High-flyer takes Masterton post

NEW FACE: Tina Nixon has had high-flying jobs throughout New Zealand. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A woman who has just been appointed to the staff of Masterton District Council charged with helping with the district's economic development comes with a truckload of credentials.

Tina Nixon took up the newly created position about a week ago and although she has had high-flying jobs throughout New Zealand she is no stranger to Wairarapa.

She has lived here for the best part of a decade, now helping to maintain a lifestyle block at Rangitumau with her partner David Hayes.

Born and raised in Southland, Ms Nixon has worked as a radio and a print journalist, and in a succession of top jobs including being press secretary to conservation minister Nick Smith, and later for MP Georgina Te Heu Heu.

She held a position with the Seafood Industries Council, has run public relations agencies, worked in the forestry and primary industries sector, held a MAF contract for five years during which time she was involved in major problem solving situations, including battles against gypsy moth and the foot and mouth scare on Waiheke Island.

She worked for the Ministry of Health in Christchurch and up until taking the job in Masterton commuted each week to Christchurch where she set up a communications unit after the devastating earthquakes, and worked with the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority.

Although she worked in Christchurch she had not met Pim Borren until applying for the Masterton job, even though Mr Borren lived and worked in the city prior to coming to Masterton as the district council's chief executive.

But the two share a common interest in economic development and a desire to see Masterton push forward and cash in on its assets.

Ms Nixon is convinced Masterton has "enormous business opportunities" available and that the district is poised for a period of economic growth.

She is keen to see the water projects go ahead and also to see the tourism potential of Wairarapa as a whole realised.

She said the district already has a whole gamut of attractions from high quality sports facilities that could return real value to award winning "pie and sticky bun shops".