The Star: September 08, 2016

8 Thursday September 8 2016
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The Star
News
Council hopefuls: Where
• By Bridget Rutherford
ABOUT A third of candidates
standing for council seats do
not live in the area they would
represent if elected.
There are 40 candidates standing
for the city council across the
16 wards.
However, 14 do not currently
live in the ward they want to
represent.
The Burwood, Cashmere,
Fendalton, Innes, Riccarton and
Linwood Wards are the only ones
that are guaranteed to have a
councillor representing them that
lives there.
But the Waimairi Ward will not
be, because both candidates, Cr
Raf Manji and Anthony Rimell,
live outside of the boundary.
There is no legal requirement
for councillors to live in the ward
they are representing, although
most choose to do so.
Cr Jamie Gough, who was
elected to the Fendalton Ward
unopposed, said strategy had
definitely come into play in terms
of what wards people were standing
in.
However, he said it did not matter
if candidates did not live in the
ward they were representing.
Elections 16
“People need to vote for the
most capable candidate who has
a strong governance skill-set
which will add value to our city
as a whole, not vote for someone
because they live down the street
from you.”
Harewood has the most candidates
running for the council seat
out of all wards. However, three
of the five are not residents there.
Faimeh Burke, Rod D Cameron
and Rod S Cameron live outside
the boundary, while Aaron
Keown and Brian Gargiulo are
inside.
Both Jo Kane, who lives at
Waikuku Beach, and Dean
Lester, who lives just outside
the boundary, are both running
for the Coastal Ward, while Cr
Paul Lonsdale is in the mix for
Heathcote, in spite of living in
Fendalton.
Cr Phil Clearwater, who would
have been up against Cr Tim
Scandrett had he run in the
Cashmere Ward where he lives,
has opted for Spreydon.
Mike Davidson and Peter Laloli
are running for Papanui and
Halswell – where they do not live
– and Tane Apanui will contest
Hornby.
In the 2013 elections, of the
54 candidates going for council
seats, nine did not live in the
ward they were running in.
As part of the city council’s
representation review, the current
seven wards will increase to 16 after
October’s local body elections.
Each ward will have one councillor
represent it.
Cr Gough said the review
stymied democracy and may
have put off new candidates,
because many would have to go
up against incumbent councillors.
Deon Swiggs:
Lives in
Linwood,
running for
Central
“I’m literally
across the road from the
Central Ward on St Asaph
St. One side is Linwood and
the other side is Central.
With rebuild Christchurch,
that’s where the focus of
the rebuild and recovery
is going to be. There is so
much future focus on the
area, and that’s where I want
to be.”
Vicki Tahau-
Paton: Lives
in Banks
Peninsula,
running for
Central
“I think if I was a candidate
that lived in one of these
suburbs, you’d be really
fighting for it, but I have
neutrality not living in
Central. So I can listen and
understand where everyone
is coming from. I sell real
estate for a living, so I have
a good understanding of all
the suburbs.”
Jo Kane: Lives in
the Waimakariri
district, running
for Coastal
“I could live on the
moon and still see
the totally inadequate and woeful
basic level of rate-delivered
services to the whole coastal
area, including Parklands. I have
skills and experience that will
get this work done in an area
that I used to live in, and my
family live in. If elected, I will
open an office so that ratepayers
and residents can always come
directly to me and I will reside
in the area.”
Dean Lester:
Lives in Burwood,
running for
Coastal
“I do my living in
the Coastal Ward,
enjoying Bottle Lake Forest,
going to the beach and enjoying
and supporting places like
BearLion. I just happen to live
on the side of Travis Wetland.
The Coastal Ward needs to have
a good advocate that is passionate
about the key things that are
part of that ward.”
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