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You can access up to date nominations received by Hawke's Bay Regional Council for the upcoming 2022 local government elections, and find out more about who is standing for council once voting closes.
All candidate names, contact details, profiles and photos will be available shortly.
Hi, I am married with 4 adult children and have 4 grandchildren. I was born in Napier and have lived and worked here most of my life, enjoying the sailing, surfing and fishing that the Hawke's Bay region has to offer. Over a long period of time, I have employed hundreds of HB and other NZrs in businesses I have been involved with, mainly in the scaffolding and fishing industries, contracting to major companies throughout NZ and offshore. As I am now ready for a new challenge and to give back to the HB region, I would be privileged to serve as a councillor for the HBRC, upskilling and doing what is necessary to preserve, improve and leave the HB environment in a better place for generations to come. Thank you.
Neil Kirton has been a very effective voice for Napier. He has been tireless in focusing the council’s attention on the threat of flooding and has demanded urgent action to improve flood protection for the city, says former chairman Rex Graham. Neil has a post-graduate science degree and is passionate about protecting our marine environment. He represents the regional council on the Ahuriri Regional Park committee. A justice of the peace and a member of parliament Neil, served as the Minister of Customs and Associate Minister of Health. He was responsible for introducing free healthcare for children under six. Neil is chair of the council’s corporate and strategic committee and a director on the council’s investment company, with over $400million of council assets. As a regional councillor, HB Today described Neil as outspoken and constantly thinking about how the council is spending ratepayers money and its responsibility to the public.
Hinewai believes the Regional Council’s duty is to protect our environment. Hawke’s Bay is the world’s best place, and she wants our region healthy and thriving. As an incumbent she’ll work hard and collaboratively with fellow Councillors and across Councils. She’s diligently and professionally chaired the Council’s Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee. Hinewai understands our region has immense potential in economic growth and specifically high value industries. However, these things don’t co-exist without a thriving natural environment. Revitalising the Ahuriri Estuary and ensuring the hard work is done to protect our water sources and rivers, is Hinewai’s focus. As an environmental champion, she’s led projects to improve the health of the Ahuriri Estuary, having grown and planted over 12,000 native trees. Hinewai’s a married mother who’s a business owner and Chairperson of the Waiohiki Marae. She’s a former science teacher having attended and taught at Napier Girls‘.
My strengths and value as a current Regional Councillor are based on over 25 years as a lawyer specialising in local government and environmental law, and over a decade of service across Hawke’s Bay in a range of community-based governance roles. With those skills and experience, I have chaired the Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport and Hearings Committees and focussed firmly on climate change, biodiversity and water quality throughout. I have championed on-demand and better public transport, the need for greater investment in our road network including State Highway 5, the Council’s Right Tree Right Place farm forestry investment programme to reduce sediment erosion, along with more effective working relationships with our mana whenua partners. I commit to promoting a spatial plan for Hawke’s Bay to protect our versatile land, accommodate growth, keep us safe from natural hazards, and as a blueprint for a net zero carbon region by 2050.
Together, we can continue to have the right balance, ensuring your views, values and expectations of transparency and accountability are honoured. I will continue my unrelenting focus and drive on delivering more walkways, cycleway’s, planting, and cleaning up Te Karamū stream and of course, treasuring Te Mata Peak. We’ve made a good start, but there is much work yet to do. I understand the need for the Regional Council to be in tune with your family, community, clean water, sustainable tourism, and business aspirations. It’s about balance, the right balance. Like you, I treasure our stunning environment. I walk the environmental and changing climate talk. It starts at my home, fencing streams; planting countless native trees; removing pests, creating a QEII conservation block and installing solar energy. As your councillor and former MP, I’m always backing The Bay. Craig Foss - The right balance for your Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.
Hi my name is Steve, 53yrs old retired family man residing in Havelock North with my wife and have 3 adult children. I want to make our region future proof through conservation and using common sense governance. Instead of wasting money on advertising or billboards that end up in landfilI, I intend to pledge half of my salary to helping Ukraine with purchasing a transportable hospital. My experience includes in NZ and Australian Police 23yrs, current business owner and ex Manawatu-District Councillor for 2 terms where I fought hard to keep rates affordable, ensuring money was spent on important infrastructure not vanity. Whilst in Darwin for 3years, I chaired the Councils Independent audit committee utilising my strong ethics and business skills. Previous volunteer with Cape-Sanctuary feeding Kakas and am now supporting Havelock North birdlife with 1000 native plant restoration and ongoing predator control.
Hi, I’m Xan. From volunteer firefighter, to Te Mata Peak Peoples’ Track Society chairman, Director of New Zealand Winegrowers and much in between, I have been helping people to live, work and play in Hawke’s Bay for 20 years. Hawke’s Bay needs strong environmental bottom-lines, support for residents to adapt to climate change, and certainty for primary producers so they can continue to innovate and generate the returns that underpin our region’s income and employment for our community. I have in-depth experience both outside and inside Council on key regional water issues, including the Tukituki Plan Change, the Ngaruroro Water Conservation Order, the TANK Plan and the Kotahi Plan. I will prioritise Climate Action, clean streams, water security, regional parks and support for Hawke’s Bay’s dedicated environment volunteers. I live on our family vineyard at Bridge Pa, with wife Ali and our two sons. Find out more at www.xan-for-hbrc.nz
I will advocate for our environment and our economy. We can do better in both, especially if we manage our water well. Our region will also do better if we have cooperation between the Councils. I grew up in Waimarama, have lived in several NZ centres, and my family (wife Bridget, and children Kate, Jess and Tom) came back to the Bay in 2007. Sport has always been big for us. I spent 10 years as a coach for HB Rowing, I’m on the Rowing NZ Board and several of the boys we coached have gone on to international success. For the last 12 years I have been CEO for Mitre 10 Sports Park. It was a paddock when we started and now it’s among the very best in New Zealand. It is successful because we made things happen and I will bring that same philosophy to the Regional Council.
I am seeking your vote for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to ensure that council stays focused on core business - environmental protection and enhancement. Climate change resilience, biodiversity and water security are priorities, but as a hill country farmer, I understand efficiency and will challenge wasteful spending. Council must ensure that creating individual farm water retention systems is not hampered by unnecessary bureaucracy. This offers a cost effective, sustainable way of future proofing our regions prized food producing businesses. I will challenge prescriptive regulation that hampers common sense approaches. Consenting must be efficient, allowing ratepayers to solve problems without council overreach. I have served as both a rural community board representative and Hastings District Councillor. As a Hastings business owner, writer and publisher, I’m qualified in business and human resource management. I’m an accredited RMA commissioner. I believe my skills and experience could provide great value for Hawke’s Bay ratepayers.
Kia ora tatou, Charles Lambert standing for Te Matau a Maui ki te Raki, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council. I will work to ensure that the voice of Māori is heard at the HBRC table. I bring experience as a serving Regional Councillor and as a treaty negotiator for my iwi, Ngāti Pāhauwera. Water is the biggest issue facing us today. Pollution, soil erosion, over allocation and ageing infrastructure are all ahead of us. We need to make decisions around where farms or industry belong and how communities can use their natural and physical resources. As Māori, our health and wellbeing are derived from kaitiakitanga and is dependent on the actions and the decisions we make today to meet our own needs, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Let’s work together, sort out our priorities, be innovative, decisive and share the journey. Tihei mauri ora!
Ko Takitimu te waka. Ko Te Wairoa Hōpūpū Hōnengenenge Mātangirau te awa, Ko Whakapūnake te Matau ā Maui tikitiki ā Taranga me Taraia ngā maunga, Ko Hinemihi te Marae, Ko Ngāti Hinemihi, Ngāti Hikatū, Ngāti Kahu ngā hapū, Ko Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa te iwi. Ko Michelle McIlroy (nee Lewis) ahau. Ko Hirini McIlroy tōku hoa Rangatira nō Ngāti Paarau, o Waiohiki me Ngāti Hinemanu, o Ōmahū Marae. Mama of 5 tamariki and Nanny of 5 mokopuna. A dedicated hardworking wahine who has spent more than 20 years ensuring the taiao (environment) and the quality of water is aligned to Matauranga Māori. Her understanding of Te Mana O Te Wai, experience as the Chair of Te Hononga o Nga Awa Trust, the co-chair of HBRC Māori Committee, and TTOTW Trust representative to the Matangirau Reserves Board all demonstrate her leadership skills.
I have a deep commitment to our environment with over 30 years farming in the Ruakituri Valley, and a passion for supporting the whole region to continue the work, as positive custodians of our land and water for future generations. Environmental outcomes are complex and multifaceted. We must work together to ensure sustainable farming practices benefit country and town alike. It is all about our Wairoa people and prosperity. My voice will be used to promote and represent Wairoa as the thriving and important community I believe it to be. I am confident in building strong relationships across our district, utilising the collective wisdoms, to advocate for Wairoa’s unique needs and aspirations. I am a proud farmer with a background in education and event management. I represent Wairoa on the Beef+LambNZ Farmer Council; Chair of Farming Women Tairawhiti; MPI Community Hub Facilitator and as the Ruakituri Catchment Group Administrator.
Together, we can achieve more Api was born in Wairoa, of Māori descent. His governance experience includes six years (2016-22) as an elected member of the Napier City Council and five years (2017-22) as elected representative of Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Settlement Trust on the HBRC Regional Planning Committee. A qualified RMA commissioner, Api is currently co-chair of the Regional Planning Committee, enabling representation for Wairoa at full Council, Strategic & Corporate, Environment & Integrated Catchment, Hearings and Tender committees of HBRC. After spending the last six years as a Napier City Councillor and five years on HBRC committees, Api is now shifting his focus to environmental matters and fully representing Te Wairoa. With significant changes to the RMA, environmental and freshwater standards imminent, Api is committed to collaborating and connecting with community at a local level - the key to achieving success and seeing benefits. Together we can achieve more. Vote Api Tapine.
+64 6 835 9200
159 Dalton Street. Napier 4110
Private Bag 6006, Napier 4142
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