Two more candidates have announced their intention to stand for the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board in the upcoming local body elections.

They are Kathy Dedo and current board member Linda Joll, both professionals with substantial local involvement through years working with local charities.

“I’ve been privileged to serve my community in a variety of roles over the past 23 years, and I’m excited to now put my hand up for local government,” Kathy said.

“My experience in governance, business, and working at the heart of this community enables me to represent a wide range of views.”

For the past 23 years, Kathy has worked and volunteered across a range of local community issues: serving on boards and committees of the Wānaka Business Chamber, Parenting4Life, Shaping our Future, Alpine Community Development Trust, Wānaka Area Youth Trust, Wānaka Alcohol Group, Holy Family School, and Montessori preschool. 

She is currently a board member of the Central Lakes Trust (deputy chair and Audit & Risk Committee chair) as well as chair of Sport Otago.

She has recently completed a term on ministerial advisory group Kāpuia, advising the government on its response to the Christchurch mosque attacks.

Her community roles have seen her play a strong part in local engagement and decision-making, including starting the community gardens that supply the Community Link foodbank, and accelerating public transport planning by leading the community shuttle trials. 

She also contributed to past iterations of the Wānaka Town Centre Masterplanning and Wānaka Airport Masterplanning, both of which will be refreshed soon.

“Planning for the Upper Clutha’s future has been the focus of my work for years. I’d love the chance to continue that mahi on the Wānaka-Upper Clutha Community Board,” Kathy said.

Meanwhile, Linda – a director at Reset Urban Design who has lived in Wānaka since 2015 – is proud of the progress made during her first term on the WUCCB and is looking forward to building on that work.

“This term will be one for actioning the priorities made by this existing community board, therefore I am fully committed to ensuring these priorities are community based, [and] have the best possible outcomes for the environment, the community, our tamariki, our wai, and our visitors,” she said.

During the current term she has been on the environment portfolio, working alongside the Friends of Bullock Creek, Te Kakano Aotearoa Trust, WAI Wānaka, the Cardona Ratepayers and Residents Association, and others.

“My trustee position on the Lakes District Arts Trust will continue to support the use of art in the landscape, and support more sculpture in our public spaces for all to enjoy and have easy access to,” she said. “We are so blessed to have a piece of the late Paul Dibble’s work on our lakefront, placed within our outstanding natural landscape for everyone to enjoy.”

Linda, who has three adult children, also gives her time to Food for Love and Warbirds Over Wānaka. She says she’s motivated to continue contributing to the place she’s proud to call home.

Candidate nominations for local body elections close this Friday (August 1).

PHOTOS: Supplied