Byelection candidate Pip Burne heavily involved in Central Hawke's Bay community

Pip Burne, candidate for CHB District Council's Ruataniwha Ward.

"Central Hawke's Bay is a beautiful place to live and we want it to remain affordable for everyone," this is the view of Pip Burne, a resident of the area for 40 years who is putting her hat in the ring for the current byelection for the Ruataniwha Ward.

Pip has seen many positive changes in how the Central Hawke's Bay Council operates in the last few years, however she believes more can be done to address the needs of ratepayers especially in the wake of Covid-19 and the drought.

Over the last few weeks, Pip has been talking to residents about what is concerning them.

Pip says the issues facing council are similar to those facing business:

"The increasing cost of compliance is a huge drain on any organisation - look at the dollars poured into the wastewater plants in Waipawa and Waipukurau and the upgrades of the library and War Memorial Hall just to be told that they don't meet the standards required".

"While the district is growing in population the ratepayer base remains relatively small - council needs to be wise where dollars are spent."

She believes the proposed Three Waters partnership with neighbouring councils to share the burden is a fantastic step:

"Being open to other ways we can share services to reduce costs in the future must also be looked into. I support the council's efforts to tap into Central Government funding where possible – the Provincial Growth Fund and funding from Government to kickstart the region after Covid are huge steps in the right direction."

A Central Hawke's Bay resident for 40 years, Pip attended Waipawa Primary School and then Central Hawke's Bay College before moving to Palmerston North to complete a Bachelor of Business in Human Resource Management.

Pip lives in Waipawa, with teacher husband Peter and their three children. Pip is heavily involved in the CHB Community including the Summer Series at Nelly Jull Park and the Spring Festival. She is particularly proud of her involvement in the lobbying for, and refurbishment of the Waipawa and Districts Memorial Pool.