Nga mihi a koutou
I appreciate the opportunity the Enterprising Women’s Group has given me to talk with you about why I am standing.
It is my view and the view of many that I talk to both here and outside our district that Wanganui is on the edge of something big, in a world where people are increasingly caught up in the pressures of modern life there is a wave of renewed interest in the way of life offered by communities such as ours.
Personally I know this well as the business my husband John and I run is increasingly visited by people who talk about this.
But back to the wave! Other places have already caught and ridden that first wave of opportunity, but picture us..... Here we are still poised, inching our way through the foam that clouds the edge, getting our balance, watching to choose the right wave to give us a ride which is exciting, but at the same time knowing we need to ride the one which will ensure we survive.
This election is about survival, this election is about how we will meet the challenge faced by all communities outside the main centres.
And this election is about who has the experience, the skills, the time and importantly the courage to lead us as we tackle this challenge.
I have put my name forward because I think that now is the time for me to use all I have learned, the relationships I have formed, my experience in regional governance and my understanding of business for the benefit of our community.
I have shown consistency in my commitment, fairness in my attitudes and have an inclusive approach to leadership.
I carry no history of allegiance or compliance with any previous regime.
I have a solid track record of listening to the community and a commonsense ability to get things done by including people at the outset and taking people along with me, so that people feel they have a genuine stake in the future.
But this election is not about just one person, it is about us and how we can work together as a council and as a district.
There are many fine examples in other areas of the challenges we face being met head on by focusing on existing strengths, clearly identifying the essence of a place and the values it’s residents see as essential to the core of their community.
We have never done this well here, we came close some years ago, some of you may remember a man called Brian Richards who began work with all sectors of the community, people tell me they were getting some-way towards achieving a way forward, that many leaders in our community were ready to commit their time and energy into making things happen, but for some reason previous councils called a halt to the progress being made.
Those people are still out there, they may be a few years older, but they have been patiently waiting to give freely of their time, their knowledge and their energy.
That time is now!
My priority is to see a real partnership for progress formed in our community, beginning with a Futures Forum [ feel free to suggest a better name] where people’s views are respected and able to be expressed freely without being branded as negative.
It is my view that everyone has a contribution to make in achieving the great potential of our district and under my leadership no-one will be left out or left behind, and every idea will be treated with respect because no one person has a monopoly on good ideas.
With input from all sectors, such a forum would identify what would make us happy with where we live, what would make us feel safe.
It would identify what factors are essential to attract new people to live, to invest and to visit.
The benefits of this are not purely financial. People who move here from other places, other countries bring with them a different life experience, new skills, and a new energy which they can infuse into our way of life, our sports groups, our arts, our community groups. We need that new thinking here.
The forum would give us all a better understanding of the current state of our infrastructure, the implications of the maintenance we have deferred over the last years.
We need to make sure we are getting the basics right, which means making sure we are living within our means as a district and that the basic services we all take for granted, like good quality roads and footpaths, waste collection, sports fields and community facilities are maintained and improved.
Such a forum would use the expertise in our community to come up with workable solutions to the debt our council holds on our behalf. None of us holds all the answers on our own, and that includes councillors.
But living within our means is an important way of life for most individuals. It should also be an important consideration for our Council. With many of our ratepayers on fixed incomes, it is not easy for them to find the extra dollars to fund the “nice to have, but not absolutely necessary” projects. Relationships with other agencies need to be re-established to access any available funding sources for new projects; we need to save more borrowing for the essentials, just as many households must do. This common sense approach will be familiar to you all.
The forum could look at the future development of community facilities to identify what’s missing? What more can we afford? How much of a drain on our rates would new facilities continue to be?
It would look at the kind of development in our rural areas that could be encouraged without compromising our environment, and identify potential opportunities.
I would expect that it would clearly identify what I call the ‘the Wanganui brand’ what we want to be in the hearts and minds of people when they think of us so that can more creatively and cleverly promote our city as a world class destination both for visitors and for business investment.
Then will we truly be able to plan our way forward in a way we can afford, in a way that sees growth in our local economy which will enable us to enjoy the lifestyle we want and the employment opportunities we desperately need to keep our young people here and to entice them back.
As an aside, I welcome the news that the Chamber of Commerce is moving right now into new [or should I say historic!] premises right across the road from the Council building.
This signals a new opportunity for Council to engage in a meaningful way with those who represent a good proportion of our business community.
And provides a better way for those looking to invest here in business to engage more positively with both agencies. My congratulations to Bronwyn Paul who has worked hard to ensure this can happen.
Finally I want to say that by choosing a mayor who can lead by bring people together, to get the basics right and to focus on what really needs to get done to move us forward, this district will be unbeatable.
And at the same time this mayor should be a consistently positive ambassador for our community, a person who can give this community as much of their time as it needs. I can do this.
I can promise to represent you in a way you can be proud of,
I can ensure our relationships with others are healthy, respectful and productive,
I will fulfil your expectations of the role,
I will be there at the times we celebrate all that is Wanganui,
And I would do my utmost to really put us on the map in way that makes us all even more proud to say we come from Wanganui.
I would be proud to be lead our community in this way
Thank you for listening. Kia ora.
Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoralty Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoralty Candidate Twitter Annette Main
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