There are six local candidates campaigning for the four seats on the newly named Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board: some are familiar names and some are new.

The Wānaka App asked Barry Bruce, Lyal Cocks, Christopher Hadfield, Linda Joll, Simon Telfer, and John Wellington four questions about their lives in Wānaka and their goals for the future.

Here are their answers.

1. Tell us about your day job and your community involvement

Barry Bruce: My wife Sue and I own and operate various businesses including Wānaka Rentacar, Inland Autos, visitor accommodation and commercial property.

I have been involved with Shaping Our Future (SOF) for many years including various taskforce groups and am currently Deputy SOF board chair.

Lyal Cocks: I operate a driving services business which includes driving instruction and assessment, and contract truck driving. I am also a district licensing commissioner. I am a member of Ignite Wānaka, Friends of Bullock Creek, Friends of Pembroke Park, Upper Clutha Historical Records Society, the Wānaka Districts Club, the Wānaka Rodeo Club, and the Wānaka Golf Club.

Christopher Hadfield: My husband Paul and I bought Ritual Cafe over 15 years ago. In addition to taking the cafe through the tough Covid times, I was seconded to the Ignite Chamber of Commerce Board; am a trustee for the Lake Wānaka Arts and Culture Charitable Trust looking at building a performing arts centre in Wānaka; and I am part of the steering group looking at the design of the town centre, known as the Heart of Wānaka. 

Linda Joll: I am a shareholder/director with Reset Urban Design, and a landscape designer, involved with the supervision of the three built stages of the Lakefront Development Plan. 

I volunteer for Warbirds, Te Kākano Nursery, Food for Love, Winter Games, and support the Heart of Wānaka vision. I am a trustee of the Lakes District Arts Trust.

Simon Telfer: I’m a director and governance advisor to privately owned businesses, local councils and national sporting organisations across New Zealand. Locally I have chaired Dunlop Builders for the past six years.

Since 2016 I’ve served as a Bike Wānaka committee member, leading efforts to save Sticky Forest and advocate for active transport. In 2020, as part of QLDC’s Covid-19 recovery, I chaired the district-wide Regenerative Recovery Advisory Group. More recently I have joined a steering group to establish a community foundation in the Upper Clutha. My wife (Jo Shearer) and I are proud patrons of the Festival of Colour and we support local artists. I’m also a member of Ignite Wānaka and have two children at Mount Aspiring College.

John Wellington: I am the co-owner of two tourism businesses, one providing visitor accommodation, and one providing local tours and national tour guiding for small inbound international tour groups.

I have been involved in planning issues in Wānaka since the Wānaka 2020 process however my main community activity for the last 16 years has been with the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust. I lobbied council to form a trust in the Upper Clutha following the establishment of the Wakatipu Trails Trust, and am a founding trustee, its treasurer and main fundraiser. The trust has created more than 80km of new walking and cycling tracks for the community. 

2. What is a problem in Wānaka that you have a solution for?

Barry Bruce: Most problems can be avoided by better communication. My goal is to have transparent, open governance including workshop meeting reports made public.

Lyal Cocks: Traffic flow around the town centre is becoming a problem. My initial solution is mountable roundabouts at the following intersections: McDougall Street and Brownston Street; Brownston and Dungarvon Streets; Golf Course Road and Ballantyne Road; Anderson Road and Link Way; and Anderson Road and Aubrey Road. These roundabouts do not have to be over designed and expensive - a painted circle and signposting works

Christopher Hadfield: Getting the local community involved with the council and especially the community board. Too often rather than engaging with us, locals seem to prefer to criticise after the fact. 

Linda Joll: We need a long-term vision from the community of their town, this will be different in Hāwea, to Luggute, Cardrona, and the developing suburbs of Wānaka. This vision is to include transport, use of public spaces, and have ideas of self funded development. 

My solution would be to engage with each of the communities, both councillors and community board members, take on a challenge to host regular events to share information of constraints and possibilities, to listen and set some deadlines to resolve issues of distrust between community and council.

Simon Telfer: A network of protected urban cycleways in Wānaka would: increase the safety of our most vulnerable road users (especially children); meaningfully reduce our CO2 emissions; increase community health and wellbeing; relieve pressure on parking and congestion; support residents where the cost of car ownership is prohibitive; and attract visitors who have a strong affinity with community and the environment.

John Wellington: People have been talking about not being able to park outside the shops in Wānaka for the 24 years I have lived here. There is no new space for parking in town unless you are happy with a multi-story car park in Pembroke Park. So, we have to use the space we have better. Make it safe and easy for those who want to walk and cycle to town, this will free up spaces for those who need to drive and park. Possibly some shorter parking times to keep spaces available. On demand small vehicle public transport may also be a future option.

3. What should the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board be doing that it's not already doing? 

Barry Bruce: Despite all Wānaka sitting councillors publicly stating not being in favour of retaining WCB during the representation review process, WCB survived with community support.

Since the review process the board has made good progress strengthening and improving direct communications with councillors and senior staff. This must continue to maximise the board’s effectiveness.

Lyal Cocks: Making decisions and recommendations on all issues that affect the Upper Clutha, effectively using its delegation from council.

Christopher Hadfield: Getting more information from QLDC and then getting this information out to the community so we can all have a say on our future.

Linda Joll: We are not an open and welcoming community, we need to celebrate diversity, open up our communities to welcome new faces, we need places to come together for korero, to welcome, share ideas, and engage with our communities of Hāwea, Luggate, Cardrona, and suburbs of Wānaka.

The community board could put on tea/coffee in each of these areas so the communities know who the community board is and they can feel comfortable sharing their ideas to, without judgement, a quarterly potluck in each community, or street party, or festival to celebrate the lakefront.

Simon Telfer: The community board has been given an opportunity to reclaim its influence and respect. I believe it can lead our region in a future focused, positive and inspiring way. If elected, I will bring a fresh energy and a proactive attitude to the board, plus a track record of both working with, and challenging, QLDC. The board needs to take ownership of its agenda and workplan, prioritising projects that are important to the community and not just responding to what is put in front of us by QLDC management.

John Wellington: It needs to be consulted at a very early stage in all QLDC projects in the Upper Clutha. It needs the full-time council staff support, promised at the last election but not delivered, to be able to assess these projects and advise council of the community position. It needs support to use its delegated authority on Wānaka issues, and to be able to proactively bring projects and solutions to council.

4. What is your vision for the Upper Clutha?

Barry Bruce: My vision for the Upper Clutha is to have a well planned inclusive community that provides amenities, services and social support to all community age groups and sectors.

Lyal Cocks: To be the best place to live with a healthy lake, thriving economy and nurturing communities.

Christopher Hadfield: A place where everything is easy. Easy to get to work by bus, bike or car. Easy to enjoy the environment and all it has to offer. Easy to find a place to live. Yet these are great challenges and can only be solved with everyone involved 

Linda Joll: To be an open, welcoming community, built with intelligent design principles, led by community initiatives that support the long-term visions, for sustainable growth of surrounding areas eg Whakatipu, yet has a long term sustainable vision and allocated funding of its own to move forward with, knowing that we will not become simply, another suburb of Queenstown.

Simon Telfer: A thriving region with community wellbeing at its core - no one being left behind. People (children and elderly in particular) and climate change mitigation being at the heart of a redesigned town centre. Wānaka’s network of safe and protected cycleways being the envy of every other town in Aotearoa. Housing is more affordable and mental health services fully resourced. Our beautiful natural environment remaining protected with all residents acting as kaitiaki/guardians. The region continuing to be built on a foundation of engaged residents and a well supported volunteer community.

John Wellington: A people centred design for Wānaka town centre, with good links to the Three Parks commercial hub. A community that can work near where they live and have a range of travel options. An economy that continues to diversify and provide job prospects for our children and a wider range of housing options so that they can afford to live here if they wish to. A continuing focus on urban living to protect the outstanding natural landscapes that drew many of us to the area.

PHOTOS: Supplied