Question 1: What is the biggest issue facing Southland’s tourism industry and what would you do to fix it?
Question 2: What are your goals and priorities for council?
KATIE ALLAN
Age: 50.
Occupation: Office manager.
Question 1: Due to the current global economic crisis a visitor influx in tourism will realistically not happen for some time.
I would visit tourist businesses and listen to their stories and work with them finding the best way forward.
Together with my fellow councillors I would prioritise the needs and work out the best strategy.
I can imagine council initiating and facilitating targeted programmes to help affected Southlanders to find ways to diversify in the interim.
Question 2: I will do everything I can for council to retain local control of our assets including Three Waters.
Debt reduction, end wasteful spending, and focusing on essential infrastructure are my priorities.
Engaging actively and honestly with Southlanders is paramount for me.
I support Southlanders becoming more resilient, with less barriers and clipboard holders.
As a crucial part for Southland’s future, I would build on and revive our community spirit we are known and loved for.
JASPREET BOPARAI
Age: 43.
Occupation: Farming, bookkeeping.
Question 1: For tourism, a major issue is the state of our roads. For every dollar that NZTA collects from Southland, 33 cents don’t make it back to the region. Also, Southland District Council is making it harder for smaller operators in Fiordland to bring in tourists by restricting surface activity citing "wilderness value" — that is completely subjective. Big cruise ships are exempt from these rules. The matters need robust discussion and advocacy, which I will initiate.
Question 2: My primary goal for the council is to see transparent public engagements and resist centralisation. Between the undemocratic Three Waters reforms and the coming changes to the RMA, there’s a lot people need to informed about. The consultation over Three Waters was non-existent and we still continue our membership of LGNZ — the lobby body that signed an agreement with the Crown to drum up support for the Three Waters. Southlanders deserve better!
DEREK CHAMBERLAIN
Age: 53.
Occupation: Farmer.
Question 1: Finding suitable staff would be the biggest issue facing the tourism industry in our area.
Question 2: My goals if elected would be to bring a more common sense approach to the council table. I feel that our communities are slowly being choked with bureaucracy. If I could somehow reduce the amount of money spent on red tape and making sure that money is spent on doing the job that it was intended for then I would take that as a win.
STEVEY CHERNISHOV
Declined to respond.
DARREN FRAZER
Age: 49.
Occupation: Volunteer team lead.
Question 1: Moving to a destination management approach. I would also like to see more agritourism and farm stays, providing alternative income for the rural areas of our district, to help offset increased environmental costs.
We need to continue to support and resource the good work already started by Great South, and find ways to connect potential rural farm stays to enable a collective approach to promoting and managing the development of this sector.
Question 2: My aim is to make decisions that leave a better future for those following us. To do this we need to ensure we manage our assets well. We need to support our communities to be connected and supportive. At the same time we need to ensure we are effective and efficient with the rates we collect. And finally, we need to engage and communicate with our communities better.
SARAH GREANEY
Age: 55.
Occupation: Self-employed business owner (tourism, accommodation, hospitality), NLP coach and facilitator.
Question 1: Southland is well advanced on the development and delivery of the Southland Murihiku Destination Management Plan. In the short term, our biggest issue is going to be recruitment so operators can deliver a great Southland customer service experience to its visitors. To do this we need to support promoting Southland as a great place to live and work whilst also building the partnerships needed to enable the development of tourism related infrastructure and new product.
Question 2: Councils facing major changes in the next triennium. My goals are to listen to our community voices, to think strategically and be financially astute, and to promote the overall wellbeing of our people.
I also want to support all the community boards to deliver on their Community Futures plans and to make sure we keep moving forward with maintaining and improving our infrastructure so we are not loading the burden on to future generations.
ULRIKE HERZHOFF
Age: 55.
Occupation: Self-employed.
Question 1: The tourism industry is encountering reduced traveller confidence in both markets: domestic and international.
More resilient and sustainable tourism demands co-operation within New Zealand regions and international target markets.
This needs policy action based on improved evidence-based systems aided by research and data gathering.
We should take the opportunity to embrace new technologies, put in place policies and practices to balance socioeconomic, ecological and economic perspectives and be more flexible and reactive to any kind of disruption.
Question 2: To give a strong voice to the Stewart Island community to enable our children and future generations to have a sustainable living on Rakiura/Stewart Island without destroying its uniqueness, tradition and beauty.
Encourage and enable young people of Rakiura/Stewart Island to become meaningfully involved in building a visionary road map and develop policies to implement this road-map.
Fair distribution and sharing of resources, sustainable energy and transport solutions.
TROY HOLIDAY
Response not received before deadline.
AARON JOY
Response not received before deadline.
GENE LAWRENCE
Response not received before deadline.
GEMMA MARNANE
Age: 21.
Occupation: Student.
Question 1: Tourism is about enriching and restoring. We need to rethink tourism to focus on its benefit to our local people and places.
As your councillor I will push for sustainable innovation and investment in the industry so our communities can understand, be involved in, and benefit from the industry. The foundation of our tourism needs to be ensuring our culture, heritage, and environment are protected and restored.
Question 2: Community cohesion and wellbeing. Support a comprehensive campaign for mental health promotion, services, and initiatives to forge social bonds.
Ambitiously address climate change and protect our biodiversity. Consider climate change in every decision, set climate targets, fund on-demand public transport, and support high-value and resilient agriculture.
Remove barriers for disadvantaged groups. Build cultural competency, and understand our diversity with groups including but not limited to women, Maori, Pasifika, people of colour and people with disabilities.
ROBIN MCCALL
Age: 63.
Occupation: Commercial insurance broker.
Question 1: The ability to deliver levels of service in hospitality and tourism enterprises due to staffing constraints. We needed staff from overseas pre-Covid and we need them now.
We are competing with other countries and other regions. We need to lobby for immigration settings and processes which reflect that potential immigrants and working visa holders have a choice. We also need to work together to build the Southland story, targeting our uniqueness, opportunities and lifestyle.
Question 2: Experienced in business, governance and the community sector, I bring a balanced perspective.
I would like a procurement policy that supports local businesses.
I want a community housing strategy which doesn’t involve selling housing stock.
I’m concerned about borrowing for anything other than long term assets.
Centralisation and corporatisation of our Three Waters assets is a no from me, and is not too late to collectively say "No".
CHRISTINE MENZIES
Response not received before deadline.
TOM O’BRIEN
Response not received before deadline.
MARGIE RUDDENKLAU
Age: 55.
Occupation: Farmer and small business owner.
Question 1: Several issues face our tourism sector in the Southland district, from staff shortages to our ageing infrastructure. I will focus on one, tourists have been getting a free ride for too long and are not paying their way. Implementing targeted visitor levies (e.g. Stewart Island levy) across the district at key tourist sites could help fund and develop infrastructure. Reducing the burden on ratepayers, where international tourists bear the costs to travel to stunning Southland.
Question 2: I seek re-election on the Southland District Council, advocating for community-led approaches where local solutions and localism is at the front of decision-making. I want to ensure that every dollar the council spends benefits the ratepayer and is accountable. Prioritising investment into efficient core services is at the top of the agenda to ensure accessibility for those who live, work, and travel throughout the district ensuring a prosperous and progressive Southland.
JON SPRAGGON
Response not received before deadline.
TAMMY WALKER
Age: N/A.
Occupation: Health care worker.
Question 1: The biggest issue, I see, facing Southland’s tourism industry is relying on foreign tourists and not focusing on the local market. We are all spending more mindfully and have an increased expectation in the quality of services that are competing for our dollar. I believe part of the solution is to provide a higher level of customer service, coupled with consistently high quality of consumables. This may mean lower individual profits but increased demand equalling higher returns.
Question 2: My goals and priorities for council are to serve the people of my local ward by listening to their concerns and attempting to find answers, if not remedies, for them. I would like to see community issues solved within the community, responsibly and sustainability. I believe a community working together to take responsibility to care for each other is stronger, happier and healthier.
MICHAEL WEUSTEN
Response not received before deadline.
MATTHEW WILSON
Age: 34.
Occupation: Music/audio production.
Question 1: Pressure on Southland’s tourism infrastructure, including rebuilding the industry’s workforce and sustainability are major hurdles to overcome. I support businesses and our RTO to push for re-purposing remaining "recovery funding" towards regenerative initiatives, extending this to include recruitment and upskilling. It’s council’s role to be part of the conversation and ensure communities are engaged and benefit through initiatives, for example the Milford Opportunities Project deserves community consultation and representation.
Question 2: The goal for the council is to listen to the community, efficiently deliver services here and now, but more-so plan for the future. The way local and central government interact is shifting, so the immediate priority to me during this process is ensuring the connection between community and available resources are strengthened, achieved through closer communication and relationships with local groups and individuals — and avoiding centralising decisions away from the community.
