Local Focus: Deputy Mayor has no time for people who try to talk Rotorua down

Rejuvenating the CBD, tackling the housing shortfall and repairing the museum are just some of the issues deputy mayor Dave Donaldson plans to address if he's elected again in October.

He's enjoyed success with Crankworx but can he achieve these larger ambitions?

Donaldson has no time for the recent disunity among mayoral candidates and councillors.

"I immediately lose respect for people who play the man or woman," he said.

"People that play the individual don't have my respect, and I'm one who's been played. I've been called everything from a poodle to a puppet, to a member of a power bloc, you name it.

"It's just water off a duck's back I'm afraid."

In this in-depth interview, Donaldson tells Local Focus what he does respect, along with his personal history and his views on the issues facing Rotorua.

Made with funding from