North Canterbury News: October 03, 2019

Tributes flow for outgoing mayor
By DAVID HILL
David Ayershas beenhailed as
‘‘a gentle, logical voice’’ who
led Waimakariri’s earthquake
recovery.
Tributes flowed at the
Waimakaririmayor’s farewell
function at the Rangiora RSA
on Friday, with special
mentiongivenfor the support
of his wife,Marilyn.
Mr Ayers will retireon
October12, after 36 years in
local government, including
the last nineasmayor, leading
the Waimakariri district it its
recovery fromthe 2010 and
2011 earthquakes.
Minister for Greater
Christchurch Regeneration, Dr
Megan Woods, said the
enormity of the challengeof
stepping up as mayor just a
month after theSeptember
2010 earthquake ‘‘must have
been overwhelming’’.
She praised Mr Ayers’
leadership in preparing the
Waimakariri Residential Red
Zone RecoveryPlan,which
provided ablueprint for
developing the AvonOtakaro
River Corridor Regeneration
Plan, whichwas signed off
recently.
She said Mrs Ayers’ lovefor
her communitywas ‘‘justas
strong’’ and ‘‘you will be
missed just as much’’.
WaimakaririMPMatt
Doocey shared some words
from former Earthquake
Recovery MinisterGerry
Brownlee.
‘‘Youled the councilwith a
considered approach, you
worked collaborativelywith
CERA (the Canterbury
Earthquake Recovery
Authority)and you always did
what was bestfor the
Waimakariri district.’’
Mr Doocey saidofMr Ayers:
‘‘Yourespected youroffice,
whileremaining
approachable.’’
Deputy Mayor Kevin
Felstead said Mr Ayers had
worked tirelessly to get the
best possible outcome for the
district after the earthquakes.
‘‘When Iwas first elected to
counciltherewas atension
between Rangiora and
Kaiapoi, but that has quickly
eroded underDavid’s
leadership, as he has been a
veryinclusive mayor.’’
Mr Ayers said he was just
one leader in ‘‘a community of
leaders’’.
‘‘Inthis context Ialways see
myself as part of amuch wider
context, with you and allthe
people out there in thewider
community.’’
He said the responsibilities
of amayor can vary daily. ‘‘I
remember being at ahighpowered
meeting at the
Praise for
mayor ...
Minister for
Greater
Christchurch
Regeneration,
Dr Megan
Woods,
seated at left,
paid tribute to
David and
Marilyn Ayers.
PHOTO: DAVID HILL
Canterbury Club in Christchurchplanningthe
futureof
Greater Christchurchand then
later that day chasing aftera
runaway rooster in Blackett
Street.’’
His most emotional moment
as mayorwas at ameetingin
Kaiapoi just after the earthquakes,
when Waimakariri
DistrictCouncil engineer Gary
Boot announced thatsewage
was no longer being flushed
into the Kaiapoi River and the
audience cheered. ‘‘That
showedthat even though the
peoplewere doing it hard, the
river was important too.’’
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North Canterbury News, October 3, 2019
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2211129
Ayers reflects on 36 years of challenges
By DAVIDHILL
Outgoing Waimakariri Mayor
DavidAyers would like to see
barriersreduced to encourage
more diversityaroundcouncil
tables.
Mr Ayers, who retires on
October 12 after acareer in
localgovernment spanning36
years, says it is getting harder
for young people to serve in
localpolitics.
‘‘Thework of acouncilloris
much harder than it used to be
and it’s getting very difficult to
be acouncillor and haveajob
or run abusiness or afarm,’’
he says. ‘‘And to me that’s
the biggest barriertohaving
more diversityaroundthe
council table.
‘‘Across the whole local
governmentsector,reducing
those barriers should be seen
as something to be considered
with some urgency.’’
Mr Ayerssaidhenever
lookedonlocal government as
acareer. ‘‘Itwas something
extra Idid’’hesaid, because it
did not have high job security,
being three yearsatatime.
‘‘You can’tassume youwill be
re­elected’’.
For him, the mayoralty was
somethinghecould do when
he retired from his career as a
teacher and deputy principal.
‘‘That’s aquestionfor a
younger mayor. Do you do it
for30years, or do you suspend
your careerfor three, six, nine
or 12 years?
‘‘And do you simply go back
to your career,orcan you go
back to your career?’’
He says the community and
itspriorities havechanged
significantly over the last36
years and he has had to
change with it.
Thirty­sixyears ago climate
change wasnot talked aboutas
much ‘‘and the questionof
human impact wasn’t widely
understood’’, but it is likely to
be the dominant issue for the
incoming council.
As he geared up for his last
ordinary council meeting, Mr
Ayers said the atmosphere
around the council table had
usually beenfriendly.
‘‘There havebeen times of
tension, but certainlyinthe
lastnine years Ihaven’t found
chairing the councildifficult.
‘‘It’s been arewarding
experiencehavingavarietyof
people around the table and
sitting with people who care
about their community.’’
LastFriday, on the day of
the student­led climatestrike,
Mr Ayers said he wondered
how many of his council
colleagues had attendeda
protestordemonstration.
‘‘I have been in lots,’’ he
recalled.
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