Richard has been a Korokoro resident for 15 years.  He was attracted to the friendly atmosphere of Petone and the bush-clad hills. A public servant, he has seen Petone change from a second-hand dealer village to become the ‘jewel in the Valley’.

During his 6 years on the Board he has sought to retain the historical building heritage of Petone, to campaign against uncontrolled development and to listen to the voices of the community.

There are development issues still to be settled in this area.  We need balanced development reflecting what residents want, not what Council plans.

• Heritage areas to be protected
• A new McKenzie pool
• Oppose any Grenada Road
• The Esplanade should be freed from heavy traffic.

The battles remain and he seeks to remain on the Board so that his experience in working for the communities is not lost.

Top 5 Issues

1. Controlled development throughout the area which reflects the wishes of the residents not the desires of developers alone and which preserves the village feel for Petone.
2. Heritage areas and buildings in Petone need to be catalogued, listed and protected for future generations to enjoy.
3. The promise of a new McKenzie Pool has to be kept and not sacrificed to the financial expediency of political promises.
4. The threat of a road from Grenada over the hills to Petone has continued to be promoted by regional politicians despite the folly of any such road. I will continue to oppose the continuing stupidity of attempting to build a road for which there is no approved route nor announced cost.
5. The Petone Esplanade is not the peaceful boulevard which must have been planned by the original settlers of Petone. It has become a highway for heavy trucks and traffic to and from Seaview and beyond. The Cross Valley Link road needs to be built to give The Esplanade back to people and to provide a safe avenue to the beach.

Personal Profile

I currently work at NZQA where I have been employed for the last ten years.  Prior to working at NZQA I was a teacher for 25 years.  

Trained as a primary teacher, I worked in primary schools for 5 years before moving to country service and secondary teaching at Mangakino.  After four eventful years involving the arrival of a couple of children, being the rugby referee in the town and becoming involved in the Board of Trustees I moved with the new family to Rotorua and a new school. 

I spent 13 years at Western Heights High School teaching history, social studies, introducing the new health curriculum and running the school Library. I also ended up on this Board of Trustees as Staff Representative. 

My arrival in Petone 15 years ago at Petone College to teach Social Studies and History had family reasons.  The family of now four might be seeking tertiary education so a move was warranted.  The local college had potential which was never fulfilled and I left before it was closed with a very small roll.

My final stint in the classroom was at St Catherine’s College in Kilbirnie.  Having come from a difficult staffing environment at Petone College, the caring environment of a Catholic school was a blessing. 

However, 25 years in front of a blackboard (now a whiteboard) I sought new personal challenges and moved into public service at NZQA working in the secondary area where I am involved with the running of the end of year exams.

Thirty-five years married to Sharron, we enjoy living in Petone with its ‘local feel’. My mother had lived here as a child and my family links go back to the 1860s.  Thus heritage issues are more than political but have personal ‘family’ links.

I have hung up my referee’s whistle and now offer ‘advice’ via television while watching sport.  The Lighthouse in Petone is a favourite haunt along with the many cafes and communing with the seagulls on the foreshore.

Sharron and I have 4 adult children.   Our older son Nick lives with his partner in Thorndon and works for an IT firm in Petone.  Our older daughter Rebecca completed a BSc (Hons) at Victoria University and has since had conferred a PhD in neurobiology in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney.  She is now a medical student at Notre Dame University and will be graduating as a doctor next year.  Emma our younger daughter has a MA in Latin from Victoria University and has almost completed her PhD from the University of Sydney.  Our younger son Thomas still lives at home and works for an IT company in Wellington.