How are you feeling after six months in the job?
I'm thoroughly enjoying it, immensely satisfied with progress to date, and looking forward to achieving all the things I hoped to achieve in my term as mayor.
How did the preconceptions of what it would be like to be mayor compare with reality?
The reality's better. I am surprised that I've been able to make as much progress as I have in the time that I've been there.
Let's talk about that progress; what would you note as your achievements to date and what are the main things in the pipeline, do you think?
I'm very pleased to have made the progress on public transport that we have, the $2 bus, very pleased to have got buy-in from NZTA [NZ Transport Agency] on roading upgrades - I think you may recall a discussion you and I had a while ago where I said one of the first things I found out when I got in the job was NZTA were planning to do the upgrade on the four-laning of State Highway 6 sometime in the early 2020s and I now note that that's to commence next year. I'm pleased with that. I'm pleased with NZTA's engagement on just general issues that we face; very pleased also that they have bought into the fact that it's not only about roads, it's about public transport, it's about cycleways, alternative methods of moving people, rather than just roads.
How have you done that? What's your leadership style, if you like?
I've just been very plain and very direct and explained what we need and the challenges that we have in our district and I'm pleased that those involved have listened and taken it on board.
What have been the best and worst things about the job so far?
One of the most pleasurable things, I think, has been citizenship ceremonies. I really enjoy that and it's great to have those sort of engagements.
I'm delighted that we've got such a united council and I'm very pleased with the buy-in from the staff at the council and the can-do council thing they've bought in to, and they're very enthusiastic about that.
Perhaps the frustrating thing is lack of progress on a visitor levy.
Obviously [Mountain Scene] did a small talk about you grabbing your own chair. Is that all, or have you had to bring your own devices? You're the can-do mayor.
I'm talking on my own cellphone, David! No, otherwise council have been very supportive and given me all the support I need.
So we get to Christmas ... what is it that would make you happy sitting down to Christmas dinner, having ticked off the things you want to achieve by then?
The Kawarau Bridge open, the Eastern Access [Rd] completed and open, a firm date for the start on the widening of State Highway 6, some real progress on affordable housing and buy-in in a concrete form from government on support for our infrastructure development.
Just going back one step, you talked about NZTA and the discussions about infrastructure, but also how to move people around. Where's your thinking in terms of where else Queenstown needs to go in terms of easing that congestion and move people around in a better, smarter way?
Look, the $2 buses is a fantastic piece of work and I'm delighted that we've got that pretty well confirmed, but I liken our public transport system, or our whole transport system, including private cars, at the present time to a leaky building.
And right now the $2 bus is putting a new route on the leaky building.
We actually need a new house.
So ... we need to start thinking outside the square and there's all sorts of options - I don't have any particular favourite, particular thing that I'm pushing, but I think we've got to get our head away from people in private cars and buses and think outside the square.
