The Star: June 30, 2022

Be a Stormwater Superhero at HOME. Bag it and bin it.
Thursday June 30 2022 The Star
Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
NEWS 5
contenders
TEAM MEATES
David Meates
“I was looking to support
someone who could see the
big picture. One of the more
challenging groups (to work
together) in our society are
doctors, and he succeeded with
that brilliantly.
“David led a good system and
that’s what the council needs to
get right, right now. This postearthquake
thinking. This is a
chance for us to select a mayor
who will take us to the next
stage.
“We need a strong voice
for Christchurch because
Christchurch and the South
Island gets forgotten in
Wellington.
“We need somebody who’s
fought for resources for
Aaron Campbell
Christchurch, David did that for
the CDHB and he paid the price,”
Moore said of Meates decision to
quit the post in 2020.
Meates’ campaign secretary
Aaron Campbell, a keen
photographer and former
community board member, was
Dalziel’s campaign manager
when she was re-elected in 2016
and 2019.
“I’d never volunteered or done
any (campaign) work before
Lianne,” said Campbell, who also
has a background in catering.
Campbell was tight-lipped on
the identity of other individuals
assisting Meates.
“There’s a number of people on
the team providing advice and
speciality roles,” he said.
Meates sidesteps big issue
• By Chris Barclay
IT’S A political football, but
debate over the Te Kaha/
Canterbury Multi-Use Arena’s
future is not yet a game David
Meates is willing to play.
Asked by The Star for his
stance on the polarising project,
whose estimated construction
cost blew out $150 million earlier
this month, Meates would not
comment specifically.
“David will have a definitive
position on the stadium in
the coming days after his
announcement,” said campaign
secretary Aaron Campbell via a
statement.
“David encourages all residents
to submit to the council on this
important issue.”
Meates, who confirmed his
candidacy today, is in the process
of returning from the UK.
The Star also sought Meates’
opinion on what he considered
the five biggest issues facing the
city and whether his campaign
launch gave him sufficient time
to launch a viable campaign
given Mauger began his bid last
August.
“He’ll be happy to cover these
topics in detail face to face on his
return,” Campbell said.
Phil Mauger, the other mayoral
candidate, was last year in
favour of boosting the arena’s
capacity to 30,000 and in spite
of the spiralling costs revealed
by the city council on June 1, he
wants to persevere with
the project which is now
estimated to cost at least $683
million.
He initially thought it would
be prudent to pause and reevaluate,
but on June 10 he had a
change of heart via a video shot
at the construction site.
“Christchurch is the second
biggest city in the country. If we
want to be a world class leading
city, we need world class leading
infrastructure and this is the
place it’s going to happen,” he
said.
“My personal opinion is we
can’t do without the stadium, we
have to have it.”
Meanwhile, the city council
had received 23,100 submissions
by close of business Tuesday.
The time frame for submissions
opened on June 10 and closes on
Tuesday.
The council will consider the
submissions and then decide
whether to proceed as planned,
mothball the project or abandon
it.
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STORMWATER
SUPERHERO
ecan.govt.nz/stormwater
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