It’s getting closer to Election 2025 in October and there were now four candidate information sessions around Central Otago for those intending to stand.A joint meeting with Central Otago District Council and Otago Regional Council will be held next Tuesday (July 1) in Alexandra, followed by another one in Roxburgh on July 4 for just CODC. A further meeting will be held in Cromwell the following Tuesday (July 8) and an online Q+A on Thursday July 10. This week the Central App talks to Cromwell based district councillor Cheryl Laws on her thoughts leading into the election.Will you be standing again?I am putting my name forward for the Central Otago District Council, Cromwell Ward. Why?I have enjoyed my time as a councillor and community board member. It’s very satisfying when a project comes to fruition and I know the council has done something that will benefit the community. How long have you been involved with CODC?I have served two terms as a district councillor and a community board member. What achievement are you most proud of in the time you have been a councillor?Some time ago the Cromwell Community Board agreed upon a design for Gare Estate stage two. Frustratingly this took significantly longer than anticipated however, I’m pleased this development is back on track and I intend to make sure the integrity of the original design is adhered to with green spaces and priority given to first time purchasers before going to the open market. What advice do you have for any new candidates standing?Be patient, things don’t move fast in local government which can be incredibly frustrating. You are only one vote around the table and as a district councillor you represent the whole district not just your ward. But I think most importantly, you need time. Sometimes there is significant reading required to prepare for council meetings, community board meetings and workshops. What do you see are the pressing issues in your ward?Rates affordability is becoming a critical issue facing our district. Central Otago is a very popular part of New Zealand to live and managing this growth incurs increasing costs for our ratepayers. Constant regulatory changes imposed upon local government by central government with no extra funding leaving our rate payers bearing the brunt of the costs associated to these changes. Having said that, Central Otago is a wonderful place to live and that’s why we all live here.Find out more about the candidate meetings here.

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.

Anybody standing or just curious about the role and responsibility of being a district or regional councillor, is invited to a joint presentation in Alexandra on Tuesday July 1.The Otago Regional Council and Central Otago District Council are holding five presentations during June and July for anyone wanting to learn more about what is involved if you become a councillor.Topics covered during the presentation include:how the council is structuredthe role and responsibilities of elected representativesskills requiredanticipated time commitmentsmeeting schedulesan overview of the nomination and election processeshttps://www.orc.govt.nz/get-involved/events/2025/july/candidate-information-presentation-with-central-otago-district-council/We continue our pre-election coverage with another Q+A - this time Otago Regional Council Dunstan ward councillor Gary Kelliher responds:Will you be standing again?  YesWhy or why not?I have been encouraged to stand again by a number of people and I feel there's unfinished business with the delayed Land and Water Plan, and attempting to rein in escalating rates, and ideological decision making.How long have you already been involved exactly?I had an initial term 2013 to 2016, and then from 2019 until now.What are you most proud of/achievements in the time you have been a councillor?That's a tough question as I have found myself evolving into a position thats almost continually at odds with most other councillors and staff. I don't pride myself in having to regularly challenge with negativity, however to me I’m not prepared to just go with the flow and accept what regional councils have become...a monopoly on resources that cost more and achieve less. What advice do you have for any new candidates standing?To new candidates I say that if you want a cruisy role and you have a tendency to agree to everything put in front of you, then in my mind please reconsider. Local and regional government is very broken in this country, councils are run by their staff and not enough councillors say no. We desperately need more councillors who will say no.What do you see are the pressing issues in your ward that you are particularly passionate about?The ORC needs reined in, rates brought under control, escalating staff numbers brought under control, and the council turned from being restrictors and halters of everything necessary to the region. We have to turn the focus towards growing our economy and at the same time protecting the environment. And stop council being a major impediment to the hardworking ratepayers of the region who just want to get on with that.https://centralapp.nz/NewsStory/deputy-mayor-to-leave-central-otago-district-council-after-nine-terms/682f8be31591fb002e65855d

We continue our pre-election coverage this week with a few more profiles of those who have indicated they were standing again in the Elections 2025.Martin McPherson has been a Vincent ward Central Otago District councillor and community board member since 1985, and we asked him a few questions:Will you be standing again?  YesWhy or why not?I am still enjoying the work and am confident I have more to offerHow long have you already been involved exactly?I was first elected to the Alexandra community board in 1995What are you most proud of/achievements in the time you have been a councillor/community board member/deputy mayor?My work on the hearings panel and various plan changes, especially Plan change 19.Read more: Plan Change operative despite Enviro Court appealsWhat advice do you have for any new candidates standing?The ship of state has a very small steering wheel - things take time to turn around.What do you see are the pressing issues in your ward that you are particularly passionate about?Growth and how we manage this, and the effect on infrastructure and the costs associated with this, and its impact on rates going forward.Read more: Local Elections 2025: Who’s Standing and Why

In this pre election feature, I ask five quick-fire questions to current community board members, giving you insight into their plans, motivations, and what’s next for local leadership in Central Otago.1. Will you be standing again?   If so, Why?Yes, for council in the Vincent Ward and for the Vincent Community Board. Because there is a lot going on in this district now. For example, the opportunities and challenges that come with rapid population growth and the financial pressures that come from continued changes in regulation from Central Government, especially in the water space. I believe that we need a diverse group of people around the table with different views, backgrounds, and skill sets working together to find the best possible solutions to our challenges. I’m confident that over the past three years I‘ve built up the skills, knowledge, and relationships with the community, elected members, and staff to be part of that team. I still believe that we need to work closely with NGO’s, businesses, and other groups to meet our community's ambitions. And most importantly we need to make sure that decisions made today benefit current residents but also those that come next.  2. How long have you already been involved? At the next election I will have completed my first term on the Vincent Community Board, about two years as deputy chair and about one year as chair.     3. What are you most proud of/achievements in the time you have been a community board member? Personally, it would be making myself easily accessible and available to groups, organisations, and individuals.  Taking the VCB to Clyde and Omakau. Showing that the Vincent Ward is more than just one community but a grouping of unique urban and rural communities that all have their own identities, needs, ambitions, and challenges.Collectively as a board, it is being able to work as a team. We got a lot done this term by working collaboratively together in the best interest of the community instead of ‘playing politics’. This was especially true in the approach we took in our Long Term Plan (LTP) recommendations, balancing ‘sticking to the basics’ and ‘the wellbeing of our communities’.   Also, working alongside our communities to progress work on long awaited community projects- Kamoanaheahea-Riverside Park, IceInLine roof, Manuherekia Valley Community Hub, and the Dunstan Turf. Proving that working collaboratively with our community gets results without the need to further increase rates by carrying the full costs.    4. What advice do you have for any new candidates standing? 1. Understand the time commitment. Being an elected member is more than one meeting a month (council) or every six weeks (community board). Those are the meetings where decisions are made, but there is the prep work agendas that can range from 100-1,000 pages. You will have meetings with groups and/or organisations you're assigned to, plus meetings with the public. To properly understand and represent the community you need to be able to commit the necessary time. 2. Remember that if successful you are one voice and one vote around the table. You can promise anything in a campaign but you need to be careful not to over promise, because without majority agreement you can't get it across the line. The skills of teamwork and building consensus will be your most valuable.      5. What do you see are the pressing issues in your ward that you are particularly passionate about? 1. Balancing the basics with the community's ambitions and needs. A new road is nice, but you need people to drive on it. We have to get water and roading right. Past under investment, lack of funds through rating being our only sustainable income (land can only be sold once), and continuous regulatory changes from Wellington have put us in a difficult position that won't be solved with an easy answer or magic wand. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to support the services and projects that matter to the people of our area. It’s about working creatively and collaboratively with others in a balanced way to meet our needs in both the ‘need to have’ and ‘nice to have’ categories.     2. Housing availability - making sure there is enough supply to meet growth. We all know someone that has had to leave behind their support network because of this. We need to work with developers to ensure we have the necessary housing stock. Support groups thinking outside the box with projects like Abbeyfield. Using developer contributions wisely along with land still owned by council.   

Central Otago’s Deputy Mayor for the past 15 years Neil Gillespie, also a district councillor since 2001, has decided to throw his hat in the ring for a seat at the Otago Regional Council.Announcing his intention to stand at this year’s election for a position on the Dunstan ward, he said the timing was right, given his recent change of employment.Neil left Contact Energy in January 2025 after 47 years in the electricity generation industry to work in his own consultancy business, and has been looking at other opportunities within the region as well.Given his vast experience in resource management through his role as chair of the Central Otago District Council Hearings Panel and at Contact Energy, the ORC was the perfect fit.As a regional councillor, the governance role largely covered environmental decisions relating to water, air and land use activities, whilst district councillors made decisions on infrastructure and services, assets and overall community wellbeing.Gary Kelliher and Michael Laws along with Alexa Forbes currently represented the Dunstan ward of the Otago Regional Council, which was being extended to four seats next term, but Queenstown-based Alexa has already announced she won’t be standing again.That could mean three Central Otago-based elected members all representing Dunstan if Neil was voted in - including two from Cromwell.In our election coverage, we will look at who was intending on standing again this October from the district council, in both councillor and community board roles, as well as any other new surprises for candidacy in the ORC.Neil said while he’d always had a leaning towards the regional council, he was unable to stand while working for Contact Energy, as it was too much of a conflict.Regarding his time as Deputy Mayor and district councillor, in the last two terms he always said there was a lot of work that experienced elected members needed to do, "but i can’t keep saying that. Now i have the capacity to consider the ORC and i have that experience in what they do.”Looking back over his 27 years, Neil said it was about doing the right things for people, in a balanced way that best reflected the “big picture” views of the community.“I’ve always said that I got involved in local government so I could be part of the team that would ensure Cromwell/Central Otago would be a place in the future that would be able to provide future generations with opportunities that my family benefited from.”“But I have done my time and now it’s time for something else in my life.”Mayor Tamah Alley has already put her name forward to be elected, and word on the street is there may be two others joining her, so then the next big question is, who will be the deputy?

Tamah Alley, a former police constable, mum and an advocate for sustainable development, has announced she is running for Central Otago mayor in this year’s local government elections. With a background in community service and a passion for fostering economic growth and local democracy, Tamah hopes to continue to lead Central Otago into the future.She became the first female mayor in the district in October 2024 following Tim Cadogan's resignation and has become known for her open approach to local government leadership. "I am deeply committed to Central Otago and its residents, and helping shape a future where we continue to thrive as communities," said Tamah."My vision is an intergenerational community where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and live their best lives. “I believe in transparent governance and will work tirelessly to ensure all our people have the opportunity to contribute to our vision."Tamah brings experience to her candidacy as she has served on various local boards and committees, including Southern Lakes Trails and Cromwell Youth Trust, and has implemented initiatives forpublic engagement such as short videos known as ‘mayor in a minute’.Her term will focus on housing solutions, including opportunities to partner with private providers, diversifying councils income streams to be less reliant on rates and establishing a long term solution to water and wastewater that gives the best outcome for all water consumers. Local elections 2025 decide who represents the community on city, district and regional councils. They will run across New Zealand from September 9 to October 11, 2025. The Central App will publish profiles of those standing in the run up to the elections. View Electoral Commission information about voting in local elections hereHave a story to share?Contact [email protected]