Conversations with a Mayor

A new CEO is heading into the hot seat at New Plymouth District Council 👀🏛️💥 This week, Taryn catches up with New Plymouth Mayor Max Brough to learn more about Kelvin Wright, the council’s newly announced Chief Executive. They talk about why Kelvin was selected, what he brings to the role, and what mahi he will be doing in the first few months on the job. Then it’s into rates capping, funding for the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery/Len Lye Centre, and whether putting councils under tighter financial pressure could actually spark a little good old-fashioned Kiwi ingenuity💡Join us for a lively kōrero about leadership, money, creativity and what comes next for New Plymouth.

From wrestling banter to a very serious question about who’s going to pay for thousands of ageing rural bridges, this one covers a bit of ground 🤼‍♂️🌉 This week, Taryn catches up with South Taranaki District Mayor Phil Nixon for a chat about the weather, the upcoming Te Hāwera Community Board by-election, and new funding for the Resource Recovery Centre. Then the conversation gets onto the bridges. With rural bridges across Aotearoa reaching the end of their working lives, Taryn asks Phil whether rural ratepayers are carrying a disproportionate share of the cost of ageing infrastructure, and what a fairer way forward might look like. Plus, there’s a bit of wrestling chat along the way, as Phil shares his recent experience in the wrestling ring 🤼‍♂️

What do you get when rural bridges around Aotearoa start reaching the end of their lives? A very big bill, and a very big question about who’s paying it 🌉 This week, Taryn catches up with Stratford District Mayor Neil Volzke for a wide-ranging kōrero, starting with the people making a difference in the community at Stratford’s Citizen Awards 🏆 They chat about the announcement of a new data centre for Stratford 💻, before getting into the big issue of the week: rural bridges. With bridges across Aotearoa ageing out, what happens when they need replacing, and who foots the bill? Then, Neil brings us up to speed on the latest with local government reform.

From the surf to the future of local government, there’s plenty to talk about in Taranaki! This week, Taryn catches up with Craig Williamson, Chair of the Taranaki Regional Council, starting with a look at what’s happening in the surf world and the latest from Surf Aid before turning to the much bigger question of local government reform. They unpack Craig’s recent opinion piece in The Post and his argument that the Taranaki Regional Council deserves a seat at the table when decisions are being made about the future shape of local government in the region. It’s a lively kōrero about waves, regional voice, and who gets to have a say.

Local government reform is moving fast, and the questions are getting bigger. This week, Taryn catches up with New Plymouth District Mayor Max Brough to unpack the latest developments in the future of local government across Taranaki. They dive into the new million-dollar Pathfinder report being led by the New Plymouth District Council and how he plans to get that proposal seen by Central Government. Taryn also asks Max what he thinks about South Taranaki and Stratford choosing to forge ahead together without New Plymouth. If you're trying to make sense of the reform conversation, this episode brings you up to speed on where things stand, and where they could be heading next.