HOW DO YOU THINK COUNCIL SHOULD PREPARE FOR THE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE, INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES, AND POPULATION GROWTH WITHOUT CONTINUALLY RAISING RATES?

Ann Court -There is no easy out here. What we need to do is get a lot smarter about how we plan and deliver. Elected members are not professional directors so we need to embed specialist expertise to ensure we are looking at the right projects, in the right time, to deliver the right outcome at the right price.

WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON COUNCIL DEBT—SHOULD WE BORROW MORE TO INVEST NOW, OR SHOULD WE LIMIT DEBT TO KEEP RATES UNDER CONTROL?

Ann Court -Debt is not something we should be afraid off. It ensures intergenerational equity spreading the costs of the life of the asset over the generational users. Councillors must keep an active lens on the total debt and future price paths for interest movements to ensure headroom and debt balance remain in a equitable position.

WHAT INNOVATIVE OR ALTERNATIVE FUNDING OPTIONS (OUTSIDE OF RATES) WOULD YOU CONSIDER TO HELP FINANCE COMMUNITY PRIORITIES?

Ann Court - Councils are subject to the Rating Act so our ability to flex is limited. We have been enormously successful in leveraging the National Land Transport Fund, Provincial Growth Fund and Tourism Infrastructure Fund BUT we must keep our eye on the accumulated operational and renewal expenditure. Not every gift horse is actually a gift.

WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU TAKE TO ENSURE COUNCIL DECISIONS ARE GROUNDED IN THE REAL NEEDS OF LOCAL PEOPLE RATHER THAN OUTSIDE CONSULTANTS OR POLITICAL AGENDAS?

Ann Court - Unfortunately, you can never stop political agendas if the majority of elected members support them. Ensuring all agendas have a cost/benefit consideration including the rating impact will keep the cost real. I would also second independent professional support to drive better elected member decision-making.

Michele Wilson - I’m a juggling mama and I wear plenty of hats — teacher, volunteer, and a community advocator sitting on two trusts. Being on the ground in all those spaces means I hear what people are really facing every day. As a community collaborator, I’d take those voices to the council table so decisions reflect real life here in our rohe, and make sure the benefits stay in our own communities.

HOW WOULD YOU ENGAGE WITH COMMUNITIES—ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO FEEL DISCONNECTED FROM COUNCIL—TO UNDERSTAND THEIR PRIORITIES BEFORE DECISIONS ARE MADE?

Ann Court - We have amazing community boards. These are the grass roots representatives. We need to utilize them more and respect their feedback. With the demise of the paper and not everyone engaging via social media we need to ensure elected members remain connected not distant from the community they stood to represent.

Michele Wilson - I work with the community on the daily (took this pic at a Matariki gathering we created with the local hapu and community) — in schools, at sports, at local events, and alongside volunteers. Those are the places where people speak honestly about what matters. I don’t expect everyone to come to a council meeting. My role is to meet people where they already are, listen properly, and make sure their voices are carried through into real decisions.

MANY PEOPLE IN THE FAR NORTH ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY. HOW WOULD YOU AS A COUNCILLOR MAKE SURE THE COUNCIL DOESN’T ADD TO THEIR BURDEN?

Ann Court - As in Q.1 we need to ensure all decision making comes with a rating impact statement including debt, operational and depreciation costs. This needs to be a rolling impact as each decision in isolation of the big picture can paint a misleading fiscal position. Independent professional support will drive more fiscally prudent decisions within a deliverable and accountable time line.

Michele Wilson - I know first-hand from working in schools, attending kids sports, running the Meraki Hub Paihia project and being part of community events that wellbeing has to sit at the centre of decision-making. That means focusing on the basics families rely on — safe roads, clean drinking water, and stormwater that works — while also protecting the simple things that keep us well, like clean walking tracks, beaches, and rivers. When these spaces are cared for, families can enjoy them for free, staying active, connected, and proud of where we live.

I’d also back grassroots, self-sustaining projects — like community gardens, local energy initiatives, creative hubs, and community events where skills-sharing can take place. Collecting feedback on what’s already working well helps us grow those successes. Using models like Te Whare Tapa Whā and the Five Ways to Wellbeing gives us practical ways to strengthen communities — building resilience, connection, and opportunities that don’t add to financial stress.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO IMPROVE TRUST BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE COUNCIL?

Ann Court - Do what we said we would during the campaign. I honestly despair at some of the statements being made by candidates on the hustings. Each member is one vote. Keep it real, keep it honest and rebuild trust.

Michele Wilson - FNDC’s aim is clear — to build a thriving, sustainable, and connected Far North, grounded in transparency, resilience, wellbeing, environmental stewardship, partnership with community, and respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi. As set out in the Te Pae Tata Three-Year Long Term Plan 2024–27, council is committed to supporting our district’s social, cultural, environmental, and economic wellbeing through fit-for-purpose and affordable services.

That aligns closely with my own mahi. I’ve just recently presented back my Master of Change and Organisational Resilience research, ‘Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Community Arts to Foster Well-Being and Social Connection’, which focused on how clear communication and collaboration build confidence.

I’m already on the ground — in schools, at community events, and alongside local projects — and if elected, I’d carry those voices into council, work collaboratively, and make sure decisions are explained in plain language. Trust grows when people see transparency, teamwork, and action.

HOW WILL YOU ENSURE THAT THE COUNCIL “GETS BACK TO BASICS” AND STAYS FOCUSED ON SERVICES THAT MATTER MOST TO EVERYDAY PEOPLE?

Ann Court - Back to basics is subjective to each ratepayer. Did you know sport and disability do not appear in the Local Government Act. We need to ask the residents/ratepayers what back to basics means to them. Does that mean pipes and roads or libraries, playgrounds, boat ramps. If we take the customer with us on the journey then we should arrive at the right answer.

Michele Wilson - The basics are roads, drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, rubbish, and safe public spaces. When these don’t work, people feel it straight away. And rubbish isn’t small stuff — if we don’t sort that properly, it ends up in our rivers and oceans, polluting the very places our families swim, fish, and gather.

Too often the response has been quick fixes — like patching potholes on local roads — instead of investing in lasting solutions. FNDC is responsible for local roads through contractors, while Waka Kotahi looks after state highways, so it’s important people see clearly who’s accountable for what.

For me, getting back to basics means proactive investment, not patch jobs — and keeping my ear to the ground so I know where the real pressure points are. Communities deserve transparency about what’s being done and when, because the basics aren’t optional extras — they’re what keeps our people and environment safe.