Southland district's new mayor Rob Scott says he'll be knocking on doors in Wellington

Friday, 14 October 2022

Rob Scott is elated to be the new Southland District Mayor.

Rob Scott has a reminder of his successful mayoral campaign – his thumb is wrapped in a sticking plaster.

“I hit it with a sledgehammer while I was putting one of my signs up. Mandeville, Riversdale and probably Balfour [residents] would have heard some pretty interesting language that day,’’ he said.

However, the campaign, sore thumb and all, paid off and life is about to change for the Scott family, after he was announced as Southland district’s new mayor on Thursday.

Scott and his family, wife Jane, 12-year-old-son Levi and seven-year-old daughter Mia, know that life is going to be pretty busy for the next three years.

* South's close mayoralty races may not be decided until Friday

* Rob Scott to stand for Southland District mayoralty in 2022

“We’ve been preparing for this for a while in case it eventuated,’’ Jane said.

She will take over running the family printing business at Lumsden, and they have organised staffing levels at their main street café so that Scott will have time to be a full-time mayor.

New Southland District Mayor Rob Scott in his home town of Lumsden, with wife Jane and children Levi, 12, and Mia, 7.

They’ve also converted the printing premises into their family home.

“It was too hard spreading ourselves over three buildings, so now we’re down to two,’’ Rob said.

Rob and Jane moved to Lumsden from Wellington in 2006, wanting to get out of the ‘’rat race”.

“We picked up a quarter acre section with a three-bedroom house and a sleep out for $100,000. Jane wasn’t convinced, and I said if you don’t like it we could go back, but we’re still here,’’ he said.

Levi said it was ‘’crazy’’ that dad was mayor, but he knows he may have a bit less time to spend with him now.

Scott admits that there will be less time to spend on his Harley-Davidson motorbike, which he rides to Garston for a coffee occasionally.

He’ll still be doing a lot of travelling though.

New Southland District Mayor Rob Scott in his home town of Lumsden.

Southland district is a big electorate, and it has a list of problems he’d like to help solve.

“I don’t have a silver bullet, but it’s about having the right people in the right places at the right time.’’

He wants to empower the districts’ community boards to get things done.

“There are 57 members of community boards, and I’m meeting them all at the weekend to discuss the issues with them,’’ he said.

“They’re all part of the team as well.’’

Scott said he believed the district’s biggest problem was the amount of legislation being forced on the district from central government, and the implications that had for communities.

“People are already struggling with affordability, that’s one of the big things I heard during the campaign. The last three years have been really tough for everyone.

“The Government is forcing a lot of change and people are struggling to pay for it. Rates are a big part of people’s expenditure, and we have to make sure we’re not putting any undue pressure on people while we’re still getting things done,’’ he said.

“I’m not a farmer, but I have family and friends who are, and I know what they’re dealing with at the moment. Some of the change coming at them is going to come at a cost to the district, and we have to work together to deal with it.’’

What can the Southland district mayor do about that?

“I can keep knocking on their doors in Wellington because it’s important they understand the implications of the changes they are making.’’

He is concerned about rural employment levels, and the lack of housing.

“You walk down the main street of Winton and there are situations vacant signs on shop window – but if you find staff, where do those new people live? There are farmers and rural contractors that need staff, but where do those people come from?

“The problems aren’t unique to Southland district and its important we work together as a region to work on these things.’’

For Scott, that will mean working with Southland’s other new mayors – Nobby Clark in Invercargill and Ben Bell in Gore.

“There’s been a lot of change and while some people don’t like that, we have to make it a positive situation for the province. I’m looking forward to the challenge of making Southland an even better place to live.’’