Dave Cull – Greater Dunedin – 2013 Local Election

Source: Greater Dunedin
Location: Unknown
Transcript (outside):
About Greater Dunedin
Greater Dunedin is an incorporated society, first formed in 2007 to find outstanding people and get them election to the City Council. It searches for candidates with integrity, intelligence, analytical and communication skills, knowledge of and concern about major issues (both local and global) and a commitment to putting in the effort required to contribute to responsible decision-making. There must be diversity in the group, because the job of the Council is to govern the whole city, not just reflect the values of one segment of it.
Greater Dunedin is not a political party and those of its members who are not elected Councillors have no influence in Council decision-making. The elected councillors support and respect each other but they make their own independent judgements about specific Council matters.
In 2007 three Greater Dunedin candidates, Dave Cull, Chris Staynes and Kate Wilson, were elected to the Council. In 2010 Dave Cull was elected Mayor, Kate Wilson and CHris Staynes were re-elected to Council and two new members, Crs Jinty MacTavish and Richard Thomson, were also election. Chris Staynes became Deputy Mayor.
In 2013 the five current Greater Dunedin Council members – Mayor Cull, Deputy Mayor Staynes and Councillors Wilson, MacTavish and Thomson – are all standing again, along with four new Greater Dunedin candidates: Irene Mosley, Mike Lord, Letisha Nicholas and Ali Copeman.
Greater DUNEDIN Team Positive
Dave Cull Mayor and Council Chris Staynes Central Kate Wilson Mosgiel-Taieri Jinty MacTavish Central Irene Mosley Central Richard Thomson Central  Ali Copeman Central  Mike Lord Mosgiel-Taeiri Letisha Nicholas Central
www.greaterdunedin.co.nz
www.twitter.com/greaterdunedin
www.facebook.com/DaveCullforMayor
Authorised by Dave Cull, 338 Portobello Rd, Dunedin, 9077
VOTE Dave Cull 1
Your candidate for Mayor and Council (central Ward)
Greater DUNEDIN
Future Positive
Transcript (inside):
Dave Cull for Mayor
In 2010 the people of Dunedin elected Dave Cull as Mayor. His job was to change the way the city was being run. He kept his election promises and in a tough economic and political climate he has spent the last three years putting the city back on track economically, socially and environmentally.
Under Mayor Cull’s leadership the Council has become less divided, more collegial and constructive. With the support of his fellow Greater Dunedin Councillors he has made many key changes to the structure and operations of the Council and its services, bringing new levels of efficiency and accountability.
He has insisted on genuine openness in Council business, with almost all meetings now conducted publically, recorded in full, and made viewable on-line. Citizens are consulted regularly through the People’s Panel and other engagement processes.
Many millions of dollars have been saved by cutting costs, tightly constraining new spending, and by paying existing debt back faster than planned. Unsustainable rates rises have been pulled back. All of this has been achieved without significantly impacting on the services that Council provides its citizens.
Governance and oversight of Council-owned businesses has been restructured, making properly qualified people responsible and ensuring companies are not borrowing money in order to pay dividends to Council. The trie costs of the Stadium have been revealed and the Stadium debt repayment period cut from 40 years to 18.5 years, saving ratepayers over $100 million dollars in interest costs.
An Energy Plan is being developed, and the Council is investing in preserving the city’s heritage and developing cycleways to take the city forward in the twenty-first century. Steps are under way to secure our water supply and to improve our procurement and purchasing processes, lowering long term costs and providing greater value. Councillors, staff and city-wide stakeholders are implementing new Economic Development and Social Wellbeing Strategies. The city has been piloting a “Warm Dunedin” insulation and clean heat scheme and is making great gains rolling out an innovative Digital Strategy.
Mayor Cull spearheaded the development of a Spatial Plan that determines what our city will look like into the future. With fellow councillors he is working through the consultation stages of the Second Generation District Plan, which will enact this vision. Moves are under way to revitalise the South Dunedin retail area and both an Arts and Culture Strategy and an Environment Strategy are in the wings. Partnerships with community organisations have seen projects such as the Blueskin Bay Library and Portobello Jetty to successful completion.
Dave Cull has stepped up to the enormous challenges that our city was facing. He knows there is still much to do, but our community now has a clear vision of the viable and sustainable city we want for our future generations of Dunedin citizens. Without plans – without leadership – there is no direction. Mayor Cull is determined to take our inherited assets and, in step with the Dunedin community, use them to shape a positive future.
My priorities for the next council
With the support of my fellow Greater Dunedin Councillors, my priorities for the next three years will be these:
An open Council
We’ll continue our policy of making public access to information easy and getting the community involved in decision-making as much as possible.
Keeping the finances in order
We’ll continue our focus on fiscal prudence, reducing debt, managing the Council’s business operations properly and keeping rates increases low.
A focus on the future
We aim to create jobs, foster the growth of appropriate business in the city and protect it from financial volatility, high energy costs and climate change. We have to be connected, resilient and sustainable.
Doing better, with less
We’ve already saved millions of dollars. We’ll continue to find cost-saving efficiencies, and we’ll introduce procurement policies that put Dunedin business first.
Celebrating our strengths
We’ll protect, support and foster our built heritage, ecosystems and wildlife, productive farmland, education, our vibrant arts and culture and our world-class smart businesses.
Building partnerships
We will continue to expand our successes in building partnerships within and outside the city to reverse the decline of the city’s job and business base.