Rotorua Lakes councillor Gregg Brown at an October meeting. Photo / Laura Smith
Rotorua Lakes councillor Gregg Brown at an October meeting. Photo / Laura Smith
As recently as Friday morning, Gregg Brown was sticking to his publicly stated plan not to stand for re-election to Rotorua Lakes Council.
The councillor and Pig & Whistle Pub owner said he was ready to “pass the baton” and endorse another potential candidate, then do some travelling.
Deryck Shaw.
Thenthe candidate in question, former New Zealand Football president and Rotorua Business Person of the Year Deryck Shaw, pulled out of the running on Friday morning due to a major upcoming project.
Another potential successor, Anna Grayling, then swapped her candidacy from Rotorua Lakes Council to Bay of Plenty Regional Council, an hour before the noon nominations deadline – leaving Brown with only one option.
He picked up his phone and spoke with Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell and Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai Fong.
“It didn’t take much convincing,” Brown said. “I thought I’d better run again to support Tania and Sandra through the next three years.”
He got his nomination for the October election in just in time.
Brown admitted the situation put him in a “tight spot”, as he had been making plans to travel in his expected upcoming free time. Those adventures would have to wait.
“When my successors fell through, I had to question my priorities,” he said.
“I want to see the city go ahead and I decided the priorities were for the city.”
Rotorua Deputy Mayor Sandra Kai-Fong (left) and Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell. Photo / Ben Fraser
If re-elected, he hoped to oversee unfinished business, including cutting costs and debt reduction, with key projects such as the wastewater treatment plant and the stadium front of mind, and “making good, smart decisions” for Rotorua.
“It’s not about political beliefs and I don’t see any major issues,” Brown said. “Some candidates may try to make issues, but I hope ratepayers look at who has the talent, skill base and work history that make them electable.”
As for his motivation for the role, considering this time last week he had one foot out the door, Brown was adamant he remained the right man for the job.
“Look, I certainly didn’t make the decision lightly,” he said. “I hope I’ve done enough over the last 30 years, and the last three on council, to get re-elected. We certainly don’t want to undo the good work of the last three years.”
Bay of Plenty Regional Council nominee Anna Grayling (left) and Rotorua Lakes councillor Gregg Brown.
That perspective was backed by the two potential nominees he was ready to endorse. Shaw confirmed Brown’s version of events and said he had no doubts over his commitment to the city.
“I think he’s shown over the past three years that he’s an active contributor to the future of Rotorua and I think he’s done a very good job.”
Grayling agreed, saying she was “thrilled” Brown was back in the running.
Should they both be elected, she said that would bring “strong, connected leadership” to the city.
Brown was voted in at the 2022 local elections, finishing with the third-most votes in the general ward, behind incumbents Fisher Wang and Sandra Kai Fong.
His decision to run meant all six current general ward councillors were seeking re-election, with two – Robert Lee and Don Paterson – also standing for mayor.
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in the UK for eight years.
– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
