The population of this South Canterbury district is ageing – and so is the infrastructure. Both have big implications for the council and ratepayers. 

Why is Timaru the best place in the world? 

A port town and the major hub of South Canterbury, Timaru, or Te Tihi-o-Maru, has a special landmark in State Highway 78, a 900-metre road to the port which is the shortest state highway in the country. It has the country’s best-tasting tap water And while nearby Oamaru promotes its penguin life, Caroline Bay (from the iconic tourist poster!) has little blue penguins too. Also, Geraldine is the home of Barkers of Geraldine, so there’s a good chance you’ve had a delicious preserve from this area, and you’ve probably eaten or drunk from some Temuka pottery.

What is the contest? 

There’s one mayor, and nine councillors – six are elected from the Timaru area, two from Pleasant Point and Temuka, and one from Geraldine. Environment Canterbury is responsible for plant and pest control, freshwater, transport and air quality in the region. Pleasant Point, Geraldine and Temuka, all located in a triangle to the north of the town of Timaru, have community board elections, too. 

Running for mayor is incumbent Nigel Bowen, who owns several local hospitality businesses; amateur historian and penguin volunteer Peter George Bennett, who is promoting his engineering and project management experience; and Stu Piddington, a real estate agent and current councillor. Both Bennett and Piddington are standing for council, too. 

For the other council positions, the Timaru ward has sitting councillors Owen “OJ” Jackson who describes himself as an “arts and culture champion”, Stacey Scott, who takes “balancing the books” literally, and Peter Burt, who manages the South Canterbury tennis programme as well as his councillor role. They’re up against nurse and wellness expert/inspirational speaker Anah Aikman, John Bolt, standing as an Act Local candidate, whose priority is managing rates while providing “safe roads, reliable water, and strong local services”, photographer Stu “Photo” Jackson, who is “not very politically correct or woke” and wants “less consultants and more action”, and construction professional and ex-military man Jason McDouall.

Custom car repairer Hadleigh Oudemans, who has also raised awareness for Lake Alice victims, is running, as is businessman Graeme Wilson, who has “seen how red tape and short-term thinking can hold our community back”, and  retired police officer and army chaplain Ian Hanley, who is looking forward to the “joy of concerts on Caroline Bay”. At 23, Ethan Richardson is the youngest candidate; he wants to keep rents and housing affordable. Age Concern South Canterbury manager Chris Thomas is a candidate who has an eye on demographics, saying he will be “brave enough to invest in facilities and services that reflect the needs of a changing population and environment”, and Sange Malama, who has worked as a teacher aide and in festival organising, describes herself as a “proud daughter of the Pacific”, particularly interested in working alongside families and young people.

In the Geraldine ward, Philip Harper and Gavin Oliver are contesting a single seat. Oliver has been on council for two terms already, and has said that smart planning is essential in Geraldine where, bucking the general trend in the area, the population has grown by 15% since he was elected. Harper, a farmer, is part of the Geraldine Lions club and  is focused on “balanced environmental and development outcomes”. 

In Pleasant Point and Temuka, current councillor Michelle Pye and current deputy mayor Scott Shannon are up against Charles Scarsbrook for the two seats available. Pye owns a farming supply business, while Shannon’s family business is bagpipe manufacturing. (He can also play the instrument). Scarsbrook has been the chair of the Temuka community board and runs the Temuka pottery retail store. 

What is at stake?

As with every council, replacing ageing infrastructure is a major issue for Timaru, especially since the district has a much smaller ratepaying base than larger centres to pay for it. The double bind of infrastructure as both asset and liability is very clear here. Timaru District Council has over $1.7 billion in assets – but some of those haven’t been revalued since 2005. Additionally, the council has a 50% stake in the port, which is one of the key economic drivers in Timaru. Candidates Thomas, Richardson and Handley all advocate for more Timaru tourism in their Policy.nz submissions. But will that be enough? The pre-election report notes that the council would need to increase rates by as much as 30% to achieve a balanced budget, which is sure to be unpopular. The council has just cut 25 full time roles to save money.

Continuing to pay for this infrastructure is harder, given that Timaru’s population is one of the oldest in New Zealand, with 22% of the population over the age of 65, compared to 16.5% in New Zealand as a whole. Many retired residents have high health needs and aren’t earning an income. Population growth is slow, too. Keeping services accessible and affordable for this demographic, while promoting growth that will bring new (and younger) people to the area, will be key. A big project on the go is an upgrade to the Claremont water treatment plant. While the 2025-28  Long Term Plan has allocated $36.4m, the preliminary budget didn’t account for costs like UV systems, reservoirs and fluoridation. Other projects have been put on hold to pay for the plant. The council is also considering forming a new CCO for building control as a result of RMA reforms.  

With small populations, paying for services can be tricky. Each swim in the Temuka pool costs the council approximately $15, and choosing to pay staff the living wage adds expenses too. Upgrades to the theatre and stadium are also a big and ongoing expense. Many current councillors are supportive of a rates review. 

While Environment Canterbury handles some aspects of flood control and water management, the district council is also seeing the effects of climate change. There were severe floods in 2019; the pre-election report notes that acute weather events can stretch staff further as they are redeployed to help with the response.

The latest resident satisfaction survey showed that just 53% of people were happy with the job Timaru District Council is doing overall, even though more than 75% were happy with many core services like public facilities, water infrastructure and parks. That’s perhaps more about the difficulty of surveying people as much as the challenges facing council, but nonetheless something everyone running will need to contend with. 

The race in a sentence?

Making the best choices for today, tomorrow, Timaru. 

The nitty gritty

Voting is open from September 9 to October 11; residents should have received voting packs in the mail by September 22. Timaru District Council votes with a first-past-the-post system. Early results will come in on October 11 and results will formally be declared between October 16-22.