Getting to know Margaret Murray-Benge
Why are you standing for Mayor?
It’s time I stepped up and stood for the mayoralty. I want to see change, and I can’t achieve meaningful change from where I am within the council at the moment. I want to see big projects through to completion for the benefit of all Western Bay constituents. It’s from the position of Mayor that I can best achieve that.
What will you bring to your community, as Mayor?
Experience and a genuine desire to serve our people and the whole community.
I have held chairperson roles in two councils before this one, and have spent my working life serving in local government. I have an extensive network of connections in local business in the Bay, as well as in local and central government. I am close to the people I represent—I have an open-door policy, where people’s needs and issues are my number one priority.
Why is local government important to you?
Local government is there to serve the people. Working in local government enables me to make a difference for our community, and to achieve meaningful change. From a governance position I can ensure that our community is well served and that our ratepayers’ needs are catered for.
What attracted you to stand for council in the first place?
I have worked in local government most of my working life—I love serving the people in my community, and getting things done. Previously, I was chairwoman of the Waimairi District Council in Christchurch, and chairwoman for the Canterbury United Council. I also served as a councillor on both those councils for many years, overseeing projects large and small.
After remarrying 17 years ago I came to live in the Kaimais, on the banks of the Ngamuwahine River. Then, after a year, I told my husband that the "hill'' people were being walked over and that I should stand for council to sort it out. So I did, and here I am.
There is no greater privilege than working for one's community - I work for our ratepayers and with our ratepayers.
What are your proudest achievements for the Western Bay?
My proudest achievements have been getting intersection upgrades on State Highway 29 (though there is still a long way to go, there!) and helping the community of McLaren Falls.
I oversaw the formation of the McLaren Falls Enhancement Group. That group has been very effective in making the area a beautiful destination point for picnicking, swimming and sightseeing. We also got a fantastic pedestrian bridge across the McLaren Falls—and it was not without a fight! The bridge has made the Falls safer and more accessible for everyone.
What does it take to be in local government?
You have to genuinely care about people and your community, and you have to know how to get things done. You also need to see everyone as your equal, so that you can serve everyone with fairness and give everyone a voice.
Why does equality matter?
There needs to be a strong voice for equality in the Western Bay.
It has never been more important or more relevant than now. We are living and working across business sectors and industry, gender, culture, age and social standing. We all have needs, we all have expectations, and the council must deliver for everyone.
How would you describe your role/responsibilities as a councillor and how does that translate into the role of Mayor?
You must be persistent for the people, to achieve meaningful change. If you get a collective view from the community, as a councillor you must drive that at the council table. As Mayor my responsibility would be to drive our district’s agenda with Ministers, to see action and follow-through from Government on big projects that matter to our whole district.
What are the key issues within your community?
The most important issues facing Western Bay are:
As Mayor, how would you take a lead on these issues and effectively represent the interests of our district?
It is about understanding the issues, knowing where responsibility lies, being accountable and driving projects through to completion, for the benefit of our district as a whole.
From years of service here in the Bay, I have a strong network of connections within the community, the business sector and throughout local and central government. As Mayor I would continue to use my connections to fight for what our community needs.
Several years ago our council won a gold award for business excellence. I want to see our council return to this same gold-standard of operation, delivering top-quality services and infrastructure for all our constituents, with transparency and fiscal responsibility.
How do you see these issues being addressed by Council?
As a collective we must understand the issues, and we must work together to get results that benefit all Western Bay constituents.
We need to rewrite the brief, to remind this new Government of their responsibility. SH29 is a heavy truck route to the port—a vital piece of the transport network. And SH2 is so badly congested that far too often people can’t move. We will work with our neighbouring councils to persistently lobby central government until our state highways are fixed and fit for purpose. We want a roading system that’s congestion-free, safe and able to serve us into the future.
We also need a greater share of money coming back into the Western Bay from the regional council and from alternative sources of funding. There is always a tension between affordability, and expectations of ratepayers. We must balance the needs of the future with our immediate needs, working to keep costs as low as possible and to explore alternative funding sources to help ease the current cost burden.
From a community perspective, as Mayor, how would you make our community a better place in which to live, learn, work and play?
Currently, council is not as effective as it could be. We must increase our collaboration and return to our gold standard of business operation. We will focus on delivering services and infrastructure that meet our community’s needs, while working within our budgets.
Hard work is what’s got me this far—I am not afraid of it. If elected as Mayor, I will continue to work tirelessly for our people, to get results that will benefit all Western Bay constituents and this beautiful place that we share.
What role does sport play in the local community?
Sport in the Bay of Plenty keeps delivering champions and I strongly believe that we should encourage sport for all ages, especially for our youth.
Since living near Te Puna, I have worked closely with local Maori and local sports clubs to get things done. I put my support behind the establishment of the tennis courts at Omokoroa and worked with Te Puna tennis club to get the synthetic surface for their courts.
What are the personal strengths that contribute to your role as an elected representative?
I am persistent and I do my homework. I work closely with the community to understand their needs and I get those issues on the council agenda. I am always looking ahead to improve the district, both now and into our future, at a cost everyone can afford.
What are the rewards of working in local government?
You know you are doing the right thing for the community—that's all that matters. If something has gone well and has been achieved, the inner personal satisfaction is the reward.
Why does council matter to the people of Western Bay?
Our council has excellent staff and I trust them. We have won gold for business excellence in the past, and that is where we should return. People want services—council ensures the delivery of essential services every day.
I am committed to serving the community in a gold-standard, cost-effective way, to keep the Western Bay an affordable and enjoyable place to live, work and play.
It’s time I stepped up and stood for the mayoralty. I want to see change, and I can’t achieve meaningful change from where I am within the council at the moment. I want to see big projects through to completion for the benefit of all Western Bay constituents. It’s from the position of Mayor that I can best achieve that.
What will you bring to your community, as Mayor?
Experience and a genuine desire to serve our people and the whole community.
I have held chairperson roles in two councils before this one, and have spent my working life serving in local government. I have an extensive network of connections in local business in the Bay, as well as in local and central government. I am close to the people I represent—I have an open-door policy, where people’s needs and issues are my number one priority.
Why is local government important to you?
Local government is there to serve the people. Working in local government enables me to make a difference for our community, and to achieve meaningful change. From a governance position I can ensure that our community is well served and that our ratepayers’ needs are catered for.
What attracted you to stand for council in the first place?
I have worked in local government most of my working life—I love serving the people in my community, and getting things done. Previously, I was chairwoman of the Waimairi District Council in Christchurch, and chairwoman for the Canterbury United Council. I also served as a councillor on both those councils for many years, overseeing projects large and small.
After remarrying 17 years ago I came to live in the Kaimais, on the banks of the Ngamuwahine River. Then, after a year, I told my husband that the "hill'' people were being walked over and that I should stand for council to sort it out. So I did, and here I am.
There is no greater privilege than working for one's community - I work for our ratepayers and with our ratepayers.
What are your proudest achievements for the Western Bay?
My proudest achievements have been getting intersection upgrades on State Highway 29 (though there is still a long way to go, there!) and helping the community of McLaren Falls.
I oversaw the formation of the McLaren Falls Enhancement Group. That group has been very effective in making the area a beautiful destination point for picnicking, swimming and sightseeing. We also got a fantastic pedestrian bridge across the McLaren Falls—and it was not without a fight! The bridge has made the Falls safer and more accessible for everyone.
What does it take to be in local government?
You have to genuinely care about people and your community, and you have to know how to get things done. You also need to see everyone as your equal, so that you can serve everyone with fairness and give everyone a voice.
Why does equality matter?
There needs to be a strong voice for equality in the Western Bay.
It has never been more important or more relevant than now. We are living and working across business sectors and industry, gender, culture, age and social standing. We all have needs, we all have expectations, and the council must deliver for everyone.
How would you describe your role/responsibilities as a councillor and how does that translate into the role of Mayor?
You must be persistent for the people, to achieve meaningful change. If you get a collective view from the community, as a councillor you must drive that at the council table. As Mayor my responsibility would be to drive our district’s agenda with Ministers, to see action and follow-through from Government on big projects that matter to our whole district.
What are the key issues within your community?
The most important issues facing Western Bay are:
- Equality. It’s about fairness and everyone having a voice—equality is the cornerstone of democracy and it is fundamental to a healthy, flourishing society. It matters in business, in leadership and in our community, and council must deliver for everyone.
- Roads. Our state highways and roading system currently pose a very serious road safety issue, and are severely congested. We need to see urgent action from the Government to fix our roads, and I will not rest until it’s done. Also, for our rural communities we must keep sealing our gravel roads.
- Rates. We want value for every dollar we receive through rates, and we must deliver services and infrastructure with fiscal responsibility and transparency. We must pursue alternative funding sources to ease the pressure on ratepayers, and keep our district affordable for everyone.
As Mayor, how would you take a lead on these issues and effectively represent the interests of our district?
It is about understanding the issues, knowing where responsibility lies, being accountable and driving projects through to completion, for the benefit of our district as a whole.
From years of service here in the Bay, I have a strong network of connections within the community, the business sector and throughout local and central government. As Mayor I would continue to use my connections to fight for what our community needs.
Several years ago our council won a gold award for business excellence. I want to see our council return to this same gold-standard of operation, delivering top-quality services and infrastructure for all our constituents, with transparency and fiscal responsibility.
How do you see these issues being addressed by Council?
As a collective we must understand the issues, and we must work together to get results that benefit all Western Bay constituents.
We need to rewrite the brief, to remind this new Government of their responsibility. SH29 is a heavy truck route to the port—a vital piece of the transport network. And SH2 is so badly congested that far too often people can’t move. We will work with our neighbouring councils to persistently lobby central government until our state highways are fixed and fit for purpose. We want a roading system that’s congestion-free, safe and able to serve us into the future.
We also need a greater share of money coming back into the Western Bay from the regional council and from alternative sources of funding. There is always a tension between affordability, and expectations of ratepayers. We must balance the needs of the future with our immediate needs, working to keep costs as low as possible and to explore alternative funding sources to help ease the current cost burden.
From a community perspective, as Mayor, how would you make our community a better place in which to live, learn, work and play?
Currently, council is not as effective as it could be. We must increase our collaboration and return to our gold standard of business operation. We will focus on delivering services and infrastructure that meet our community’s needs, while working within our budgets.
Hard work is what’s got me this far—I am not afraid of it. If elected as Mayor, I will continue to work tirelessly for our people, to get results that will benefit all Western Bay constituents and this beautiful place that we share.
What role does sport play in the local community?
Sport in the Bay of Plenty keeps delivering champions and I strongly believe that we should encourage sport for all ages, especially for our youth.
Since living near Te Puna, I have worked closely with local Maori and local sports clubs to get things done. I put my support behind the establishment of the tennis courts at Omokoroa and worked with Te Puna tennis club to get the synthetic surface for their courts.
What are the personal strengths that contribute to your role as an elected representative?
I am persistent and I do my homework. I work closely with the community to understand their needs and I get those issues on the council agenda. I am always looking ahead to improve the district, both now and into our future, at a cost everyone can afford.
What are the rewards of working in local government?
You know you are doing the right thing for the community—that's all that matters. If something has gone well and has been achieved, the inner personal satisfaction is the reward.
Why does council matter to the people of Western Bay?
Our council has excellent staff and I trust them. We have won gold for business excellence in the past, and that is where we should return. People want services—council ensures the delivery of essential services every day.
I am committed to serving the community in a gold-standard, cost-effective way, to keep the Western Bay an affordable and enjoyable place to live, work and play.