The News asked Cambridge Community Board candidates to provide us with no more than 30 words on why they were standing for public office and what one bit of difference would they want to make if elected.
Some provided more than we asked for, some were repetitive, so we cropped them back. Here is what they had to say.
Cambridge Community Board
Graeme Allen: I am standing for the community board to be part of a team which ensures the voices of the Cambridge community are not lost amongst the noise of day-to-day council operations.
I wish to be available to listen to the community, conveying their concerns and compliments to council while ensuring the residents receive timely and effective feedback from council.
Graeme Allen – 2025
Curt Christiansen: I’m standing for the community board to understand more deeply the matters the community considers important and to be an effective advocate to council for the people who come to the community board.
Curt Christiansen – 2025
Stewart Dromgool: Council has blown a lot of our money to make a mess of Cambridge’s transport. I am standing for the Better Waipā team because we need to fix it.
My role in the Better Waipā team is to keep in touch with the Cambridge community. Success is a council that listens to the people and does the right things.
Stewart Dromgool – 2025
Charlotte FitzPatrick: We need a community-first approach, with accountability, efficiency, better communication, and smarter decision-making. I’ll help ensure projects are prioritised based on community needs, wants, and what’s affordable.
Drive a shift in how council sets priorities and structures and uses resources, aligning projects with Cambridge’s real needs, ensuring affordability, and backing decisions with genuine engagement and strong community relationships from the start.
Charlotte FitzPatrick – 2025
Mitchell Jordan: I believe we need a younger face and voice around the table that can work with everyone. I want to bring more young people into our decision making process and into local government to give them a chance of being a part of the system.
Mitchell Jordan – 2025
Pip Kempthorne (also council): We need a fresh voice for Cambridge to ensure that our council is listening to and doing the right thing for Cambridge residents and predicted growth of our beautiful town.
Pip Kempthorne – 2025
Chris Minneē: I believe I can be a good conduit for the transfer of information to and from the Cambridge residents, and the council members. I hope to make is for council to better understand the hopes and needs of the Cambridge residents.
Chris Minneē – 2025
Karen Morris: Some people I’ve talked to don’t know what a community board does. I will make the role more visible and provide a channel for their feedback to council.
I want to open up opportunities for people to communicate their views and their ideas – the kind of things that will make Cambridge a better, more connected place.
Karen Morris – 2025
Corren Ngerengere: To be a strong, independent voice for Cambridge – advocating for our community through collaboration and working hard to deliver outcomes that reflect local needs and aspirations.
Build greater trust and transparency in local decision-making, so the people of Cambridge can feel confident their voice is being heard and reflected in council outcomes.
Corren Ngerengere – 2025
Selina Oliver: Cambridge is a great place to raise a family and the community surrounding us makes it that way. I wish to get involved in the workings of our great community.
Improving connections between the community, community board, and council while ensuring our community has continued access to great extra-curricular activities.
Selina Oliver – 2025
James Slyfield: I am passionate about creating opportunities for young people – with a strong focus on inclusivity, support, and long-term impact – and representing the voices that often go unheard.
My goal is to serve with integrity, listen actively, and take action that truly reflects the needs of the people.
James Slyfield – 2025
Te Hiiri Taute: No response received
Gerda Venter: I see the frustration of ratepayers daily, and I am feisty enough to step up and make the difference. I will make sure the council listens to ratepayers.
To ensure decisions are made in a practical, logical, and cost-effective way with the ratepayers’ well-being as top priority.
Gerda Venter – 2025
Maungatautari subdivision
Les Bennett (also Pirongia-Kakepuku ward): Council is not working (no transparency, accountability or community input). I am standing for the Better Waipā team because we need to put the community back in charge.
Les Bennett – 2025
Andrew Myers: About 10 years ago I realised that what was happening outside our farm gate was having more effect on our business than what I was doing inside it.
I’m pretty hot on making us better, not growth for growth’s sake and more indebted.
Andrew Myers – 2025
Waikato District Council
Mayor
Jacqui Church: No response received.
Aksel Bech: Rates have become unaffordable and we can no longer continue with a broken system of local government; we need to reset, starting with greatly increasing shared services to lower costs.
Driving the change to genuinely empowering communities through voice, choice and control over the things that matter most is the path to more engaged communities that I want to achieve.
Tamahere-Woodlands ward
Crystal Beavis: To advance aspirations expressed by communities in their own plans, implement government reform in resource management, manage infrastructure and core services efficiently, bring general rates rises below 3% as planned.
To ensure the communities I represent are informed and engaged with the work of council and, together, to develop genuine dialogue and mutual confidence that council decisions are democratically driven.
Mike Keir: To provide service to my community after a career working in infrastructure. As councils core business is maintenance and management of infrastructure, I feel I can add value.
Reduction of further rate increases through improving council’s effectiveness, efficiency and providing better value for the money that is spent.
Peter Mayall: I am standing for council to bring practical, financially responsible leadership to Tamahere–Woodlands and will ensure ratepayers get real value for every dollar spent with core services delivered efficiently, and property rights respected.
I will make a real difference by putting common sense, smart spending, and local needs at the heart of every council decision.
