Weston Kirton wants back in as Ruapehu mayor

Weston Kirton has announced his intention to stand for mayor in the Ruapehu election. Photo / John Chapman

Weston Kirton has confirmed he is standing for mayor of Ruapehu and this is not his first rodeo - he previously served two terms as mayor of the district.

Kirton is the current Ruapehu representative on Horizons Regional Council and is a former Ruapehu mayor having served from 1995 to 2001.

His decision to stand in the 2022 election was one he has not taken lightly, he said.

"People from up and down the district have been asking me if I would stand.

"After much consideration, I have decided that I have the right experience, the relationships and the leadership approach to make a real difference for our communities.

"In these challenging times, people from across the Ruapehu District have been telling me we need a mayor with the right experience, the right temperament and the right leadership style."

Rising living costs had seen Ruapehu communities doing it really tough.

"That is why I will launch a comprehensive review of our rates," he said.

"We need equitable rates that don't unfairly target pensioners – or mum and dad investors renting out a sleepout over the ski season."

While public transport had been a strong focus for Kirton while serving his current term as a regional councillor, he said housing was a huge concern for the Ruapehu District.

"Housing, homelessness and the lack of rentals are growing problems in our communities. As mayor, I will work to establish a new community housing trust to get more houses built in our district, on both council and private land," he said.

It had been frustrating to see Ruapehu miss out on around $50m from the Provincial Growth Fund allocations in 2020 because of a lack of "shovel readiness" to build more houses, he said.

"To help people get to work, to the doctor or to the shops, as mayor I will work with the Government and the regional council and bring back local public transport."

Kirton said he would work to set up a co-working hub in Taumarunui with fast-fibre internet.

"That is something our farming community has been calling for some time.

"The Ruapehu District needs a mayor that listens, works collaboratively and acts with integrity."

Kirton said as mayor he would rebuild trust by resetting how the council communicated with the community and re-establish council committees to drive accountability and transparency.

"In these challenging times, Ruapehu needs an experienced leader as mayor," he said.