Alan Taylor
Taylor, a former Whanganui District councillor, said the region housed 250,000 people, with diverse landscapes “from the mountains to the sea”.
Its responsibilities included river management, flood control, biodiversity, biosecurity, regional public transport and freshwater initiatives, he said.
“This work is very wide-ranging and very complex, which is why it’s critical you send back to Horizons a councillor who has had some experience,” Taylor said.
“If Whanganui, sitting out on the edge, is not represented by someone with some experience at Horizons, I think it will suffer.”
Phill Haynes
Haynes said he had been asked to stand for the council and he was able to commit the time.
“You’re actually voting for a team of two councillors, to represent together,” he said.
“If they don’t collaborate and work together, you don’t get what you need.”
He said he had a lot of experience in public consultations with councils and central Government.
“The priorities I really want to get across and involved in are changing investments Horizons has that are not working and not providing local stimulus, transport and making sure it’s available and accessible for everybody, and the environment.”
Martin Visser
Visser said he was a “Putiki boy”, who grew up on a farm with five siblings.
He had local and international experience with Carter Holt Harvey, Fletcher Challenge, American Express and Bank of New Zealand.
“I believe I offer a unique blend of skills and marketing, research, stats, finance, investment advice and strategic planning, complemented by local government experience as a district councillor, Resource Management Act commissioner and consultant.”
Visser said Horizons’ biggest challenge was improving water quality, flood protection and climate change response “for at least the next 30 years”.
Ben Fraser
Fraser said he was a farmer on the Pipiriki Raetihi Rd and had served on many governance boards.
“I’m a business owner and I have an environmental consultancy,” he said.
“For the past three years, we’ve been helping people minimise their impacts on the environment and navigate resource consents.”
He had a science background, studying chemistry and water resource management, and was currently a freshwater adviser for Horizons.
Fraser said he stood for fiscal responsibility at the council, transparency and accountable governance, and looking after the environment.
Elijah Pue
He said he had returned home to Raetihi in 2018 to work with his iwi and community.
“I’ve served on far too many boards, school boards and community boards, and now serve as the chief executive of a Maori health organisation.”
Pue, a former Ruapehu District councillor, said he was ready to combine local government knowledge with “a fresh vision for Horizons”.
“Now is the time for wise, future-focused decisions shaped by the needs of our grandkids.”
As well as climate change and economic development, Horizons needed to “return to the basics and get more for our rates”.
Soraya Peke-Mason
She was “driven by the dreams and aspirations of our people” and currently served on the Whanganui Regional Health Network.
“I served on the Rangitikei District Council for 12 years and spent time in parliament as a list MP,” Peke-Mason said.
She said issues for Horizons were responding to ongoing changes to legislation, the impact of climate change on the environment, civil defence and flood mitigation, and a public transport system “that connects the region and beyond”.
“There are many hapū and iwi in the Horizons catchment that have their own environment or catchment plans,” she said.
“We can draw on them to work together and achieve beneficial outcomes.”
Voting in this year’s local elections runs until midday on October 11.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
