Councillor vows to represent Wairarapa's views on GWRC

Gary McPhee

Gary McPhee has captured a second term as Wairarapa representative on the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

Mr McPhee, who had served a term as a Carterton District Council member ahead of two terms as Mayor of Carterton, was returned to his regional council seat after winning at the polls against rival candidates Andrew Stewart and John Dalziell.

Mr McPhee said he was ready to respond "to the expectations" of voters and would take his lead over the coming three years from his Wairarapa constituency and community.

"We will work through local governance and other ongoing matters like the irrigation scheme, but personally I don't have any expectations. I take my direction from the people I'm working for," he said.

He was adamant community consultation and assent were vital to successful models of governance.

He said the proposed Wairarapa irrigation scheme water storage sites, for which he hoped the Public Works Act would not be invoked, "is down to the seller and the buyer and should be good for everybody".

"All b******* aside, it comes down to what the community expects and what they want, and if it's reasonable and there's a majority, that's the direction I'm going."