Voting papers are due to start being delivered next Friday. Photo / file
Voting papers are due to start being delivered next Friday. Photo / file
The local body elections are your chance to have your say on who makes the big decisions on the issues which touch our everyday lives.
There are four candidates standing for the one available Stratford constituency seat in the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) election this year.
In alphabetical order, thecandidates standing for the Taranaki Regional Council Stratford constituency are Mary Bourke, Alan Jamieson, Matthew McDonald and Andrew Wood.
Voting packs will be delivered to enrolled voters from Friday, September 16, and voting will close at noon, Saturday, October 8. The Taranaki Regional Council uses the first past the post (FPP) electoral system which means that the candidate with the most votes will be elected to the seat.
The Stratford Press contacted all four candidates by email on Wednesday, August 24, giving them a list of five questions to answer by noon on Friday, August 26. They were asked to keep each answer under 100 words to ensure all could be fitted in. In the case of a submitted answer going over 100 words, answers have been cut off at the end of the sentence that leaves it closest to the 100-word point. Their answers to these questions will be run in the Stratford Press over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the election. Their answers will also be available online a few days before they run in the print edition for our Premium Subscribers.
This week, candidates answer the question: As the owner of Yarrow Stadium, the TRC is currently undertaking a major upgrade project. The project budget has increased by 40 per cent to $70 million which Stratford ratepayers are contributing towards. What is your view of this project and should the TRC continue to be the owner of this facility?
Mary Bourke is standing for election in the Taranaki Regional Council Stratford Constituency. Photo / Supplied
Mary Bourke: Taranaki Regional Council has a proven track record managing regional assets. Tupare, Hollards Gardens and Pukeiti are good examples. TRC became the owners of the stadium when the trust originally established to build and manage it failed. Stadiums are well recognised as contributors to community and economic wellbeing. The people will be expected to pay for it one way or another. Using the rating system affords our community the best opportunity to hold those managing the work of refurbishment accountable. It would be a false economy to compromise the usefulness of the stadium by responding to budgetary constraints rather than established need.
Alan Jamieson is standing for election in the Taranaki Regional Council Stratford Constituency. Photo / Supplied
Alan Jamieson: At the time Stratford's Taranaki Regional Council representative voted in favour of the upgrade, although feeling in the community was that should not have been forced to financially support this structure in New Plymouth. I am disappointed with the missed opportunity to develop a multi-sport facility at Yarrows Stadium, that could have supported many more Taranaki ratepayers to play and enjoy sport. Transferring ownership of this facility to NPDC could reduce ongoing costs for Stratford ratepayers, although any proposal would need to be carefully considered in terms of benefits - remembering that Stratford has just one vote around the TRC table.
Matthew McDonald is standing for election in the Taranaki Regional Council Stratford Constituency. Photo / Supplied
Matthew McDonald: Yarrows Stadium has been an interesting aspect since being on the council. During the consultation process we were told by the largest numbers of submitters by far, including the Stratford district, they supported the reinstatement of the stadium. The biggest issue was access from other codes to using the ground and cost of that use. I and other councillors have made sure the new design and upgrades allow all groups to use the stadium, not just rugby, and have made it clear to NPDC, as the operator, not to put hurdles in front of smaller groups.
Andrew Wood is standing for election in the Taranaki Regional Council Stratford Constituency. Photo / Supplied
Andrew Wood: The burden for this project blowout on the ratepayers must squarely rest with the councillors who made the decision. I am keen to see that the Taranaki region has appropriate facilities for recreational, cultural and sporting events for local users and to attract national and international events. These facilities must not be monoliths that have an ongoing cost to ratepayers, however. They should be viable to generate revenue to cover ongoing operational and future refurbishment costs.
