Local Focus: Rob Vinsen on Candidate Camera

Watch the full Local Focus interview for Rob Vinsen's views on the region's biggest issues, and our less important quickfire questions.

Stoats are probably a greater threat to our biodiversity than humans, according to Whanganui District Council candidate Rob Vinsen.

Vinsen is determined to help homeowners by making rates more affordable, but he says that would come by cutting funding to things like public transport.

"Is there a great demand for public transport? I see no point in providing, at the cost of the ratepayer, a public transport system with nobody on it."

Climate change is another issue Vinsen believes ratepayers aren't concerned with. He says "councils can do very little". He does suggest replacing Whanganui's gas-powered wastewater treatment plant with a renewable energy source "is probably the best thing we could do" to decrease emmissions.

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Three Waters is a major concern for Vinsen who says the loss of assets is not important.

"They're not really assets once we own them, they're a liability," he said.

"It's going to be a disaster for the customer, the consumer. And I hope the Government will come their senses on it."

And as chairman of the council's Waste Advisory Group, he has bad news for kerbside recycling, which has taken six years to achieve and will likely be delayed again next year.

Candidates for Whanganui Council

• Local Focus: Charlotte Melser on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: James Barron on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Rory Smith on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Ross Fallen on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Scott Phillips on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Glenda Brown on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Jenny Duncan on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Phillip Reweti (Bear) on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Cerise Packer on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Helen Craig on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Dave Hill on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Aisha Beazley on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Rob Vinsen on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: DC Harding on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Michael Law on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Dan Jackson on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Gill Howard on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Peter Oskam on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Rod Trott on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Josh Chandulal-Mackay on Candidate Camera

Other candidates chose to not be interviewed by Local Focus.

Whanganui Mayoral Candidates

• Local Focus: Hamish McDouall on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: Andrew Tripe on Candidate Camera
• Local Focus: DC Harding on Candidate Camera