Ōpōtiki District Councillor Max Kemara responds to criticism and advice on what it takes to be a good councillor

I can’t help but respond to Kate Adams opinion piece in last week’s Ōpōtiki News.

The first thing I want to ask is, what is Kate’s experience based on? Working as a councillor? Was she a mayor? Surely readers should know what experience she brings to the table to make such judgments. She’s made a lot.

I have a varied career but yes, I am a first termer. No prior experience as a councillor before the 2022 election. So, I am only going by my limited experience when I speak now.

I stood for Ōpōtiki District Council because I was disappointed that it took 18 months to approve our marae (Omaio Marae) building consent. Probably due to the high turnover of council staff at the time – we went through four.  

When our building consent was finally approved, there was never any apology from the general manager overseeing it.

When we (Omaio Marae) sought updated quotes, the building costs had risen by a further $2.4 million. What a heartbreaker, but rather than moan about it, I put my money where my mouth was and put my name in the hat to become a councillor.

My aim was to make a positive change, so people didn’t have to experience what we experienced at Omaio.

I came into this role seeking fairness and consistency for people, that’s it. Not to change the world or be unrealistic. None of us on the council are like that this term.

Post election in 2022, it was very clear the previous council had left “our backyard” in a mess.

To me, it showed there must have been very poor leadership previously to allow that mess to happen.

There were trust issues between staff/councillors and the community. This has taken time to iron out and rebuild relationships within.

We elected a new chief executive shortly after the last elections and I am grateful we were given this opportunity.

He is doing a fantastic job and has built a strong team of staff around him that care about our communities, something I struggled to see initially, pre- and immediately post-2022 election.

Since the last election, some managers have moved on allowing new managers to since come through, to step up and build on the team dynamics/culture that promote our district and build trust all round.

When I came into council in 2022, Ōpōtiki District Council had extremely poor relationships with Bay of Plenty Regional Council and our neighbours, Whakatāne and Kawerau district councils.  

We need strong relationships with them all as much of our work overlaps, particularly with the regional council – while retaining our independence.

Our mayor and chief executive have worked hard to rebuild those – it’s taken time and effort, but we are there.

The attack on one of our councillors for missing workshops due to sickness was low.

When elected, their health was top notch. They have since experienced a few health issues along the way (as many people do in life). We (other councillors) covered for that person and bought them up to speed when they returned.

All meetings, councillors and the mayor have always declared any conflicts of interest, and there has never been a case of a conflicted councillor voting.

The mayor has advocated numerous times for our communities at national level, tripping down to Wellington on occasions to meet ministers in Parliament. He just doesn’t boast about it, just quietly works hard behind the scenes.

Can I also add, the first thing our mayor did when he got into office was get rid of the mayor’s car and use his own. This has saved our ratepayers thousands, and he prefers to drive and carpool whenever possible, instead of flying.

I do want to acknowledge part of Kate’s article where she gives advice (still unsure on what her personal council experience is based on) on what to expect as a councillor and what qualities to bring.

All of us councillors welcome as many people to stand for council. We need a diverse mix of people. So please stand for council if that’s what you are thinking.

One thing that she did say that I agree with is that we councillors, including myself, could be out there in the community more than we are.

But, like I have been saying to those that have been asking, for us to be a strong council, we needed to get our own backyard in order first.

This has unfortunately taken over two years.  

Lastly, Kate thank you for your article as you said a lot. I really hope you put your money where your mouth is, back your own advice and stand for council.

It would be a shame for someone who is willing to give so much advice to not stand for council come elections.