Graham Chard for Mayor - A Steady Hand for New Plymouth's Future.
With decades of leadership in the Defence Force, award-winning business experience, and vast community service, I offer New Plymouth a strong, steady hand to lead real change. I will tackle rising rates and council debt, cut wasteful spending, and support local businesses and ratepayers.
My focus is on responsible management, transparency, and building a vibrant, sustainable future for all. I have the skills, knowledge, and commitment to get New Plymouth back on track - delivering value for every ratepayer dollar and restoring pride in our city.
If you want a Mayor who listens, acts, and builds a New Plymouth we can all be proud of and be happy to call home, I ask for your vote.
Graham Chard - Strong Leadership. Real Change. A Better New Plymouth.
Yes
What?
I would instigate a value for money review of the cost of every service provided by NPDC and have officers look at cutting back those services whose costs are disproportionate to the public value provided by those services.
Yes
What?
NPDC should be doing all it can, within the bounds of current fiscal pressures, to support a rejuvenation of our CBD, support local industry, hospitality and tourism sectors, and ensure roading infrastructure is appropriate to meet all their needs.
No
Why?
The effects of the rough-sleeper problem are impacting sectors of our district NOW! Therefore, the NPDC needs to initiate solutions to the most serious of those effects right now, not fund feel-good solutions for the distant future!
No
Why?
Water services should be put into a trust to protect them in the long term, and the delivery of those services should be conducted in house! I believe the CCO plan has only been put in place because of the borrowing potential available to them.
Yes
Why?
NPDC definitely needs to support the 'impact' of climate effects, but it should NOT be wasting money on any sort of feel-good 'emission reduction' initiatives. On a global scale those sorts of initiatives achieve next to nothing!
No
Why?
$50m has not funded an 'Active Community Hub' - it appears to have funded Taranaki Racing Inc. infrastructure, with the remainder earmarked for a seemingly unconsented (albeit much needed) gymnasium.
No
Why?
The current ones are a largely unused, poorly installed disaster, and what we presently have should never be repeated anywhere!
Keep
Why?
As this poll was forced on councils by Act as a racist stand, I'm voting 'Keep'. I don't think we should have separate wards at all. If the poll had been on the retention of ALL wards across the district, my vote would be 'Remove'.
Improve the vibrancy of our CBD, and the quality of our road surfaces and traffic flow, to make the place attractive to visitors to come and stay. Bigger numbers then provide greater potential audience numbers to attract more artists and events.
1. Direct NPDCs focus away from continual borrowing while 'keeping under its debt ceiling', to a focus on debt reduction. 2. Launch a review of all contract and spending processes to address cost control, oversight and transparency deficiencies.
