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Tuesday, 30 September 2025, 4:23 pm
Article: Kira Carrington - Local Democracy Reporter

Several Marlborough District Council candidates had their eyes on the future at meet-the-candidate events hosted by seniors advocacy group Grey Power. 

Nearly every candidate in the two contested wards, Blenheim and the Marlborough Sounds, attended meetings this week to share their visions with senior voters. 

Marlborough Sounds candidate Greg Billington, himself a retiree, told attendees at Picton’s Marina Cove retirement village on Thursday that he was not running to represent their interests, but that of their children. 

“You may have seen that the Treasury has just advised us that we have a structural fiscal deficit. That's a very, very serious issue for this country,” he said. 

A structural deficit was when the government was set to spend more than it took in taxes, a gap covered by borrowing. 

“I do not want to be accused at any time that I was guilty of, and I'm sure you would not want to say you were guilty of, throwing a hospital pass to younger generations and saying, ‘well, it's your problem, you fix it’. 

“We have to step up and do the job, in my view.” 

He went on to say that he wanted to attract more tourists to Picton as a destination, rather than just a thoroughfare. 

Earlier in the week, at Blenheim’s Star of the Sea Catholic Parish, Blenheim candidate Aimee Payne said her goal was to preserve the environment for her children. 

“I want to leave the very best Marlborough I can for future generations,” Payne said. 

“A place where our rivers run clean and are swimmable, our whenua is healthy and housing is affordable and available to all, and every generation, young and old, feel safe, valued, and connected.”

Blenheim candidate Tamsin Cooper said she wanted to create a region that encouraged the audience’s children to choose to raise their families in Marlborough. 

“We are the most amazing region. 

“Bring them back to have their children here, raise them here, and encourage other people to do the same.” 

Parking was another major topic at the meetings. 

Incumbent Blenheim candidate Thelma Sowman said she wanted to see free parking in central Blenheim extended to two hours instead of one hour. 

“I go out for lunch [and] coffee with friends, and that’s not long enough, not with my talking,” Sowman said. 

Blenheim candidate Cyril Dawson responded: “That’s revenue lost.” 

Marlborough Sounds candidates were asked what they would do to improve parking in the town centre. 

There was a notable pause. Scott Fuller took the chance to slam New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s realignment of State Highway 1 to Kent St. 

“One thing we shouldn't be doing is removing car parks, for a start,” Fuller said. 

“The Kent St redevelopment is removing the car parks down the left-hand side. That’s already getting kickback from residents down there about the loss of car parks. 

“NZTA has a very nice plan to efficiently move every vehicle out of Picton as fast as possible. 

They haven’t looked at the impact on the residents, they haven’t looked at the commercial impact on the town. 

Incumbent Marlborough Sounds candidate Barbara Faulls said residents often got outcompeted for parking space by visitors. 

“One of the other issues that we've had raised with us is the ferociousness of the parking wardens in Picton,” Faulls said, to chuckles around the room. 

“I'm not sure what I can do about that, other than to ask them politely to just maybe be a little bit flexible, particularly with people who perhaps have mobility issues.” 

Fellow incumbent Marlborough Sounds candidate Raylene Innes said people should make submissions about parking to the annual plan. “Putting those things in writing helps the council drive those decisions.”

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

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