The Ōtautahi outlook is a mini-series catching the thoughts of Christchurch's leaders on the postitive things happening in Christchurch.
What’s good in Christchurch this year? We’ve got so many positive things. We’re the newest city in the country, everything we’ve got is new. There’s the convention centre, the town hall, the library, there’s the new Court Theatre coming, we’ve got the Christchurch Adventure Park and the new Linwood Pool. And if you drive past you’ll see they’ve actually started ground work on the new stadium. It’s not just a stadium for Christchurch; it’s a stadium for Canterbury, and the whole South Island, really.
What are you most excited about? I’m excited about people coming back into the country.
What’s the last thing you bought, and where? The last thing I bought was a 1950 Bedford truck. I learned to drive in one of those things when I was 12… It’s been done up by an 80-year-old guy, it’s fantastic and I’m driving it around town at the moment.
Who’s your favourite Christchurch person right now? The favourite Christchurch person is my wife, Christine, because without her I wouldn’t even be contemplating this mayoral run. And there’s so many unsung heroes that are doing things all over the east. You’ve got Rachael Fonotia at ACTIS, and Norm Dewes at the marae. The best thing about being a councillor is you get to meet these people.
Your top Christchurch secret? I’ve got a weakness that I like food… I’ve been twice in the last couple of weeks to a place called Smokey T’s in Cashel Street. It’s not fine dining, but it’s bloody good tucker.