Wellington Regional Council

Adrienne Staples
Wairarapa needs the strongest voice possible representing it at the Greater Wellington Regional Council table. Having just completed 12 years as Mayor of South Wairarapa I am well placed to be that strong, experienced and connected voice that we need in regional decision making. I bring a wide range of experience to the role of Regional Councillor as well as a broad network of contacts both locally and nationally.

Throughout my time as Mayor I demonstrated strong leadership skills and proved my ability to work co-operatively with other mayors in the region. Nine years as the Wellington Region’s representative on the Local Government New Zealand National Council has given me contacts where it counts. As the Wairarapa Regional councillor I can apply all this experience for Wairarapa’s benefit.
My life has been balanced between town and country living giving me good insight into our important rural economy as well as modern urban expectations, especially around the environment. Born a town girl, I’ve had strong connections to the Wairarapa since childhood. My husband and I have farmed for the last 28 years while also running a small manufacturing business now based in Featherston and a Wellington IT consulting company.

If someone asked me what are three important principles that I stand for, I’d answer:
Healthy Rivers – we all want to be able to swim in our rivers and catch fish knowing the water is clean and safe. This is everyone’s responsibility, town and country alike. There is no room for finger pointing and blame. We need to work together to make this happen.
Public Transport – a reliable, safe, comfortable train service is a key element of the Wairarapa economy. Whether you are a commuter, tourist or occasional user, the rail and bus network must work for us, not the other way around.
Wairarapa Decision Making – Wairarapa makes up nearly seventy five per cent of the land area of the Wellington Region but because representation is based on population, by law we can only have one seat at the Council table. Recent attempts to have this changed have failed so we need to make the most of what we have. It is vitally important that Wairarapa’s viewpoint is considered in all Regional Council decisions.

There are of course a multitude of other things that matter too but my track record proves that I’m prepared to do the hard yards when it comes to making our voice heard at the regional level.
Authorised by Adrienne Staples 100 Western Lake Rd, RD3, Featherston.