Local Body Elections 2013 – Rural Women get results!

Congratulations to the Rural Women members who have won council and DHB seats in the 2013 local body elections.  Preliminary results show at least 14 members will be serving their communities for the next three years.

Rural Women National President, Liz Evans, says, “We congratulate these members who have stepped up to ensure that the rural voice is heard. There needs to be strong rural representation on councils, particularly those councils that act as unitary authorities.  Services supplied and rating are very different for rural and urban people.”

Many provincial local authority areas have lost their ward voting opportunities, which can make it much harder for the more isolated farming areas to be represented on urban-based councils.  We see this even in the provinces, which rely for their prosperity on their primary producer ratepayers.

“I am sure these successful candidates will help to raise awareness of rural issues and promote better understanding and fairer outcomes for everyone.”

Several Rural Women members also stood successfully for District Health Board positions. 

With rural health outcomes being affected by distance and access to services, it’s so important that people who have a real understanding of the issues are able to advocate for rural communities when funding priorities are set and service decisions are made.

The successful candidates are:

Theresa Stark – Waikato Regional Council

Mary Gamble – Southern District Health Board 

Geoff Evans – Marlborough District Council – Wairau Awatere Ward – Associate Rural Women member

Fiona Gower – Onewhero/Tuakau Community Board

Hilary McNab – Catlins Ward, Clutha District Council – returned unopposed

Sharyn Price – Corriedale Ward, Waitaki District Council

Joan Wilson – Strath-Taieri Community Board – returned unopposed

Kate Wilson – Mosgiel/Taieri Ward, Dunedin City Council 

Ainsley Webb – Central Otago Health Inc board community representative – returned unopposed

Jacqui Church – Awaroa ki Tuakau Ward, Waikato District Council 

Ruth Rainey – Rangitikei District Council

Carolyn McLellan QSO – Golden Bay community board

Rosemarie Costar – Onewhero-Te Akau ward, Waikato District Council

Louise Cloot, MNZM – Otago Regional Council – re-elected for her 9th term