Byers will 'hit the ground running'

The Bay Chronicle continues its scrutiny of district and regional councillors in the lead-up to local authority elections on October 9.

Richard Edmondson speaks to Western ward councillor and former deputy mayor Laurie Byers.

You've been a councillor for 18 years. What advantages does that give you over rival candidates?

The big difference between me and other candidates is that I'll hit the ground running and I know how to get things done. It won't take me two years just to work out how things get done.

I have worked in and with communities in the Far North for more than 40 years and have been involved in local government for 15 years. I know and understand our people and have the skills and experience to help the Far North prosper.

Why are you only contesting the mayoralty and not a seat on council as well?

Sometimes you simply need to back yourself. I think that the time is right for me to lead our wonderful district and that is what I am asking the people of the Far North to grant me the privilege of doing.

I can assure them that I won't let them down. Unfortunately, the last three years have been characterised by nasty personality politics, division and little real progress. I am asking the people of the Far North to give me their vote because I believe I can refocus the council on public service rather than self-interest. I represented New Zealand as a cyclist at the Tokyo Olympics and have won two Commonwealth Games medals but other than my family what I am most proud of is what I have achieved working with the people of the Far North. It would be a source of immense pride if I am given the opportunity to represent our place as its next mayor.

You were elected with a 15-vote majority at the last election. Why do you think voters switched their support to other candidates?

Three years ago there was a heavily-financed mayoral candidate with a team in tow running against incumbents – and that changed the vote. People believed what the Brown team told them but three years down the track it is now clear that it was largely spin. As a result, the Value for Ratepayers ticket has magically disappeared. Having said that, the election result was an eye-opener. As a consequence I think that I have worked harder over the last three years than I ever have before at a grassroots level, helping people fix problems and address issues they have with the council. I have never taken any person's vote for granted and I never will.

The platform that I am standing on is a clear one and it involves attracting investment, capping rates and debt, empowering communities, financial transparency and an end to the broken promises of the last three years.

I will use all of my experience and knowledge of the north to work with our communities to make our place an even better place to live.

What is your biggest achievement on behalf of ratepayers in the last three years?

After many years of campaigning, it is a source of great pride that we finally have a hockey Astroturf. Our challenge now is to find a way of getting a second turf in Kerikeri.

I am also proud that I was able to work with others to stop the mayor's plan to move a second wave of council staff out of Kaikohe and that we finally have an operative district plan.

What I am most proud of though are the large number of people I have been able to help, working with them to solve problems at a local level.

You say in your election advertising that you will cap rates and council debt if you are elected. How would you do that while maintaining council services amid revenue losses caused by the recession?

My five-point plan includes a very clear commitment to cap rate increases and council debt. This is a bottom line commitment and I will deliver on it. Over the last three years debt has doubled to almost $120 million and, cynically, next year – the year after the election – current policy settings will result in a 10 percent rates increase.

Neither of these facts is acceptable. I have always believed that when you are in a hole you stop digging. Thanks to the Value for Ratepayers team, we are in a massive financial hole. I will stop digging.

We cannot continue to live beyond our means and I will make the tough decisions necessary to bring the council back to a financially sustainable state. Inevitably some of those decisions will not be popular but what should actually be unpopular is the almost $10m annual interest bill that the Brown years have imposed on our district.

You've promised to empower community boards. Can you elaborate?

If I am given the privilege of representing the Far North as our mayor I will immediately review and increase the delegations that boards have in terms of determining the levels of service in their communities.

I will also re-establish council committees and have a representative of each community board sitting on each committee so that boards can directly participate in the decision-making process. All recommendations from ratepayers will start at community board level.

You say you will attract investment to the district. How and what have you done to bolster business in your 18 years as a councillor?

I was instrumental in establishing Far North Holdings and the money that this business has saved the ratepayer is $11m in the past 10 years. The investments it has made in the district have been significant and its asset base has grown from $12m to $38m.

I was chairman of the hearings committee during the time when our district was growing at an extraordinary rate and worked very hard to facilitate that growth. I was a member of the committee that developed the Far North Local Economic Development Strategy 2006-2009. I was also the councillor who guided the Far North Events Strategy through council.

That strategy has provided the basis for the establishment of a number of great events in the district but we can do much more. Events are a powerful economic development tool. Just look at what has been achieved in Taupo.

I have announced a plan to develop the Far North as an events destination. This will involve the creation of three marquee events: Light to Light multi-sport, Kaitaia to the Cape cycle race and Omapere to Paihia overnight relay run. You can find out more about these events on the website at www.lauriebyers.co.nz.

The person who is mayor after October will have to lead the council through the most challenging economic conditions the district has seen in decades. What business management skills and experience do you have that make you the best person for the job?

I have operated successful businesses in the North for more than 40 years through good times and very hard times.

Alongside my 15 years of local government experience I have extensive experience in governance, including 20 years on the Bay of Islands Milk Treatment Board, 17 years on the board of North Point Trust and nine years on the board of Sport Northland.

I firmly believe that I have the skills and experience to advance our district.

- Bay Chronicle