WAIOTAHE farmer Doug Leeder is one step closer to securing another year leading Bay of Plenty Regional Council after the man he unseated last time confirmed he doesn’t want the role back.
Mr Leeder confirmed yesterday he would seek the chairman’s role in a second term, should he be re-elected, and his goal seems a step closer following confirmation from Tauranga representative John Cronin he does not want to be chairman again.
Following the 2013 local government elections, Mr Leeder, a first time councillor, was preferred by his fellow councillors to lead the council over Mr Cronin, who had served several terms was chairman.
Now, both men are back wanting to be part of the regional council again, but Mr Cronin is adamant he is not out to settle old scores.
He said the only reason he was seeking re-election was to see the completion of three projects he started when he as chairman.
“Which is the Opotiki Harbour, the Rotorua development and the tertiary partnership with the amalgamation of the two polytechnics.”
Mr Leeder, on the other hand, is keen to carry on with the job. He said he believed the council had worked together to provide some positive results.
“I have enjoyed the job [and] as a council we are making a difference [but] there is still more work to be done.
“I think the council has worked cohesively as a group. One thing we could do better is lift the profile of the regional council.
“If you ask the rural people what the regional council does, most of them will be able to tell you but if you ask urban people, many of them wouldn’t know.”
He said water would be the hot topic next term and he believed his background in farming would provide a good base to help guide the regional council.
“As a regional council our role is to look after air quality, water quality and land operations and I do believe it helps that when you can bring experiences and skills from a certain perspective, just like an urban representative will bring a perspective that you might not necessarily have.”
Mr Leeder will need to be elected on October 8 before he can be considered for chairman.
He is among three candidates standing in the Eastern Bay general constituency, with two positions available.
The other two candidates are former Whakatane mayor Colin Holmes and Bill Clark.
An election was not required in the Western Bay general constituency because only Norm Bruning and Jane Nees were nominated for the two vacancies.
Constituency nominations:
Eastern Bay – two vacancies
- Bill Clark
- Colin Holmes
- Doug Leeder
Rotorua – two vacancies
- Neil Oppatt
- Katie Pricilla Paul
- Lyall Thurston
- Kevin Winters
Tauranga – five vacancies
- John Cronin
- Stuart Crosby
- Keith Johnston
- Rusty Kane
- David Love
- Michael O’Neill
- Paula Thompson
- Andrew Von Dadelszen
Kohi Maori – one vacancy
- Miro Araroa
- Tiipene Marr
- Wetini Paul
Okurei Maori – one vacancy
- Gina Mohi
- Arapeta Tahana
Mauao Maori – one vacancy
- Carlton Bidois
- Awanui Black