2025 Local Body Elections: Who’s standing for council in the Timaru District

Monday, 17 February 2025

A Timaru District councillor has confirmed she will not stand for the council again this year, while others say it is too early to decide.

Sally Parker, who has sat around the council table for three terms, has told The Timaru Herald she will not seek re-election in this year’s Local Body Election in October.

Timaru District mayor Nigel Bowen confirmed plans to seek a third term in office last month, while deputy mayor Scott Shannon, and councillors Michelle Pye, Owen Jackson, Stacey Scott, and Stu Piddington have all since confirmed they will stand again.

Meanwhile, fellow councillors Gavin Oliver and Allan Booth said eight months out from the election, they were undecided, while Peter Burt did not provide a response by the Herald’s deadline.

Parker said it had been “a great privilege to serve our community’’.

“I am very grateful for the experiences I have had over the past three terms,’’ she said.

In confirming her decision to seek re-election, Pye said after one term as a councillor she felt she was in a position to make “some fully informed decisions and help influence some positive outcomes for council’’.

“I also see this role as a way to give back to the community that has supported us for many years and this is an important factor for me.’’

She had gone into the last election not making any promises other than trying to add value around the table, she said.

She was most proud of “the alignment of councillors’’ saying while they did not all agree, nor should they, they were usually aligned on the outcomes they were seeking for the community.

“This helps with progress because a divided council will make very little progress on anything.’’

Challenges for the council included facing a “cost of living crisis”.

“We need to leave no stone unturned in trying to do more with less. But that is easier said than done.’’

Fellow first-time councillor Jackson said elected members had made important decisions over the past three years and he wanted to see those through.

Last election he campaigned on ‘Getting Things Done' as he said he had grown frustrated with “the general lack of action in getting our major capital projects under way’’.

“My goal was to make sure we continue to invest in both our vertical and horizontal infrastructure and keep the Timaru District as a desirable place to live.’’

He was most proud of the final decisions around the Theatre Royal project, Aorangi Park and the ongoing success of CPlay “which all contribute to the well being of our community’’.

Jackson said the rates increase and finding a balance between costs and levels of service for the community had been the biggest challenge in the past three years.

“As for challenges we will face over the next term, I see Local Water Done Well near the top of the list as well as balancing our books, making sure our capital projects stay on budget, and keeping rates increases at a manageable level. We also need to continually focus on how we make the Timaru district a desirable place to live, work and play.’’

Also a first-year councillor, Scott said she had “thoroughly’’ enjoyed her first term around the table.

“It’s been rewarding to work closely with the community and contribute to decisions shaping our district’s future,’’ she said.

Her primary goal had been been to stay engaged with the community and understand its needs, and worked to keep the district relevant, progressive “and a great place to live’’.

During her time around the table, she was most proud of the councillors’ ability to engage in “thoughtful, constructive discussions while ultimately achieving positive outcomes for our district’’.

She used the Theatre Royal decision as a key example and said while it had been a challenging process, she firmly believed councillors reached the right conclusion.

“The controlled spending that’s now in place reflects that,’’ she said.

Challenges ahead included ageing infrastructure which required substantial investment for repairs, upgrades and renewals - efforts she said had been both necessary and costly.

“We will also need to prioritise resource allocation as demand for community services increases, balancing new initiatives with maintaining existing services.

“Economic pressures and evolving community needs will require the council to stay adaptable in budgeting and long-term planning.’’

Meanwhile, Shannon, who would seek re-election for a second time, said while he believed that Timaru was the best district in the country the council needed to keep on improving its liveability.

He said he stood by and was proud of some of the difficult decisions councillors had made. He had enjoyed working with all fellow elected members, he said.

“In particular, I believe that our decision to not proceed with the Theatre Royal and Heritage Hub plans but to instead refurbish the Theatre Royal and create an entertainment precinct will prove to be an excellent decision.

“I am also particularly proud of Temuka and Pleasant Point Community Boards’ strategic planning work, and some of the initiatives and upgrades that have happened in Cave, Pleasant Point, and Temuka due to our work and advocacy.’’

The biggest challenge over the past three years had been the “significant escalation in the cost of delivering the infrastructure and services that people either need or expect from council, and the inflationary pressure on the finances of ratepayers’’.

Shannon said the council would continue to face the same economic challenges.

And while Piddington has confirmed he will seek re-election, he is yet to decide if he will stand for mayor again like he did in 2022.

“I believe I am making a positive contribution around the council table and making a difference,’’ he said.

The biggest challenge for the council was getting the books balanced and the delivery of services, he said.

“Keeping a close eye on expenditure to ensure it is appropriate so ratepayers are getting value for money,’’ he said.

He would campaign on getting rates rises under 10% and ensuring third parties, contractors and council-controlled organisations were accountable for their spending of ratepayers’ money and delivery of services.

“[I will also] push for more efficiency within council and continue to move towards a more user-pays model for services.’’

Candidate nominations open on July 1, with voting documents delivered between September 9 and 22.

Election day is on October 11.