I have dedicated 25 years to the community sector as youth worker, parish minister and MP's office manager. 

I believe: people must be the first priority of the DCC: I will support the community and families. 

I believe in good consultation with all areas of the community.  

I believe DCC spending must be careful, properly agreed, and benefit Dunedin people socially, environmentally, and economically.  

I believe in local community development; communities must be empowered to plan their own futures.

I believe we are stewards of the environment: we must protect and restore local habitats, improve public transport, provide for cyclists and pedestrians, develop home warmth and energy efficiency programmes. 

I believe that sustainable growth is the best way to reduce the rates burden for everyone. Dunedin needs to work together to boost industry and create promising new jobs.  

I believe that DCC social housing must be warm, dry and affordable.

Top 5 Issues

1. Consultation: I am committed to good consultation processes with all sectors. I have significant connections across a wide range of sectors in the community. I am committed to participating in the community to actively engaging, listening and taking action on behalf of NGOs, community groups and any group with a vision to see Dunedin prosper socially, economically and environmentally.
2. Community development: Local communities need to be empowered to plan their own futures.
   
   I helped set up the NEV Project and South Dunedin Voice. I believe local communities need support to plan their own futures. Money spent on community development is money well spent as every dollar invested attracts many more dollars worth of volunteer work and community spirit.
   
3. Spending Priorities: Council spending must benefit the city environmentally, socially and economically. We have a huge debt burden it will put significant pressure on the new council. No one wants rate rises. No one wants the services they depend on to be cut. Future spending decision must be made wisely. I will speak up for the vulnerable who do not have a loud voice and I will be guided by the principles of triple bottom line accounting. Money spent must give good returns economically, environmentally and socially.
4. Public transport: For a whole lot of reasons we need to improve our game on public transport.
   Better cheaper public transport reduces social exclusion, is good for the environment and the economy. We need bike rakes. We need a review of routes and time tables. We should investigate setting up transport hubs and using minibuses on some routes. We need better after hours services. We need timetables that are easy to read and understand.
   
5. Economic Development. The best way to reduce the rates burden is to increase the rating base. We need smart planning that will encourage more of our graduates to stay and support local industry. We need to make Dunedin an attractive place for people to raise a family. We should plan to grow our population, otherwise we will face a future with a skewed demographic with not enough workers to support the growing needs of retired citizens. There are opportunities such as the off shore oil exploration but these must be well managed to ensure there is minuscule environmental impact and that we don't enter a boom and bust cycle rather that we plan for long term sustainable growth.

Personal Profile

I left school at 16 to make cheese, but soon found that thing that motivated most was working with people.  Initially I spent about 10 years working with young people in 3 parish based positions. As a minister in various churches I have been drawn to work with people in the wider community and sought ways for the church to engage in helping the community. My volunteer work on the School Board, with the North East Valley Project, and the NEV Baptist Community Trust, have all been part of my journey toward... read on

I became involved with politics in 2005 when I saw that to get some things changed you have to make a public stand.  I got involved with the Labour Party and then spent a while working for Clare Curran Dunedin South MP...  read on

I’ve always endeavoured to equip myself for the tasks that I feel called upon to perform.  I value education highly. So in spite of leaving school at 16 I have put myself through university as an adult and completed 3 degrees... read on

My family is important to me.  Many of my hobbies and interests revolve around my three sons.  I see Dunedin though the eyes of my children and want to make Dunedin a great place for families...read on