That’s what Mayor Phil Mauger says after he shifted an abandoned and graffitied truck trailer unit a day before he launched his campaign for re-election.
Not for the first time, Mauger took matters into his own hands, moving the trailer unit in Aranui at the weekend after eight months of residents’ complaints of inaction by the city council.
Cuthberts Rd residents said the trailer unit was an eyesore and blocked their view.
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So was this a back-to-the-future headline-grabber leading into an election?
In 2020, when he was the Burwood Ward councillor, he took matters into his own hands, digging a trench to solve flooding on Pages Rd, Bexley, a problem that had gone unfixed for 10 years. He was fined $300 in 2021.
He received a lot of publicity and kudos. He ran for mayor the following year.
Also in 2020, Mauger fixed a section of potholes along Birchfield Ave, Dallington.
It followed complaints from nearby residents, costing his company, Maugers Contracting Ltd, $4000.
The work was done without the knowledge of the city council and came about two months after Mauger undertook repair works to a walkway beneath New Brighton’s Anzac bridge, also without city council permission.
Said Mauger of the trailer removal: “I thought, bugger that and borrowed a truck from my son-in-law to move the truck away from the homes.”
His mayoralty rival, Sara Templeton, would not be drawn when asked if she thought it was a publicity stunt. She said people would draw their own conclusions.
“But it’s clear that had he simply asked staff on Monday morning he would have found out they now had the information to be able to move it.”
City council transport operations manager Stephen Wright said staff received permission to tow the trailer on Monday morning.
“Parking compliance had been trying to obtain information from the registered owner as to which finance company the trailer unit had been surrendered to. We received information over the weekend, which enabled us to action the removal of the trailer.”
Wright said it was always going to be removed once the required information was obtained.
Also on Monday, Mauger was forced to announce his re-election bid early after his campaign website was accidentally made public.
“I was about a week away from launching, but that’s life and it’s turned out okay,” Mauger said.
As part of his re-election campaign, Mauger says he plans to look at anything that would bring down rates, including cutting services or selling assets.
Mauger told media cutting library and pool hours, mowing lawns less, and adjusting rubbish collection were discussions that could be had to bring rates down.
In response, Templeton said she was not opposed to reducing services but said it should be something the residents had to decide.
Templeton said her idea would present a pick-and-choose model, in which residents could see the difference reducing services would have on their rates.
Mauger is also still interested in exploring asset sales.
While he did not say whether the city should sell its assets like the airport or Lyttelton Port, he was open to discussing the matter.
