Local Elections 2022: James Barron seeking second term on Whanganui District Council

James Barron says there were "huge and unforeseen challenges" during his first term on council. Photo / Supplied

Whanganui district councillor James Barron is seeking re-election after serving an eventful first term.

"It's been challenging - a learning curve," he said.

"In my first term, we've kept a tight control on spending while moving forward with projects and coping with huge and unforeseen challenges."

Barron said he had enjoyed his involvement in a number of projects, including the Coastal Action Plan which he saw as a "pivot" to the recognition of Whanganui's value as a coastal city.

Supporting the progress of the port development, Te Pūwaha, and Whanganui District Council's partnership with Horizons Regional Council, Q-West Boat Builders and the Whanganui District Employment Training Trust had also been a great experience.

Barron said working with Horizons towards a better public transport strategy for Whanganui had been a highlight for him.

"It is a strategy that may yet fix Whanganui's shrinking usage and meandering, confusing bus service," he said.

"We're pushing Horizons hard on transport and we've achieved a step towards the service we need with a trial Aramoho-city-hospital-Castlecliff service every 20 minutes from early next year."

He wanted to be at the council table to see the successful redesign of the network that would meet Whanganui's needs now and in the future.

Barron said he had enjoyed being part of the recruitment process for new chief executive David Langford.

"We recruited our new CEO from an outstanding field attracted by the emerging potential of Whanganui," he said.

Being able to call on his own business background to support local businesses, both directly and via the Whanganui Chamber of Commerce, had been another satisfying aspect of his work, Barron said.

"On a personal level doing some hard study and achieving full membership of the Institute of Directors to deliver better governance is something I feel good about."

Barron said his first term had not run the way he expected it to.

"I gave myself six months to listen and learn how governance works," he said.

"Lockdown rudely bookended that."

Barron said he was able to draw on his IT experience to install Zoom on some other councillors' iPads to enable meeting participation.

"At a stroke, the council moved from the 19th century to the 21st with video chat and live streaming," he said.

"People now engage with us from where they are located, and we save costs to boot."

Barron said if re-elected he could now offer the experience gained over three years alongside his corporate experience.

"Good councillors know Whanganui and understand governance," he said.

"I now have that to add to career experience delivering successful process reform for over a dozen councils across five countries, including re-engineering Auckland into a single city council."

Barron said he wanted to help ensure Whanganui would come through reforms to the Resource Management Act and the Future for Local Government review in good shape.

"As regards (to) Three Waters, I have been long opposed for a dozen positive Whanganui reasons but I promise to focus on the opportunities for Whanganui.

"I will deal with what Whanganui has now and needs for our bright future rather than lamenting and revisiting past losses and mistakes."

If re-elected, what do you want to be judged on after your first year?

Obtaining at least one regular coherent bus service for Whanganui. Seeing Local Government New Zealand actually represent diversity in local government. Progress on housing.

How will you do that?

Provide continuity of good governance to good work in progress and redouble efforts to challenge mediocrity, visionless plans and nonsense when faced with it.