Top 5 Issues for Annette Main, Wanganui Mayor Candidate 2010

My experience as Deputy Chair and Committee Chair in regional government has shown me that by working in a genuine partnership with our communities, both rural and urban, both young and older, both well off and not so well off, together we can move our district forward.

1.  Proud of our place 
This is a proud district, we should be justifiably proud of our history, proud of our achievements, proud of our community, and proud of the unique place we have in this world.
I want to see Wanganui really on the map in a positive way, that focuses on all that is good about our lives.

2.  Bringing people together using partnerships for progress 

By bringing people together, getting the basics right and focusing on what really needs to get done to move us forward, this district will be unbeatable. Everyone has a contribution to make in achieving the great potential of our city 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.

My top priority will be a new partnership for progress that will balance delivering high quality council services and investing in promoting the district in order to grow local businesses and to attract new business. By cleverly promoting our district as a world class destination both for visitors and for business investment we can grow the local economy to deliver the lifestyle we want and the employment opportunities we need.

3.  Getting the basics right 

We need to make sure we get the basics right, which means making sure we are living within our means as a city 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.
Living within our means
As my campaign for Mayor is progressing the constant theme that I hear is the worry about Council debt levels.

4.  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. We need to save borrowing for the essentials, just as many households must do.

What we need is a council that will take an old fashioned, let’s live within our means approach. I am committed to this common sense approach.


5.  Solid track record of getting things done 
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.
I want to see us really getting the things done that we need to do to ensure Wanganui continues to build on the community assets we have built and maintained over the years.


Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

Annette Main Wanganui Mayoralty Candidate NZ 2010 Elections

I am proud to be  standing for  mayoralty in the council elections this October.

We are  a proud district, proud of our achievements, proud of our community, and proud of our unique place in the world. Yet people are telling me they are worried we are not living within our means as a city and that we need to spend more time getting the basics right.

I intend to take a fresh approach to civic leadership that focuses on bringing people together and providing leadership you can rely on.

We have strong and resilient groups in our community who are passionate about our city and we need to build on that strength, resilience and passion to bring people together and find the common ground vital to moving the city forward.

Everyone has a contribution to make in achieving the great potential of our city 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.

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.

Mr top priority will be a new partnership for progress that will balance delivering high quality council services and investing in promoting the city in order to grow local businesses and attract new business.

First, we need to make sure we get 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.

And we need to cleverly promote our city as a world class destination both for visitors and for business investment so we can grow the local economy to deliver the lifestyle we want and the employment opportunities we need.

 By bringing people together, getting the basics right and focusing on what really needs to get done to move us forward, our place will be unbeatable.

I am standing as an independent candidate for the mayoralty and will be running a grass roots ‘people power’ campaign that will involve friends and supporters investment.

The sheer number of people who have encouraged me to stand and have offered their help and support should I decide to run has been overwhelming and humbling.  Their kindness and generosity, and belief in our district and its future, is precisely what makes this such a wonderful place.



Annette Main is a successful local business person and local government leader, serving the community on the Horizons Regional Council for 12 years. Along with her husband John, she owns and operates The Flying Fox, an award winning tourism business based alongside the Whanganui River. She also co-ordinates Journeys on the Whanganui, a successful cluster of tourism businesses working collaboratively with the community in which they work.

Annette Main also is the key driver behind the weekly River Traders Market on the downtown riverbank, which has developed a national reputation as one of the best in the country. As well as providing an additional draw card for visitors the market provides an opportunity for local producers and entrepreneurs to showcase their products.

Authorised by Annette Main of 3081 Whanganui River Road

Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

Decrease in visitor numbers a concern

The almost 11 percent decrease in visitors to the district in the past year posed a serious threat to the ongoing viability of both existing tourism businesses and the service industry, and if it continued would be a deterrent to additional investment in these industries locally, Annette Main, owner and operator of The Flying Fox Retreat on the Whanganui River said today.

While the recession has resulted in less than expected growth in tourism overall for the country, numbers for this district have dropped considerably more.

“Our district cannot afford to let opportunities for business growth in this industry slip through our grasp. Our neighbouring regions have lifted their game to meet the predicted challenge of reduced visitor numbers. They have worked alongside operators to ensure that money spent by their councils on marketing is closely aligned with that of the industry and they are consequently doing significantly better than us,” Annette Main said.

‘Although operators in the Whanganui River Valley report significant increases in visitors over the previous summer season, this has not been a general trend throughout the district.

Our part of New Zealand is blessed with the kind of landscapes and natural assets envied by so many in this fast changing world, the challenge for us is to get ourselves in their hearts and minds when choosing a holiday destination.

We have to think creatively and more cleverly to promote our whole district as a world class destination both for visitors and for business investment. Only then will we see growth in our local economy which will enable us to enjoy the lifestyle we want and the employment opportunities we need if we are to have a better future for our families,” Annette Main said.

The growth of visitor interest in local food and produce has been recognised by the Tourism Board who is providing a focus on these regional differences in their marketing. The River Traders Market has taken up that opportunity and have featured in national publications as well as a special mention of the local farmers market section in international chef Peter Gordon’ s latest book being promoted at the Food Show in Auckland this week.

“As Peter Gordon is one of our famous sons, growing up here in Castlecliff, I have asked him if he would consider featuring in promotion of our area in the future and he has agreed. These are the kinds of connections and opportunities to get ourselves on the world stage that we need more of if we are to turn around our local economy” Annette Main said.

Annette Main said she will be speaking with local Member of Parliament Chester Borrows with a view toward inviting Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key to spend some quality time in the city, to get a first-hand look at the tourism opportunities of the area, meet with local tourism business operators, and explore ways the government can better assist the growth of the local industry.

Annette Main 021466486


Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

The Future of Local Government

There is a lot of talk out there about amalgamation of Councils and their repective roles, I am a believer in sitting around the table to understand the issues and to come up with a way forward

What is the best form of governance for the people of our district?

As a country, region and district we are facing unprecedented financial and environmental challenges. We all want to preserve and enhance our natural environment so we can enjoy the outdoors and have access to clean, safe water in our lakes and rivers.

We also need our farmers to be able to continue to use their land to produce the income which is a major influence on our local and national economy, but at the same time we can’t help worrying about the amount of land in our district that is showing signs of severe erosion that reduces the area available for productive agriculture.

We also want our towns and cities to provide attractive amenities for our recreation and sound basic infrastructure like water supply, refuse collection and disposal, roads and footpaths – but we rightly worry when we see debt mounting to unmanageable levels and pressure to provide new facilities causing badly needed maintenance of our existing buildings and reserves to be shelved.

For a district to go it alone and take on the immensely complex science, engineering and legal functions that regional councils like Horizons must carry out to meet the stringent requirements of the Resource Management Act will not be easy and it is most unlikely to reduce costs.Not to mention all the other work to protect and enhance our communities and their rivers, lakes, bush and farmland.

The long, demanding and costly process of preparing a case for forming unitary authorities will have to be strong enough to convince the Local Government Commission that such a move is viable.

Click here for the most recent comments on this from Local Government Minister Rodney Hide.

But perhaps more importantly, the result of a successful application would be to saddle district ratepayers with further enormous expense at a time when concern is widespread about rising debt and the ability to provide and maintain quality core council services like water, roads, civic buildings and recreational amenities.

The inevitability of costs ranging up to $5 million falling on district council ratepayers if District Councils were to succeed in getting government approval to ‘go it alone’ is outlined in a report prepared by staff .

The model recommended for further investigation includes the retention of two separate councils in Wanganui and Ruapehu and a kind of ‘mini-Horizons’ with joint representation by the two district councils. There’s no reason to doubt the report’s preliminary finding that ratepayers of the two districts would have to find an additional $5 million to fund this kind of arrangement, but the report stresses the need for further investigation.

This is not something that can be decided ‘overnight’ by our district ratepayers or council. Wanganui District Council can gather the information required to fully consider different ways of governance without having a referendum to decide this should be done.I totally support the gathering of the information required to ask the Local Government Commission to review our region.

Other district councils in the region have already sat around the table together with their regional council to look at ways they can work together to provide alternative ways of ensuring ratepayers get the most cost-effective services. The results have been positive with the results being considerable economic and environmental benefits.

This is the first thing which should be happening here in our district if the motive is to reduce costs.

Wanganui and Ruapehu districts share a struggling rural economy, a declining ratepayer base and have little or no current expertise in the kind of science and engineering needed to carry out legislative requirements of unitary authorities, let alone protect and enhance some of New Zealand’s most prized wilderness areas and waterways.

What would the districts and their residents have to lose by going it alone? Costs are inevitably important and their present affiliation with Horizons enables them to benefit from the economies of scale that flow from rates funding that is drawn from 110,000 ratepayers living between Taupo, Wanganui, Levin and Tararua. The region includes a wide ranging urban and rural rates base, from tiny rural hamlets struggling with population decline to the relatively wealthy and growing Palmerston North. For instance, a substantial portion of the current flood protection work at Balgownie is covered by rates collected region-wide.

Importantly, Horizons has worked for years building partnerships and strong relationships with a range of scientists and other specialists, notably from within the Crown Research Institutes, universities and government agencies such as DOC. Tangible government funding helps across a wide range of Horizons work, from sustainable land use development and enhancing biodiversity in the Whanganui River catchment.

Click here to read latest announcement of 7.5 million in government funding to the regional council.

The breadth of its work makes Horizons a very attractive employer for resource specialists who excell at what they do and are passionate about working across such a diverse and nationally important region. They have built up sophisticated analysis and monitoring tools that serve our communities by providing early warning of floods and alerting residents to any degradation in the quality of the water they drink or use recreationally.

Such specialists are in great demand around New Zealand and around the world, and it’s hard to see how they would be attracted to work at what would be likely be underfunded ‘startup’ unitary authorities.

Horizons is committed to working with the district councils as they continue to investigate what might be possible in terms of them taking on resource management and other regional council responsibilities. However, weI want to ensure ratepayers, and the resources that are entrusted to them for this and future generations, can be confident that there will be a thorough, open and transparent process that does not shirk from facing the myriad realities and enormity of any moves towards the unitary authority model.

Annette Main          

Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

Property owners in our district share my concerns

I know that many property owners in our district share my concerns about how quickly our levels of debt have risen during the last six years.

I am concerned that we have got to the point where our District Council owes $4,370 for each and every property that has to pay rates?

That’s the figure you get when you spread the $87 million debt in this years Draft Annual Plan across all rateable properties. It’s an increase of $2,694 per property since 2003-04 (when total debt was $33.7 m). By 2012-13, when debt is predicted to peak at $97m, it will have risen to a worrying $4,767.80 per property.

At a time of general global financial difficulty and uncertainty about the years ahead, many of us will be wondering how our district will be able to keep borrowing to pay interest on such large sums, let alone pay off meaningful amounts of principal. We have such a limited rating base, and very low population growth trends , and as well sadly, we feature towards the bottom of New Zealand’s family income statistics, so it’s a lot to ask of today’s citizens on fixed incomes and of future generations who choose to continue to live here.

Continue reading, click here.

Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

Living within our means

As my campaign is progressing the constant theme that I am hearing is the worry about the debt levels and the impact the cost of this debt is having on rates

It is true that the more debt Council incurs on behalf of the community the more we have to pay.

Previous mayoral campaigns have expressed the same concerns, yet debt continues to increase.

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. We need to save borrowing for the essentials and the unexpected , just as many households must do.

But at the same time we need to promote our district positively in order to grow local business and attract new jobs and investment, and build a new partnerships for progress so we can get back to living within our means. More people and investment into our area can bring much needed jobs and help us to spread the load of our existing debt and help to ensure we pay it off as quickly as is possible.

Annette Main

Mayoral Candidate, Wanganui

Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main

Wanganui or Whanganui?

Recognition of Alternative names for the future

The spelling of the name of our district has been in the media and a topic of conversation for some time

The Government has made a pragmatic decision that we need to work with, let’s not waste any more time arguing about who is right and who is wrong.

If we are truly a community who wants to work together, the resolution of this issue will enable us to do move forward and tackle some of the bigger issues we face.

The Minister for Land Information Maurice Williamson told us and the rest of New Zealand earlier this year that, “The official geographic name for the city of Wanganui will be the alternatives ‘Whanganui' or ‘Wanganui’.

He said “My intention to assign alternative names for the city allows people to choose the name they prefer.

During extensive consultation it became clear to me that local iwi were seeking an acknowledgement of something that is very important to them. They wanted recognition and respect for their history and their language.

It was equally clear that the majority of the city's residents did not want change forced on them.”

The Minister also said that “On balance that alternative naming respectfully acknowledges the correct spelling of the Māori word "Whanganui". It also respects the views of those who have always known the city's name to be spelt "Wanganui.”

Now that this right has been conferred upon us by the government, as mayor I would respect the choice of any individual to use the option they prefer.


-Annette Main
Mayoralty Candidate, Wanganui


Main for Mayor
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Annette Main Leadership You Can Rely On
Wanganui Mayoral Candidate Twitter Annette Main