We continue our pre-election coverage with a Q+A with Sarah Browne from Cromwell.

At this stage there have only been a few whispers about possible contenders for the Central Otago mayoralty, with Tamah Alley the only one so far to announce her intention. Meanwhile, in Invercargill, there were now five big names in the running for the top job - with Nobby Clark standing down and retiring in October.

Over in Queenstown Lakes, Nik Kiddle and John Glover announced their intention to stand for Mayor against Glyn Lewers.

Anybody standing or just curious about the role and responsibility of being a district or regional councillor, was invited to a joint presentation in Alexandra on Tuesday July 1.

The Otago Regional Council and Central Otago District Council were holding five presentations during June and July for anyone wanting to learn more about what is involved if you become a councillor.

Sarah Browne - Central Otago District councillor and Cromwell Community Board member.

Will you be standing again?  

I most certainly will! For a seat on the Central Otago District Council representing the Cromwell Ward.

Why or why not? 

I have enjoyed my first term as an elected member and would like to continue this and keep trying to bridge the gap between the people of the district and the organisation. I have learned so much in my first term that I feel a subsequent term would be valuable.

How long have you already been involved exactly? 

I have served one term so far as an elected member for the Cromwell Ward, and also on the Cromwell Community Board.

What are you most proud of/achievements in the time you have been a councillor/community board member/deputy mayor? 

I am achieving what I set out to by standing, and that was to increase the touch points of the overwhelming amount of information surrounding council activity and the community, by just being out and about and talking to people about what is happening and why. Local Government is a slow moving beast with a lot of layers that the general public don't necessarily understand or have time to investigate, but I believe I have brought an easy access point for anyone wanting to get in touch or find something out.

I am also proud to be a member of the Community Board here that stood up so vocally for its residents when Districtisation was on the table.

What advice do you have for any new candidates standing? 

Be certain that you are standing for the greater good and not for a single issue, and understand that you are joining a table where you are 1 vote of 11; you probably won't be changing the world, but what you do can make a difference. Also, take everything you read online and in print about us with a pinch of salt!

What do you see are the pressing issues in your ward that you are particularly passionate about? 

For Cromwell in particular, but Central Otago as a whole, growth and infrastructure are our main issues.

We are a very small population over a very large area, so costs are high and shared by few. Planning well and costing out projects to be intergenerational is important, but taking our residents on the journey with us is essential so they understand the why as well as the what.

Cutting costs is one thing, but this can't happen at the expense of future needs, so the balancing act is difficult. I want to ensure that the current population can afford to live here, but that our children aren't going to pick up a bill in the future for what we put off today.