“The answer isn’t quick fixes or easy slogans. It’s continuing the hard work we’ve already started, making the council more efficient, digging into partnerships and finding smart, realistic solutions.
“I won’t pretend the next steps are going to be easy. Some choices will be tough. And when things feel overwhelming, it’s tempting to pull back and go it alone.
“But that’s not how we move forward. I’ve led a team that makes the hard decisions when it counts – and always put our community in the driver’s seat.”
The mother of three teenage daughters, Walker is heavily involved in the community.
“My partner Billy is an agricultural contractor. He’s busy scanning pregnant sheep right now.
“I play the trumpet and piano and am a musical director. I want to live in a vibrant community and I love getting involved.”
She said the council needs strong, open-minded problem-solvers who are able to work as a team.
“Local government is all about putting a problem on the table and elected members solving them. The issues we deal with are broad and can be complex.
“I want to encourage everyone to think about who we need around the council table.
“This time, we’re voting across the whole district – with new at-large councillors, a Māori ward for the first time, and local ward representatives. We need a team that reflects our whole community."
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
