Manawatū District Council, based in Feilding, is governed by Mayor Helen Worboys and 11 councillors.
Manawatū District Council, based in Feilding, is governed by Mayor Helen Worboys and 11 councillors.
From farm ownership to pasture measuring and shares in a milk company, the pecuniary interests of Manawatū District Council’s elected members reflect the district’s rural location.
Mayor Helen Worboys owns a private residence at Sanson.
Worboys is a director of Heartland Contractors as is Deputy Mayor Michael Ford and councilchief executive Shayne Harris.
The company is owned by the council and was incorporated in 1995.
Ford is a director and shareholder of real estate company Michael Ford Ltd.
He has a beneficial interest in The Ford Family Trust and the Trevor & Sally Ford Family Trust.
Ford has a private residence at Colyton (owned by trust), a rental property in Feilding, a family member’s residence in Feilding (owned by trust) and a timeshare unit in Taupō (owned by trust).
Ngā Tapuae o Matangi Māori ward councillor Bridget Bell has a beneficial interest in the Owaewenga Trust and the Tumoana & Moahuia Whānau Trust.
She has a family property in Palmerston North and the whānau trust owns a rental property in Feilding.
During the declaration period, January 13, 2023, to January 29, 2024, Bell was paid for contract work for the University of Waikato and the Ministry for the Environment.
Rural ward councillor Steve Bielski’s form is blank. The Manawatū Guardian’s search of company and property records has not found anything he needs to declare.
Feilding ward councillor Lara Blackmore is a director and shareholder of heavy plant hiring company Blackbee. She has shares in Happy Cow Milk Ltd and several investments via Sharesies.
Blackmore owns a private residence in Colyton. During the declaration period, she was employed by Collective Intelligence.
Feilding ward councillor Stuart Campbell is a director and shareholder of Wheeler Campbell Chartered Accountants and Bute Farm Taonui Ltd.
He is a chartered accountant at Wheeler Campbell Chartered Accountants.
Campbell has a beneficial interest in Kildavaig Trust. He has a farm at Taonui owned by the trust.
Feilding ward councillor Grant Hadfield has a beneficial interest in the GG Hadfield Family Trust and owns a rental property in Palmerston North.
Colin McFadzean is a director and shareholder of NZ Agriworks Ltd, FWPH Ltd, and Highstead Trading Ltd.
The rural ward councillor is employed by NZ Agriworks. Based in Feilding, it manufactures a range of manual and electronic pasture measuring devices.
McFadzean owns a farm at Stanway.
Clockwise from top, Manawatū District Mayor Helen Worboys, Deputy Mayor and Feilding ward councillor Michael Ford, rural ward councillor Fiona Underwood, and rural ward councillor Steve Bielski.
Andrew Quarrie has nothing listed on his pecuniary interests form.
However, property records show he owns three properties in Rongotea.
When asked to comment, the rural ward councillor replied: “No change to last year.”
Last year, he said: “If this is all you have got, that’s fine.”
Kerry Quigley is a director and shareholder of electroplating business Plating Technology (Platec) Ltd.
The Feilding ward councillor has a beneficial interest in Quigley Family Trust and owns a private residence in the town.
Clockwise from top, Manawatū District Council rural ward councillor Alison Short, rural ward councillor Andrew Quarrie, Nga Tapuae o Matangi Maori ward councillor Bridget Bell, and rural ward councillor Colin McFadzean.
Rural ward councillor Alison Short is a director and shareholder of My Plumbing Depot Feilding 2023 and part of WP & AM Short Farm Partnership.
She has a beneficial interest in the WP & AM Short Family Trust. Short has a private residence and rural landholding at Stanway owned by the trust, plus a rented farm cottage also owned by the trust.
Rural ward councillor Fiona Underwood owns a private residence and a rental property in Halcombe.
Clockwise from top, Manawatū District Council Feilding ward councillors Grant Hadfield, Kerry Quigley, Stuart Campbell and Lara Blackmore.
Judith Lacy has been editor of the Manawatū Guardian since December 2020. She graduated from journalism school in 2001, and this is her second role editing a community paper.
