Meet your councillor: Alan Jamieson - Taranaki Regional Council Stratford constituency

Alan, pictured with his dog Loki, says he is always happy to stop and listen to people's views on council matters when he is out and about in the community. Photo / supplied

Alan Jamieson is no stranger to governance, having spent the past 12 years serving as a district councillor.

While he has generally enjoyed his time at the Stratford District Council table, he didn't want to return to the same table for a fifth term he says.

"I strongly believe people shouldn't stay on as councillors for too long. The council table needs a refresh occasionally, and new faces coming on. I felt it was time for a change after four terms as an urban councillor, the last three of which I have also been deputy mayor."

Retirement from politics isn't on the cards however, as Alan has swapped one council table for another having been elected as the town's new regional councillor.

Deciding to stand for Taranaki Regional Council rather than Stratford District Council was a decision that "felt right", he says.

"Taranaki Regional Council was a logical move for me. It deals with more environmental issues, an area that aligns with my own interests. I want to see our farms become sustainable, and I know I am able to positively contribute to the needed discussions and decision-making in this area."

To contribute fully as a councillor, be it regional or district, you need to be able to spend a lot of time not just reading reports says Alan, but also talking to people and getting to fully understand the issues behind the decisions councillors are asked to make.

"I have the time, and I feel I can help bridge the gap that sometimes exists between town and rural. I spend a lot of my free time out and about and I always stop and chat with people and listen to their opinions on all sorts of things."

As a district councillor, he has often voted for the option he knows the community wants, even when it's contrary to his own thoughts or wants he says.

"Because you aren't elected to represent yourself, you are there to speak for the community."

Being one of four newcomers at the Taranaki Regional Council table this term won't deter him from speaking up and asking questions he says.

"I am comfy asking questions and challenging the status quo or decisions being made when needed. Four new people means four new sets of eyes, and four new skill sets along with a wide range of individual experience."

Councillors and the communities they represent are facing a range of challenges currently says Alan, with the Freshwater Reforms and Resource Management Act both hot topics.

"Next week we find out more about the much-talked-about local government reforms, which will undoubtedly bring plenty of new challenges. No one knows what those reforms are likely to bring, but we do know we will need to have a team of experienced and competent people at the decision-making table to navigate what those reforms will mean for our region. I feel we have that team in place at Taranaki Regional Council and am looking forward to working with my fellow councillors over the next three years."

With the reforms impacting both regional and district councils, it is vital all of Taranaki's councils work closely together over the next term, he says.

"We have to work together for the good of Taranaki as a whole."