Gail Patricia Collingwood QSO     Candidate Profile Nelson City Council 2010

Currently a Councillor with fifteen years experience in local government serving as deputy mayor, committee chairperson, working party member, resource consent hearings and representing our city on numerous occasions. Outside council my community involvement spans many decades of voluntary work from welfare organizations to family history.

I am keen to continue to represent you as during the last three years I realized how vitally important historical knowledge is to council debate and decision making.  It is time to focus, complete outstanding projects and to consolidate finances before leaping into new ideas and expenses. Final decisions are urgent on transport issues and a regional facility for performing arts and conferences. Numerous policies, plans and projects need to be completed.

Living in Nelson is a privilege my husband and I have enjoyed for 47 years. Contributing to sensible decisions that shape the future of Nelson is a privilege I want to continue.

 

Top 5 Issues

1. It’s time to COMPLETE OUTSTANDING PROJECTS
   • Finish the Trafalgar Centre northern end, including the landscaping and enhancement of Rutherford Park and surrounding Maitai river bank. Culminating in a delightful mix of leisure, recreation, activities, and events, along with increased use of the Trafalgar Centre.
   • Saxton Field – deliver along with Tasman District Council and sporting groups the planned multi- facetted sporting park stretching from Saxtons Road to Champion Road. This high value area will provide for a variety of physical activities and will support the well being of residents across the region and provide for a wide age grouping from the very young to older people.
   •Finishing the Wakefield Quay project which is near to the final steps designed to enhance our classic, unique water front making it accessible for the use and enjoyment of all.
   • Speed up the progress of the well consulted on Tahuna Reserve plans to enhance and develop the Tahunanui Beach area and township environment to create a family friendly area with environmentally special spaces.
2. It’s time to PROGRESS TRANSPORT ISSUES
   The focus and decision making has been snail like during the last three years. I expect the arterial study to provide a lead along with the actions identified in the Regional Land Transport Strategy or programme that may sort out issues residents have with traffic and transport. The increasing age of the population needs to be kept in focus and incorporated in our transport related thinking and decision making. Our city, Nelson and our Region must be accessible for all people regardless of their physical ability and for economic viablity.
   
3. It’s time to PROGRESS DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE & CONFERENCE VENUE
   Identify, decide and agree on the best site available where a regional facility providing for the performing arts and a conference venue might be constructed. A high priority will be to investigate ways and means to identify external funds and ways to manage any facility that might be built to avoid the whole financial responsibility falling totally on ratepayers.
   
4. It’s time to COLLABORATE MORE
   Sharpen up and work more closely with Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Agency, Nelson Tasman Tourism , Port Nelson, and Nelson Airport to:
   • Ensure there are strategies so our economy delivers to the highest capacity possible.
   • Explore how to add value to our many innovative business places and assist growth in our many small business places.
   • Develop tourism growth year round with a focus on wooing the baby boomer sector nationally and from the Pacific Basin to chill out and enjoy our unique climate and explore our heritage facilities.
   • Find ways to enhance local employment choices, training, personal development and advancement possibilities for our young women and men and to encourage them to live here.
   
5. It's time to FOCUS ON THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY
   • Prepare well by ensuring infrastructure is sustainable.
   • Ensure LTCCP is robust, well considered, balanced and fiscally prudent.
   • Rates are as equitable and annually as smooth as possible.
   • Council infrastructure, facilities and public spaces are accessible and affordable for everyone.
   • Plant with a focus on the future – appropriate to the need, position, reason and edible.
   • Consider population growth, increasing age, longevity of residents, combined with capped and non-negotiable retirement incomes.

Personal Profile

In 1995, 15 years ago Gail Collingwood QSO was elected to the Nelson City Council. The only new Councillor elected that term; the remainder of the council were all seasoned decision-makers. “Sink or swim” were the choices, Gail says as she stepped up to meet new challenges, roles and positions, learning how Local Government worked through hard work, heaps of reading, osmosis, example and a positive attitude.

Her dedication served her well as she went on to serve 6 years, 2001 -2007 as Deputy Mayor confirmed and reappointed by the Mayor and Councillors on two occasions.

As deputy mayor the service to the council and the city bought some exciting experiences a highlight for Gail was meeting and welcoming His Holiness the Dali Lama to our city. At the same time this was controversial and produced newspaper headlines – Gail is undaunted by this and still remembers her nervousness at meeting and talking with such an esteemed visitor who holds a huge passion for Nelson and our people.

As acting Mayor numerous times during her six years, some for extended periods Deputy Mayor Collingwood along with the councillors ably kept the city and the Mayors office running smoothly. Visiting dignitaries welcomed, officiating at events, chairing Council meetings, as well as working with the Chief Executive and people from outside council - all in a days work in the mayoral office.

During her 15 years as a Councillor Gail has trained as an accredited commissioner to participate in resource consent hearings.

Currently her responsibilities include:

• Audit, Risk and Finance Committee
• Regional Transport Committee
• Joint Nelson Tasman Housing Forum
• Broadgreen Society Committee
• Youth and Community Facility Trust “The New Hub”
• Social Wellbeing Policy Review working group chair
• Heritage Strategy Implementation working group
• Trustpower Community Awards Judge
• Kotahitanga Hui

Previous responsibilities (up to 2007) have been extensive at both local and National level, and have included:

• Zone Meetings and LGNZ Conference attendance.
• Member of most Council committees such as Community services and Environment (all now disbanded), Combined Shareholders NCC & TDC, Civil Defence Emergency Management TDC/NCC, and other joint Committees such as Pest Management and Provincial Museum, Liaison councillor for Sister City, Positive Ageing, and Commerce Nelson.
• Chairperson of various committees, these include The Local Government Act 2002 Implementation and the Nelson Biodiversity Forum.

Gail is keen to continue as a Nelson City Councillor so her past contribution, experience and knowledge is not lost. She has realized over the last three years how critical and important historical knowledge is to council debate and decision making.

Voluntary Community Work

In 2008 Gail’s voluntary contribution to the Nelson Community along with her local body work was recognized in the Queen’s Birthday list as a Companion of the Queens Service Order QSO – Gail was overwhelmed and at the same time embarrassed to be offered this honour. Her family were pleased she accepted and very proud of the acknowledgment of the time and work freely given in support of the Nelson Community. Receiving the award at Government House was a very special occasion bringing together her family in Wellington.

The award has not halted her voluntary work that started about 35 years ago.    Currently she is Patron of Abbeyfield Nelson, Pregnancy Help Nelson, and Joint Patron of Diabetes NZ Nelson Branch. Gail is chairperson of the fifeshire foundation, an active member of Women in Nelson, Coordinator of the Avonside Old Girls Nelson/Motueka group, Nelson Heritage Advisory Group and an honorary member of National Council of Women of New Zealand Nelson Branch, whom she represents on the Nelson Tasman Positive Ageing Committee.

Other recognition includes NZ Suffrage Centennial Medal, three life memberships of organisations, NCW NZ Distinguished Service Award, and Lloyd Morgan Lions Clubs Honoured Membership.

Gail’s community involvement over time has been varied and encompasses Education and training organisations, welfare agencies such as CAB, Community Organisations Grants Committee appointee, Birthright family visiting, health and alcohol focused groups and notably women’s issues where she chaired the 1993 Regional Suffrage Centennial Committee.

Gail says she knows the Nelson community well, as through her paid and unpaid work and council responsibilities she has worked with and come in contact with people of all ages and life span stages.  People who influence and make up the diversity of our community; local Iwi, Maori, new comers of all ethnicities, the wealthy and those with few resources, in different places and situations, people with different needs and values.

Paid Employment Background

Gail’s working life started with realizing her dream to train as a florist, successfully achieving this in high profile florists in Christchurch and Nelson. Whilst raising her children as her main role and focus she was able to access available part time work in orchards and cleaning. Later as her children became more independent at Intermediate  and College she moved into positions in Government Departments, Social Welfare and Education and the Ministry of Education Office (MOE) during the 1989 reforms. Following redundancy after the closure of the Nelson MOE office she took on the role of local supervisor for a Market research company.

Currently Gail supports her husband with his small home based business.

Personal Information

Gail was born in Westport, then lived and attended school in Christchurch until coming to Nelson in the 1963 where along with her husband David they built a new home and raised a family of three. Gail believes it is a privilege to live in Nelson and they are very fortunate that their three grandsons are also Nelsonians at the present time. As a keen genealogist Gail found her Fathers paternal family settled around Spring Grove in the 1850’s, moving to St Vincent Street in the 1870’s and Westport around 1880. Nelson has been an important place for Gail’s family as her maternal grandparents lived in Toi Toi Street for a number of years and her sister attended school here.

Deciding to live in Nelson completed a circle in Gail’s family history and added the sixth generation to be born here.

As well as her genealogical and historical interests and research, Gail is a collector and has a fine collection of old laundry irons pre electric and laundry equipment. This collection has involved her in research, three international iron collecting organisations, attendance at overseas conventions and she receives visitors from all around the world.

She is a member of the New Zealand China Friendship Society and has been fortunate to travel to China and also Lhasa in Tibet.