Ashburton Mayoral Race Heats Up

Thursday, 24 July 2025, 5:35 pm
Article: Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter

Jeff Ryan has officially entered the Ashburton mayoral race with promises of a big project for Lake Hood.

Ryan, who was recently convicted for the unlawful possession of firearms, said he is a former soldier, farmer and businessman.

He has been studying massage health and wellbeing at Ara Institute of Canterbury, but said he put his studies on hold to focus on his campaign.

Ryan enters the mayoral race against two three-term councillors, Liz McMillan and Russell Ellis. First-term councillor Rob Mackle has also indicated he would stand for mayor.

Mayor Neil Brown announced in March he would not be seeking a third term.

Ryan initially said he would only run for mayor but, like Ellis, is also standing in the Ashburton Ward.

When Ryan announced he would run for the mayoralty in February, it was to create a bypass around Ashburton to ease the congestion in the town.

He said a new bypass can be “built for free, paid for by having a toll” on what would become the new State Highway 1 route, and would help with shingle removal from the Hakatere Ashburton River.

Ryan’s latest pitch is to create a new canal to Lake Hood to improve the water quality and boost tourism.

His “practical solution” is to block off the existing intake off the Hakatere Ashburton River and instead channel water from above Allenton through a new canal to Carters Creek, he said.

He plans to expand Carters Creek, redirecting the creek from Tinwald into the Ashburton River, and make it viable for a “punting experience shuttling tourists and locals between Lake Hood and Ashburton”.

He has no indicative costings for the plan, which would require new resource consents and land purchases.

“I’ve done nothing with costing, but I don’t imagine it will be too costly.

“If we have to borrow to create a tourism attraction that brings wealth to the town, then we all benefit, then it’s worth borrowing for.

“I don’t see it being a problem as we have to run council like a business and create wealth to spend on other projects.”

Earlier this year Ryan was convicted on two unlawful weapons possession charges.

Ryan pleaded guilty to having a 12-gauge double barrel shotgun and a .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle on his property, and for having ammunition, including a round loaded inside one of the guns, despite not having a firearms licence.

Ryan said he’d been concerned about the safety of family members after learning about threats towards his partner’s daughter.

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

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