There are seven candidates in this month's by-election for councillor, and, other than my personal contact with some via my work, I don't know much about any of them.
So I've read Hawke's Bay Today avidly, and have gone searching online to discover who I think should be our next representative on council. Voting for a councillor is way too important a job to decide on the basis of a smiley billboard, simple name recognition or something a mate said once (I think).
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL - COUNCILLOR - SEVEN CANDIDATES
[ Like my voting paper, candidate names are listed in random order of surname 😊 ]
Rion Roben - Facebook
Hastings council candidate wants to bring strategic planning skills
Bruce Bisset - Facebook
Land and water key issues for Hastings
Rizwaana Latiff - Facebook
Hastings District Council candidate wants to listen and advocate
Wendy Schollum - Website, Facebook
Candidate keen to bring business skills
Jason Whaitiri - Facebook
Candidate wants to be part of new vision
Waitawhara Tupaea - Website, Facebook
Aspirational aims for by-election
Eileen Lawson - Facebook
Sound strategies and policies needed says Hastings candidate
Hawke's Bay Today hosted a candidates' debate in their office in Hastings. Here is some of the video footage:
Three issues (video 6 mins)
Closing addresses (video 21 min)
Live feed on Facebook (video 1 hr 37 min)
Don't forget it's a postal vote, and your voting papers need to be in the post by Tuesday 21 November 2017.
To choose a mayor: 2017 Hastings District Council mayoral by-election
Contact the candidates:
Bruce Bisset
Rizwaana Latiff
Eileen Lawson
Rion Roben
Wendy Schollum
Waitawhara Tupaea
Jason Whaitiri
Please note: I've made every effort to ensure this information is as complete as possible. However, if you want your information added or corrected, please let me know by email.
Some of the Facebook links may be personal pages rather than public pages and access may be dependent on your being a member of Facebook, and being a friend of a friend of the candidate.
Tuesday 7 November 2017
Sunday 5 November 2017
2017 Hastings District Council mayoral by-election - Updated
As most who know me would be aware, I'm passionate about Hastings, I enjoy politics and I like to research my decisions thoroughly. Voting for a mayor is way too important a job to decide on the basis of a smiley billboard, simple name recognition or something a mate said once (I think).
So here's a helping hand to get to know the six candidates who want to lead our council.
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL - MAYOR - SIX CANDIDATES
[ Like my voting paper, candidate names are listed in random order of surname 😊 ]
Allister Tosh - Facebook
Sandra Hazlehurst - Facebook
Stuart Perry - Website, Facebook
Bayden Barber - Website, Facebook
Making Hastings best place to live and work
Simon Nixon - Website, Facebook
Education needs to be key policy issue
Acceptable alternative needed for Manawatu Gorge
Waitawhara Tupaea - Facebook
Aspirational aims for byelection
Hawke's Bay Today asked each candidate six questions.
1. What is your vision for the Hastings district?
2. What steps will you take in your first 100 days to turn this vision into reality?
3. Name the one main area you would collaborate with other Hawke's Bay councils on.
4. Are you in favour of continued chlorination for the Hastings district's drinking water?
5. Do you support the controversial Water Conservation Order - why, why not?
6. What's the biggest asset you would bring to the mayoralty?
Here are the candidates' answers, in their own words:
Waitawhara Tupaea
Simon Nixon
Bayden Barber
Stuart Perry
Sandra Hazlehurst
Allister Tosh
NZH Local Focus asked each candidate four questions. Here are their answers, in their own words:
1. What are the issues in Hastings District? (video 4 min)
2. What inspired you to run for mayor? (video 3 min)
3. What in your background makes you qualified to be our mayor? (video 3 mins)
4. What is one thing that will be important to you every day when you are mayor? (video 4 mins)
Hawke's Bay Today hosted a mayoral debate at Karamu High School. Here is some of the video footage:
Individual questions (video 7 mins)
Closing addresses (video 22 min)
Live feed on Facebook (video 2 hr 0 min)
UPDATE:
I've just discovered a set of YouTube interviews by the Hastings City Business Association about the candidates views on the CBD etc
Stuart Perry (10 min)
Waitawhara Tupaea (8 min)
Bayden Barber (9 min)
Sandra Hazlehurst (7 min)
Simon Nixon (7 min)
Allister Tosh - declined to be interviewed
Don't forget it's a postal vote, and your voting papers need to be in the post by Tuesday 21 November 2017.
To choose a councillor: 2017 Hastings District Council councillor by-election
Contact the candidates:
Stuart Perry
Bayden Barber
Waitawhara Tupaea
Allister Tosh
Sandra Hazlehurst
Simon Nixon
Please note: I've made every effort to ensure this information is as complete as possible. However, if you want your information added or corrected, please let me know by email.
Some of the Facebook links may be personal pages rather than public pages and access may be dependent on your being a member of Facebook, and being a friend of a friend of the candidate.
So here's a helping hand to get to know the six candidates who want to lead our council.
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL - MAYOR - SIX CANDIDATES
[ Like my voting paper, candidate names are listed in random order of surname 😊 ]
Allister Tosh - Facebook
Sandra Hazlehurst - Facebook
Stuart Perry - Website, Facebook
Bayden Barber - Website, Facebook
Making Hastings best place to live and work
Simon Nixon - Website, Facebook
Education needs to be key policy issue
Acceptable alternative needed for Manawatu Gorge
Waitawhara Tupaea - Facebook
Aspirational aims for byelection
Hawke's Bay Today asked each candidate six questions.
1. What is your vision for the Hastings district?
2. What steps will you take in your first 100 days to turn this vision into reality?
3. Name the one main area you would collaborate with other Hawke's Bay councils on.
4. Are you in favour of continued chlorination for the Hastings district's drinking water?
5. Do you support the controversial Water Conservation Order - why, why not?
6. What's the biggest asset you would bring to the mayoralty?
Here are the candidates' answers, in their own words:
Waitawhara Tupaea
Simon Nixon
Bayden Barber
Stuart Perry
Sandra Hazlehurst
Allister Tosh
NZH Local Focus asked each candidate four questions. Here are their answers, in their own words:
1. What are the issues in Hastings District? (video 4 min)
2. What inspired you to run for mayor? (video 3 min)
3. What in your background makes you qualified to be our mayor? (video 3 mins)
4. What is one thing that will be important to you every day when you are mayor? (video 4 mins)
Hawke's Bay Today hosted a mayoral debate at Karamu High School. Here is some of the video footage:
Individual questions (video 7 mins)
Closing addresses (video 22 min)
Live feed on Facebook (video 2 hr 0 min)
UPDATE:
I've just discovered a set of YouTube interviews by the Hastings City Business Association about the candidates views on the CBD etc
Stuart Perry (10 min)
Waitawhara Tupaea (8 min)
Bayden Barber (9 min)
Sandra Hazlehurst (7 min)
Simon Nixon (7 min)
Allister Tosh - declined to be interviewed
Don't forget it's a postal vote, and your voting papers need to be in the post by Tuesday 21 November 2017.
To choose a councillor: 2017 Hastings District Council councillor by-election
Contact the candidates:
Stuart Perry
Bayden Barber
Waitawhara Tupaea
Allister Tosh
Sandra Hazlehurst
Simon Nixon
Please note: I've made every effort to ensure this information is as complete as possible. However, if you want your information added or corrected, please let me know by email.
Some of the Facebook links may be personal pages rather than public pages and access may be dependent on your being a member of Facebook, and being a friend of a friend of the candidate.
Tuesday 10 October 2017
Candidate wants to be part of new vision
I've copied this story from Hawke's Bay Today because it's the only candidate's story from the paper that didn't make it online, an oversight I suspect. I've re-published it here so as to complete the list of candidates' online information I've listed in my blog post here: 2017 Hastings District Council councillor by-election
Candidate wants to be part of new vision
Hawke's Bay Today 10/10/2017
Seven candidates are running in the upcoming Hastings District Council Hastings-Havelock North ward by-election. Hawke's Bay Today is profiling each candidate, starting today with Jason Whaitiri.
By Nicki Harper
WHAKATU resident and keen community man Jason Whaitiri, undeterred by his narrow loss when he ran for council last October, says he thought long and hard before deciding to stand again this time.
Not least because he is standing in a different ward and one in which "I can't even vote for myself".
He stood in the Heretaunga ward in last year's triennial local body election and was narrowly defeated by Ann Redstone's 2075 votes to his 2071.
With the election of a new mayor next month, he felt encouraged to give it another go.
"There's been a lot of missed opportunities by our council and hopefully the new mayor comes with a vision and councillors share that vision with new ideas that benefit everyone."
A lack of engagement with local communities was one area where he believed the council had been lacking, and where he felt his strong community background could be of benefit.
The youngest of five, Mr Whaitiri went to Mangateretere School, Havelock North Intermediate and Te Aute College before going on to work in the meat industry, currently as a beef boner with Silver Fern Farms.
Married to Shirlene, he had three children and two grandchildren and politics ran in his family, including his sister Meka Whaitiri, recently re-elected Ikaroa-Rawhiti Labour MP.
Mr Whaitiri's involvement in the community included being a two-term trustee on the board of Clive School, a volunteer for the Cape Coastal Community Patrol, chair of KiwiCove Oscar trust, volunteering with Nourished for Nil, and being a Twin City Ministries youth leader, working with young people from Whakatu.
Part of his workplace's emergency response team, he had also been a long-time referee with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Referee Association, and wanted to bring the skills gained from all these activities to the table.
"I'm very community focused, I know how to make tough decisions and be accountable for them, and I have learned about governance and policies."
A primary focus for the council should be to stick to its core role in infrastructure - roads, water, waste management, he said, but also address affordable housing and streamlining consents for building.
"There's wealth in Hawke's Bay and it can be shared - we should not have homelessness.
"I love Hastings but it can be better - there's heaps of potential with a mayor that will bring everyone together."
Candidate wants to be part of new vision
Hawke's Bay Today 10/10/2017
Seven candidates are running in the upcoming Hastings District Council Hastings-Havelock North ward by-election. Hawke's Bay Today is profiling each candidate, starting today with Jason Whaitiri.
By Nicki Harper
WHAKATU resident and keen community man Jason Whaitiri, undeterred by his narrow loss when he ran for council last October, says he thought long and hard before deciding to stand again this time.
Not least because he is standing in a different ward and one in which "I can't even vote for myself".
He stood in the Heretaunga ward in last year's triennial local body election and was narrowly defeated by Ann Redstone's 2075 votes to his 2071.
With the election of a new mayor next month, he felt encouraged to give it another go.
"There's been a lot of missed opportunities by our council and hopefully the new mayor comes with a vision and councillors share that vision with new ideas that benefit everyone."
A lack of engagement with local communities was one area where he believed the council had been lacking, and where he felt his strong community background could be of benefit.
The youngest of five, Mr Whaitiri went to Mangateretere School, Havelock North Intermediate and Te Aute College before going on to work in the meat industry, currently as a beef boner with Silver Fern Farms.
Married to Shirlene, he had three children and two grandchildren and politics ran in his family, including his sister Meka Whaitiri, recently re-elected Ikaroa-Rawhiti Labour MP.
Mr Whaitiri's involvement in the community included being a two-term trustee on the board of Clive School, a volunteer for the Cape Coastal Community Patrol, chair of KiwiCove Oscar trust, volunteering with Nourished for Nil, and being a Twin City Ministries youth leader, working with young people from Whakatu.
Part of his workplace's emergency response team, he had also been a long-time referee with the Hawke's Bay Rugby Referee Association, and wanted to bring the skills gained from all these activities to the table.
"I'm very community focused, I know how to make tough decisions and be accountable for them, and I have learned about governance and policies."
A primary focus for the council should be to stick to its core role in infrastructure - roads, water, waste management, he said, but also address affordable housing and streamlining consents for building.
"There's wealth in Hawke's Bay and it can be shared - we should not have homelessness.
"I love Hastings but it can be better - there's heaps of potential with a mayor that will bring everyone together."
Monday 20 February 2017
Moving Pictures
My choice of video from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺
This week was all about the fires and Art Deco
 |
| Daniel Close, Auckland, dressed as a WW1 New Zealand Army soldier, Third Auckland Regiment, who would have helped out in the 1931 Earthquake. |
All aboard for Hastings (video)
For the first time in many years, the RM-31 Vintage Railcar ran shuttles from the old Napier Railway Station to Hastings and return, part of the Tremains Art Deco Festival.
Links to some of my other videos:
 |
| At least one house burnt down. Fire Service, Hastings District Council Volunteer Rural Fire Forces and helicopters fight a grass and pine forest fire between Waimarama Rd and Tukituki Rd, near Havelock North. |
A state of emergency has been declared for the Hastings District as fires fanned by strong winds continue to burn across the region, claiming one house at Waimarama Rd.
(This was a video of footage I got from Te Mata Peak and from a chopper (someone's got to do it) and from a press conference at Hastings District Council. Alex Robertson from the New Zealand Herald put it together for me.)
 |
| L-R: Nigel Avery, CEO, Sileni Estates Winery, the Art Deco festival wine ambassadors; Shelley Avery; Stuart Nash, Labour MP, Napier; Simon Tremain, Tremain Real Estate, sponsor |
Sileni Sparkles (video)
Boaters and furs were to the fore at Sileni Estates Winery as CEO Nigel Avery launched Art Deco Sparkling, a limited edition bubbly.
Tuesday 14 February 2017
Spice of Life
My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader,
the Havelock North Village Press and/or the CHB Mail.
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader,
the Havelock North Village Press and/or the CHB Mail.
Young entrepreneur
Katarina Hokianga, 10, fundraising for Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Te Wananga Whare Tapere o Takitimu, Hastings, at Waitangi Day Big 9, a Waitangi Day event hosted by Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated, at Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, renamed Kahungunu Park for February. 
L-R: Maria Norman, Napier, Tony Stewart, Napier, with C-Low, their female English Mastiff dog, playing in an irrigator, cold water, in Taradale Park, Taradale, Napier, in hot cloudy summer weather. Tony said, "We live like a couple of dried apricots", in a shed in Onekawa, Napier.
On the way up
The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter winched a mountainbike rider off Te Mata Peak after he fell about 15 metres from near a site which is popular for abseiling. St John Ambulance and Police also attended.
Modern heroes
The Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter winched a mountainbike rider off Te Mata Peak after he fell about 15 metres from near a site which is popular for abseiling. St John Ambulance and Police also attended.
Walkies
Melissa Bell, Hastings, walking with her dog at Pakowhai Country Park, Hastings, in light showers, cool weather.
So fast
From Colin White Rd: Hastings District Council Volunteer Rural Fire Force and NZ Fire Service staff attended a fourth alarm level large vegetation fire on a hill along Anaroa Rd in Raukawa. It burned up over the ridge and down the other side, near Colin White Rd, Te Hauke, off SH2.
Happily mad
L-R: Barbi Speers, Sue Taylor, Irene Craft, all from Hastings, organisers of Madness in the Mall, an Art Deco Market next Thursday in the Hastings Mall, Hastings.
... and in the afternoon
Drivers, cars, motorists on the Hawke's Bay Expressway, driving in the first decent rain in weeks. Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales
Monday 13 February 2017
Moving Pictures
My choice of video from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺
Far from the angst experienced at Waitangi, Hawke's Bay celebrates Waitangi Day in style and unity. Love it 💙
 |
| Hukarere Girls' College, Eskdale, performing at Waitangi Day Big 9 at Kahungunu Park |
Ngati Kahungunu hosted Waitangi Day Big 9 at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, renamed Kahungunu Park for February.
Links to some of my other videos:
Following a hikoi from Waitangi Regional Park, Marie Edwards unveiled a memorial stone near the Clive River, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi by Ngati Kahungunu chiefs and the Crown on board HMS Herald.
 |
| Terry Southey, Hastings, cycling along Pakowhai Rd, Hastings, in light showers and cool weather. |
While Hawke's Bay hosted a wet break in the high summer temperatures the Met Service says the rain is leaving us. An easterly breeze will push the precipitation inland. Normal summer weather patterns will resume as we climb back into the 30's early next week.
(This was a video made up of footage from Warren Buckland, Paul Taylor and myself, put together by Warren)
Tuesday 7 February 2017
Spice of Life
My choice from a week's work at Hawke's Bay Today ☺
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader,
the Havelock North Village Press and/or the CHB Mail.
(including at times, photos for the Napier Courier, the Hastings Leader,
the Havelock North Village Press and/or the CHB Mail.
Try this
Top: Andrew Hayward, 14, potential recruit, taking part in a membership drive for Bay City Cheerleaders, at Waimarama Beach Day, a MoreFM fundraiser for Waimarama Surf Lifesaving at Waimarama Beach, Waimarama.
A less serious assignment
Sergeant Cory Ubels, serious crash unit, Hawke's Bay Police, playing swingball at Waimarama Beach Day, a MoreFM fundraiser for Waimarama Surf Lifesaving at Waimarama Beach, Waimarama.
Anticipation
Kasey Wilson, 11, Napier, getting dunked in the Kids Zone at Waimarama Beach Day, a MoreFM fundraiser for Waimarama Surf Lifesaving at Waimarama Beach, Waimarama. 
Housing concerns
Damon Rusden, new Green Party candidate for Napier electorate, pictured in Hastings.
Truck vs car
Police and St John Ambulance attended a truck vs car accident on Pakowhai Rd, Napier, just off the Hawke's Bay Expressway. The truck was travelling south.
Super-sopper
4-10pm: Ground roller with a sponge - New Zealand Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI cricket at McLean Park, Napier.
Walking the pitch
5-30pm: L-R: Chris Brown, Kumar Dharmasena, umpires; Kane Williamson, captain, New Zealand; Aaron Finch, captain, Australia - New Zealand Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI cricket at McLean Park, Napier.
Hawke's Bay Today Photo Sales
Say what?
5-36pm: Left: Kumar Dharmasena, umpire; Right: head groundsman and wicket-preparation specialist Phil Stoyanoff - New Zealand Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI cricket at McLean Park, Napier.
Not happy
5-45pm: Bill Dalton, mayor, Napier City Council - New Zealand Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI cricket at McLean Park, Napier.
Dejected
6-49pm: The crowd leaves, disappointed - New Zealand Black Caps vs Australia 2nd ANZ ODI cricket at McLean Park, Napier.
Hot job
A helicopter with monsoon bucket helped Fire Service firefighters fight a grass fire on Waimarama Rd, Havelock North, just past Tukituki Rd turn-off.
No chlorine
Pure artesian water, fill your own - sign outside an orchard at 1089 Maraekakaho Rd, Hastings.
Sad
Police, fire service and St John Ambulance attended a fatal accident, a two car head-on collision on Te Aute Rd, Havelock North.
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