As signs go up and campaigns kick off, five of Marlborough’s younger council hopefuls are offering a different perspective on the region’s future. 

Benjamin Stace, Aimee Payne, Tamsin Cooper, Vish Prasad, and Anteisha O’Connell are all aged 50 or younger in a race against many retired or semi-retired candidates. 

But all of them consider their age to be a key strength in the upcoming election, and in their possible future around the council table. 

Anteisha O' Connell 

At 29, Marlborough Sounds candidate Anteisha O’Connell was the youngest candidate running for the Marlborough District Council.

O’Connell said seeing the impact council policies had in her community motivated her to run. “[I’m] really personally passionate about conservation, and community, and people’s wellbeing,” O’Connell said. 

She wanted to advocate for rural and coastal communities, particularly their access to healthcare, she said.

 “[I also] want to see long-term sustainable projects here, that continue providing employment opportunities ... that encourage people to stay in our region.” 

O’Connell said her job as operations manager at Te Ātiawa Trust meant she had experience with the “weird and wonderful” nature of governance structures. 

“I've also worked on lots of local committees, particularly within sport ... [and] intimately working alongside executives and secretariats to support governance,” she said. 

Being the youngest candidate gave her a better idea of how young people experienced the region, she said. “I [have] a really different perspective on today’s society and how it impacts not just our young, but our early working families,“ she said. 

“[I’m] probably a little bit more in tune with what our younger generations are facing.” 

Tamsin Cooper

After recently turning 50, Blenheim candidate Tamsin Cooper said she was delighted to be considered on the young side of council hopefuls.

But Cooper said having young children gave her a different perspective on the value of council services and facilities, and their future. 

“I'm in there using all the community services that the council ... puts money into,” Cooper said. 

“I want to see Marlborough continuing to thrive. I think it's the most amazing region.” 

Cooper said she wanted to bring a collaborative approach to council with a focus on community and economic development, something she did working with Dunedin City Council.

“I was involved in creating cluster groups, industry groups, to bring people together, to work on projects that were innovative and took the city forward,” Cooper said. 

“We already have that happening in Marlborough, and I think there's room for growth in that.” 

As the mother of two neurdivergent kids, Cooper also advocated for inclusivity and accessibility for those with special needs. 

Vish Prasad 

Blenheim candidate Vish Prasad said his campaign came from a deep-seated childhood dream to help people. 

Now, aged 34, the real estate agent said he was ready to start giving back, first locally, then one day, globally. 

“I promised myself when I was a kid I'd help the world, and I'm still committed to that goal,” Prasad said. 

Despite big aspirations, Prasad said he was committed to Marlborough, and if he was elected, he said he would stay for as long as he was needed. 

“I want to get into council, help the community for at least two or three terms ... and fix everything I can for the community.” rasad said problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking were his strengths.

“I’m very curious to find better ways of doing things,” he said. 

Prasad said his key focus would be ensuring everyone in Marlborough had access to housing, food, and clean water. 

In particular he wanted to encourage housing development in the region, making it “cheaper to subdivide, [make] more land available, more land developed for people to go into”. 

“Then more houses will be built.”

Benjamin Stace 

Blenheim candidate Benjamin Stace, a 39-year-old architect and business owner, said a vote for him was a vote for a community voice. 

“I love soaking in what other people are telling me about Marlborough, and thinking about how we can solve the issues that we have and make the place better for the future,” Stace said.

He wants to approach the council with a long-term lens, not just what could be achieved within one term. 

“Everything we're doing with housing [design], we're always trying to look at 50 or 100 years down the track, is this still going to function for people?

 “I think you need that kind of view in council.” 

Stace said his key focuses were on infrastructure, parking, town planning, and improving council processes. 

He would also be looking at where the council could get the greatest return on investment. “We need to look at if ... all the money that we're investing is actually going to be there for the long term,” he said. 

Aimee Payne 

The 43-year old Blenheim candidate Aimee Payne said she had never hesitated to get involved in the community. 

She had become a lifeguard, helped organise her homeschooling group, and was part of Skate Marlborough. 

“I’m deeply embedded in our community, so I want to see community voices at the [council] table,” Payne said. 

“Community is like the heart of everything, so that collaboration is key.” 

Payne had been part of the Green Party for the last two years, but was running as an independent. 

“I don’t believe that central politics should necessarily be here on a local level. We know what’s best for our community and we can reach out to central government and have those conversations.” 

Payne said she wanted to bring life to central Blenheim by encouraging arts and music, supporting small businesses, advocating for free parking, and working with youth. 

“Working with rangatahi and tamariki, [it] sounds so cheesy, but they are the future. 

“We’re missing a big age group in Marlborough, and that’s our work ‒ how do we retain them? We need to be having those conversations with those groups.” 

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Home Page | Auckland | Previous Story | Next Story

Copyright (c) Scoop Media