Candidate meetings for the new Invercargill council member are underway around the city, and Mayor Nobby Clark has officially endorsed David Meades for the seat around the table. Clark said he also gave his endorsement to another candidate Andrea Murrell last week. He said that Meades had all the attributes for the job, including being a young family man who is investing in the city, and is outspoken.
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“I like people who are strong advocates,” he said, when contacted. “We need some younger voices on the council and some diversity.”
Meades is a builder by trade, and said the candidate meetings had been interesting so far – people were picking up his strength within the industry, and that he can do something on council with his experience.
A former Aucklander, Meades is a strong advocate for fixing the housing crisis, and said it was the one biggest issue the community was facing, “people need to realise the flow on effects of that,” he said.
A lack of housing affects every corner of the community, from emergency housing right through to those with expertise moving to the city to live, such as the doctors and nurses.
Meades believes council lacks insight and experience when it comes to building and developing.
Zoning is out of date, land prices are skyrocketing, rules and regulations are unworkable, and there’s a lack of experience amongst staff, he said.
Meades is also opposed to 3 Waters (Affordable Water Reforms), and believes Central government is still “ramming this legislation through against the wishes of most local councils,” and continuing to trying and force councils to talk about it behind closed doors.
You can catch David and any of the other candidates held around the city and surrounds weekly public meetings held over the next few weeks in Bluff, Otatara and Lorneville.
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