Byelection hopefuls meet public

Kaikohe byelection candidates Fiona Bannister, Harko Brown, Debbie Beadle, Mike Edmonds, Matt King, Phyllis Rintoul and Shaun Reilly with meeting chairman Mike Shaw.

Opportunities provided by an expanded Ngawha power station and the need to better represent the community were among the issues raised by candidates in the upcoming Kaikohe byelection - but voters at the meeting were more worried about wasp nests and blocked drains.

About 25 people attended Monday night's public meeting along with candidates Fiona Bannister, Harko Brown, Debbie Beadle, Mike Edmonds, Matt King, Phyllis Rintoul and Shaun Reilly.

Postal voting in the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board byelection, triggered by the resignation of former Kaikohe representative Kelly van Gaalen, starts this week. Several candidates paid tribute to Mrs van Gaalen who is in jail after being found guilty of possessing cannabis for supply.

Mr King, a Waihou Valley farmer and former policeman, said she had done a lot for the Kaikohe community and left big shoes to fill; while Mrs Bannister, a long-time Ngawha Springs resident, put Kaikohe's improved appearance down to Mrs van Gaalen's efforts as town projects co-ordinator.

Mr Edmonds, who moved to Kaikohe from Auckland 10 years ago, spoke of the need to seize the opportunities offered by the expansion at Ngawha and the rebuilding of Northland College, a theme echoed by Mr Reilly, a long-time Kaikohe advocate.

Mr Reilly also called for a return of all council staff to Kaikohe - about 50 were based in Kerikeri - and better co-operation between the council and the Ngapuhi runanga.

Issues raised by the audience centred on "buck passing" between various authorities and difficulties contacting the right people to get problems fixed, such as a wasp nest on a vacant section, a blocked drain and requests for a reduced speed limit where the cycle trail crosses SH12.

Mr Edmonds pointed out that problems relating to the state highway, which is the responsibility of NZTA, were outside community board or council control - but he promised to help by yelling as loud as he could to the right authorities.

Mr Brown is a teacher and Maori sports expert from Oromahoe. Debbie Beadle is a life-long Kaikohe/Ngawha Springs resident who runs a number of local businesses. Phyllis Rintoul is an Okaihau JP and the wife of prominent businessman Ken Rintoul.

The meeting was organised by Kaikohe Business Association and chaired by Minister Mike Shaw. The postal ballot closes on October 28. Only enrolled voters who live in the Kaikohe subdivision can vote.