Yesterday I was elected as President of Local Government New Zealand after weeks of lobbying, a 3-minute speech and a vote that took less than 30 seconds.
I was asked to stand for this position by many councils and put my name forward. The position basically means I am now the head of the Association that represents Local Authorities in New Zealand.
It is a great honour and I am thrilled with the result.
So many may ask. What does it mean for Hawke's Bay? What are the positives and the negatives?
There are many positives, but probably the most important is the direct access I will have to all political leaders including the Prime Minister. In my experience it is amazing what can be resolved over a brief discussion at this level. This will provide significant opportunities for advancing issues on behalf of the region with all political parties.
There are some negatives in that the work is intense and brings a new set of stresses, particularly on my time.
I have, however, stated throughout this process that my first priority is to the people of Hastings and the mayoralty. I have the unanimous endorsement of my councillors, which is also very important because they will have to help out.
On a completely different issue I hope the recent weather has not affected many of you too much. I have been in active discussion with our Civil Defence staff and while there are some issues we are very lucky compared with the rest of the Country.
The sun is trying to break through and it will soon dry things out. Have a good day.
I'm Lawrence Yule.
