Rohan O'Neill-Stevens is by far the youngest of the mayoral candidates in Nelson this year and possibly in the country but he hopes that could be to his advantage in the lead-up to the polls.
The 22-year-old first-time councillor is one of seven men standing to replace incumbent Rachel Reese and is running on three 'key pillars' - a strong city, resilient communities and healthy nature.
The Ngāti Apakura uri, born and raised in Whakatū, says strengthening the relationship between iwi and hapū of the Nelson area is an important part of building a resilient community.
"I think there are two core pillars, one is trust, and the other is resourcing. We already ask and expect a lot without necessarily ensuring that they've got the resources to deliver what we actually need as a city as well. And there's already been some great work done around how to prioritise and bring a wee voice in earlier in our projects but we need to go further."
He says the council needs to do better to recognise the "immense value" a partnership with mana whenua can provide in achieving "shared priorities".
"Te Matatini is a great example of where, as a city, we can benefit massively from having both the mana and this scale of this event here."
The Tauihu o te Waka o Māui is scheduled to host the national kapa haka competition in four years' time.
"And that's where I mean I think we need to be making sure that we're providing the resourcing and the infrastructure to match for what is a world-class event that I don't think gets recognised enough, both in local government and by central government and their funding of it."
Combatting climate change
He says creating a healthy nature is needed in the city that has been slammed by adverse weather in recent years.
Nelson is in the middle of a catastrophic atmospheric river weather event, which has created millions of dollars of damage to add to other severe weather-related damage in the past two years.
"It's hard to deny that when we've had this massive rainfall event, but previously, we've had cyclones, massive fires, droughts and floods, and in a relatively short amount of time and in a way that we just haven't seen before, that there is that that realisation within the community of climate change isn't just a future threat. We are feeling and experiencing it now."
O'Neill-Stevens, who is a qualified resource management commissioner, says he has a number of proposals for how to mitigate the effects of climate change, including looking at ways to decarbonise the council vehicle fleet, investing in further riparian planting along the Maitai/Mahitahi river, rain gardens and green infrastructure and supporting the transition of the city's pine forestry into native plants.
"But any solution needs to be in collaboration and bringing to life the aspirations of the community and of iwi and hapu as well. As mayor, what I'm committed to doing is leading those conversations and then delivering from them."
Young but experienced
As an 18-year-old, O'Neill-Stevens put his hand up for council at the last local government elections in 2019. He says what began as acting out in frustration has become a determination to be a leader for change in the city.
"Over the past three years working on a whole lot of pretty major projects for our city, it's become clear to me that we need a stronger direction and focus from our council towards investing in our people and in our city.
"If we want to realise our potential and our shared aspirations as well, we're not going to get there with leadership that isn't willing to take steps forward and to actually put their neck on the line and say this is a good idea and defends the direction that our city is heading, whilst also being willing to go out and have those conversations.
"After reflecting on that, and talking to some of my council colleagues and a lot of members of the community, the suggestion was thrown out there that I might be the voice to do that. I took up the challenge, and we'll see what the community thinks of that."
