rates cap petition – acknowledged as one of the biggest to be handed to councillors – who sidelined the rates cap proposition.
“Right now our district is at a crossroads,” the seventh generation local told her audience. “We’re facing new challenges, outdated systems, disconnected leadership, infrastructure issues and massive cost pressures.”
“We need leadership rooted in local knowledge, powered and driven by people and not politics.”
Her background is in business development and project management. Hawkins’ local credentials included grandparents who built Hau Ariki Marae, and “more generations (who have) attended Martinborough School than any other family.”
As mayor her top priorities would be the council audit, future-proofing infrastructure and cultural change.
That would include empowering the district’s three community boards “as real decision-makers,” and establishing rural advisory groups to ensure “rural knowledge” is part of decision-making. This would “speed up buy-in” on decisions, and “create solutions that actually fit the people they’re meant for.”
Hawkins said her plans include working with other rural mayors to “push back” on central government, present strong cases for fairer funding and locally work to reform council’s tendering process – “opening doors for more local suppliers … and making it easier for our own businesses to help build our region’s future.”
It was also making sure that rural, coastal and town voices “are heard, valued and part of the solutions.”
As mayor, Hawkins said she would value transparency, humility, and customer service.
Carterton mayor Ron Mark was among the audience at the event.
