Council candidates profiled | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

With nine people vying for the vacant city council seat in the Burwood-Pegasus ward and voting forms will go out to residents from Wednesday, the Pegasus Post profiles the candidates.

Stan Tawa, 46, a chef lecturer at CPIT, lives in the ward and is standing as an independent.

Mr Tawa is married to Merekaraka and they have two sons (aged 22 and 17). He has been actively involved in the area for 20 years. He voluntarily mentored youth for 15 years and is a trustee of the Youth Alive Trust, involved at Grace Vineyard Church.

He was also on the Aranui High School Board of Trustees from 2007-2010, serving as chairman from 2008-2010., and was a recipient of The National Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award in 2003. Mr Tawa said: ``I have a sound understanding of governance and management. I am committed to creating a positive future for our community and Christchurch. I will advocate for the rights and needs of the ward. Transparency and accountability is paramount.

``I desire to promote environmental and economic stability through a sustainable development approach which will strengthen and grow the local community and Christchurch. It is about placing certainty into the rebuild of our ward, our city.''

Dean Peter Beck lives outside the ward in Richmond and is standing as an independent.

Dean Beck said: ``I care about this city, and particularly the hard issues that face the people of Burwood-Pegasus. That's why I'm moving on from being Dean of the Cathedral. As patron of CanCERN, I affirm `the wisdom of the local community far exceeds the knowledge of the experts'. I will work to ensure clear communication and honest information for all is shared.

``I will be an effective leader and spokesperson for our community. I will bring energy, commitment and vision to rebuilding the facilities Burwood Pegasus needs.''

Dean Beck said among his key priorities was an overall plan for the ward such as the city council is preparing for Sydenham, including a positive resolution for QE II to create a community of which our children and grandchildren will be proud.

Steve Burke, 49, New Brighton Residents Association chairman, lives in the ward (New Brighton), is a self-employed businessman and a solo dad.

He's standing as an independent, ``because my agenda is not politics but the people'', he said.
Mr Burke said he had a ``lifelong connection'' with the ward, ``from playing in my uncle's market garden on Marshlands Rd when I was knee-high to a toast rack to my first job at Burwood Plantation after leaving Aranui High School''.

He said: ``I married my wife in New Brighton and have raised my kids here. I have been actively involved in the community from being a member of the New Brighton Rugby Club, Rawhiti Golf Club, the South New Brighton Surf Life Club through my son, five years in the New Brighton Volunteer Fire Brigade and most recently my eight-year involvment in the New Brighton Residents Association, the last six years as chairman.''

He said he would advocate to retain strategic assets, continue to work with police to make the community safer and work with residents to address their concerns.

Linda Stewart, current Burwood-Pegasus Community Board chairwoman, is standing as an independent.

Having lived in the ward since 1970, she is married with two children, Scott and Melanie.
She has a strategic planning and change management background and is also an accredited NZ Business Mentor and Justice of the Peace. Ms Stewart felt the key issues in the ward were declining property values, the future of the area's prime community asset (QE II), suburban demolition effects on the remaining community, rebuilding community facilities, supporting existing and new businesses and developing a ward-wide business plan.

``Never more than now, we need leadership and innovation that capitalises on our natural assets,'' she said.

Rik Tindall grew up in north-east Christchurch, standing for Sustainable Canterbury.

The father-of-one has lived in Cashmere for 20 years but said he wants to move to New Brighton for permanent work in community re-development. He is a New Zealand history and politics graduate and former ECan Christchurch East councillor.

Mr Tindall said: ``After much sadness, loss and grieving, the urgent rebuild requires us to strengthen all these great assets around us together. As a former Civil Defence and Emergency Management portfolio chair and Christchurch East councillor at Environment Canterbury, the community entrusted me with skills and connections that it can now utilise for improving safety and prospects for Burwood-Pegasus ward. I sought the job because I care about people and the place where we live, deeply enough to have spent almost my whole life here.''

Bob Tomkins, who has lived in Christchurch East for 30 years, said: ``It's our community, it's our area -let's get it sorted. Cut the BS and join me in getting it done. Let's rebuild and bring the whole community together and leave no room for ``gang patches'' or ``colours''. Let's take control of our living environment, let's move towards a greater Christchurch. Let's show the way, let's all be productive, proactive and work as one. We need a council to listen and do the things we need doing. Stop concentrating on inflated wages - we need the money at grass roots level.''

David East has been a Burwood-Pegasus Community Board member for eight years, serving for three years as its chairman. He lives in North Beach and is standing as an independent.

Mr East said: ``Local experience, local knowledge, local representation - these are the key attributes required for effective advocacy in rebuilding the east post-earthquake.''
He is also the treasurer of Canterbury Neighbourhood Support and said: ``For more than 35 years, I have been active in many community, sporting and cultural groups.''

Mr East said that post-earthquake, the ward required a strong local voice to advocate on its behalf. ``I am an independent candidate with significant local authority experience, not accountable to any political party and have effective working relationships with local organisations, councillors, community boards and council staff.''

Rod Cameron, a former Hagley-Ferrymead Community Board member, was born and raised in New Brighton.

He coached and played rugby for 15 years at the New Brighton Rugby Football Club and spent 25 years as part of Canterbury Rugby Referees. He is also a member of the Brighton Beach Harness Racing Committee, the vice president of the Lancaster Park Cricket Club, a committee member and former chairman of Keep Christchurch Beautiful and current board member of Keep New Zealand Beautiful.

Mr Cameron supports an 100 per cent rates write-off for unoccupied red or white-zoned properties, greater certainty for orange-zoned residents, transparent and common-sense decision making, a sustainable Christchurch, rebuilding QE II, and financial assistance for community groups and sports clubs. He opposes the council CEO's obscene pay increase and unnecessary public excluded council meetings.

Raymond Ellwood, 30, lives in Linwood, grew up in Papanui and is standing as an independent.

He promises to relocate if elected. ``The ward is a 10-minute walk from my home, but I will move into the ward if elected.

``I was a general fieldworker for the Electoral Enrolment Centre, registering people to vote, and now I am campaigning to become the next councillor for the Burwood-Pegasus ward.

``I will make the relationship between the city council and the people open and transparent. ``I will roll up my sleeves and commit my hands to the needs of others.''

Mr Ellwood said rebuilding Canterbury was a prime concern as well as reclaiming the region from uncertainty.
Key issues for him include insulated homes, efficient reach-out programmes for teenagers, an effective public transport network and an eco-friendly city.