Gisborne District Council

Tairāwhiti General Ward
The Gisborne District Council provides local services and facilities, such as public transport, rubbish and recycling, libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. It also passes local regulations and makes decisions about infrastructure, such as water supply and sewerage, and about the region’s resources, including water, soil and the coastline. The council is made up of 13 councillors and the mayor. Councillors are elected to represent wards (areas in the district). Eight councillors will be elected from the Tairāwhiti General ward. This is a single transferable vote (STV) election, so you vote by ranking the candidates on your ballot paper. Compare the candidates and their policies to decide who to vote for in the Gisborne District Council election.

Local democracy

Local government is a foundational part of our democracy. But local democracy isn’t just about holding elections every three years – it’s about the day-to-day ways people have their say in the decisions that affect us all.

Local democracy

Local government is a foundational part of our democracy. But local democracy isn’t just about holding elections every three years – it’s about the day-to-day ways people have their say in the decisions that affect us all.

  • Reform the size and role of council.

    Allow more public engagement.

    Let everyone represent and engage to their heart's content.

  • Committed to foster public engagement, even were I not on council.

    Try and insure representation maintained, yet looking to divide the eight general ward seats to restore at least two rural ward positions.

    Committed to council which considers that we are multi-cultural not bi-cultural. Pakeha are in fact diverse cultures – not singular.

  • Better engagement and representation from all areas of community, ie engage with lower decile areas who wouldn't normally be represented.

    Māori seats definitely a step forward to address community representation.

    Try to attract quality council staff so as can move away from consultants. Look at investing into up skilling existing staff.

  • Develop a citizens assembly programme – an alternative mechanism for engaging with the community on local solutions.

    Support modernisation of electoral system reform.

    Encourage localism in reforms to deliver better outcomes for communities here.

  • Work, without fear or favour, for the benefit of all constituents regardless of background.

    Reduce the size of council.

    Encourage an open democratic governance model with minimum "public excluded" meetings.

  • Begin a more intensive engagement project with residents that includes surveys and face to face engagement feedback on council services.

    Give space for other ethnic communities to engage with council and support more opportunities for shared ideas around inclusivity.

    Start a courageous conversations framework where hot topics can be discussed with staff and councillors to understand our roles.

  • Create platforms for the community to interact with councillors at regular intervals.

    Ensure council as an employee provides equity for all its employees.

  • Enable the GDC to be a good employer and a great place to work by providing atrractive terms and conditions to our employees

    Honour the terms of the Treaty and work in partnership with our iwi and hapū entities for the benefit of us all.

    Always be available to our community to hear and address all their issues and concerns and represent their views.

  • Review of council staff expectations and culture.

    Commit to transparency within council.

    Reform the size and role of council.

  • Implement the living wage for all council employees by March 31, 2024

    Put in place impact statement to define the role of the Gisborne District Council and understand and convey that message with clarity, new collaborative partnerships

    Embrace the impacts of technological changes by supporting digital capability and capacity.

  • Encourage face to face interaction of strongly interpersonal focused council workers with the community.

    Prioritise employing and engaging appropriate representatives from each group of our community.

    Allow Māori to create the framework of council chambers' tikanga.

  • Require greater transparency in council decision making, less publicly excluded reports/agenda and comprehensive and meaningful consultation.

    Draft new policy and protocols to provide safety and support systems for Māori councillors.

    Advocate with central government for greater staff resourcing and resource optimisation to enable staff to implement upcoming reforms.

  • Reform the size and role of council.

    Allow more public engagement.

    Let everyone represent and engage to their heart's content.

  • Committed to foster public engagement, even were I not on council.

    Try and insure representation maintained, yet looking to divide the eight general ward seats to restore at least two rural ward positions.

    Committed to council which considers that we are multi-cultural not bi-cultural. Pakeha are in fact diverse cultures – not singular.

  • Better engagement and representation from all areas of community, ie engage with lower decile areas who wouldn't normally be represented.

    Māori seats definitely a step forward to address community representation.

    Try to attract quality council staff so as can move away from consultants. Look at investing into up skilling existing staff.

  • Develop a citizens assembly programme – an alternative mechanism for engaging with the community on local solutions.

    Support modernisation of electoral system reform.

    Encourage localism in reforms to deliver better outcomes for communities here.

  • Work, without fear or favour, for the benefit of all constituents regardless of background.

    Reduce the size of council.

    Encourage an open democratic governance model with minimum "public excluded" meetings.

  • Begin a more intensive engagement project with residents that includes surveys and face to face engagement feedback on council services.

    Give space for other ethnic communities to engage with council and support more opportunities for shared ideas around inclusivity.

    Start a courageous conversations framework where hot topics can be discussed with staff and councillors to understand our roles.

  • Create platforms for the community to interact with councillors at regular intervals.

    Ensure council as an employee provides equity for all its employees.

  • Enable the GDC to be a good employer and a great place to work by providing atrractive terms and conditions to our employees

    Honour the terms of the Treaty and work in partnership with our iwi and hapū entities for the benefit of us all.

    Always be available to our community to hear and address all their issues and concerns and represent their views.

  • Review of council staff expectations and culture.

    Commit to transparency within council.

    Reform the size and role of council.

  • Implement the living wage for all council employees by March 31, 2024

    Put in place impact statement to define the role of the Gisborne District Council and understand and convey that message with clarity, new collaborative partnerships

    Embrace the impacts of technological changes by supporting digital capability and capacity.

  • Encourage face to face interaction of strongly interpersonal focused council workers with the community.

    Prioritise employing and engaging appropriate representatives from each group of our community.

    Allow Māori to create the framework of council chambers' tikanga.

  • Require greater transparency in council decision making, less publicly excluded reports/agenda and comprehensive and meaningful consultation.

    Draft new policy and protocols to provide safety and support systems for Māori councillors.

    Advocate with central government for greater staff resourcing and resource optimisation to enable staff to implement upcoming reforms.