Local Focus: Whanganui council candidate is hot on port progress

Whanganui's North Mole is a favourite spot for Ray Brightwell and he says it's the challenges he's observed in maintaining the area that have motivated him to run for Whanganui District Council.

"Frustration!" Brightwell said. "It's just this thing that has been going on out here for years. I believe that this part of Whanganui should be the feather in Whanganui's cap, and indeed for the whole region."

As an engineer, Brightwell is concerned at the council's lack of progress, especially when it comes to the port.

"The fact of the matter is we've had a history here of failed projects. We've had to build a sewage scheme again and I'm not completely satisfied that it is running to capacity either," he said.

"Our council are about to embark on another stage of a development, they've borrowed lots of money, it's going to be topped up by the Regional Development Fund and I want to see that money spent wisely.

"Over all these years that I've been out here which is probably 50 years almost, I've seen millions at a time, perhaps a bit more at other times, poured into this place. I come back a couple of years later and I see nothing.

"We've got $30 million to spend and I want to see it being spent correctly."

In his Local Focus video interview, Brightwell said he is passionate about creating jobs in the region and doing more to protect Whanganui's unique heritage.

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