Farewell honours mayoral efforts

TRIBUTES flowed, memories recalled and stories told when former Manawatu District Mayor and Mayoress, Ian and Sue McKelvie, were farewelled by the Manawatu District Council at a special celebratory function in the council’s administration building last week.

Invited guests from the district and neighbouring regions attended the gathering, including former Manawatu Mayor Caryll Clausen, former Acting Mayor Merv Craw and the Mayors of Tararua (Roly Ellis), Palmerston North (Jono Naylor), Rangitikei (Chalky Leary) and Horowhenua (Brendan Duffy).

Mr McKelvie resigned as mayor last year after being elected the MP for Rangitikei. He had been in the position since November 2002.

MDC Chief Executive Lorraine Vincent said the farewell provided an opportunity “to recognise Ian and Sue’s significant mayoral contributions to the district over the last nine years”.

Current Acting Mayor Matt Bell said the flood events of 2004 were seen as defining Mr McKelvie’s mayoralty – “they tested many, but Ian’s energy and leadership helped the district immensely when it was most needed”.

Mr Bell said that during Mr McKelvie’s tenure the district had advanced in terms of infrastructure, planning and vision and was in a “good place”, with much of this attributed to the mayor.

Mr Duffy said Ian and Sue McKelvie’s persona and ability to mix with anybody, at any level, at any time, and in making people feel comfortable, was “pretty special”.

He referred to Mr McKelvie as the “Godfather” of the mayors in the wider region and praised his dignity, pride and humility.

“I’m disappointed that we are losing him,” said Mr Duffy, “but more importantly, he is going to take our hopes, dreams and aspirations for what rural and provincial New Zealand is about into the ‘Big House’.”

Marae Consultative Committee representative George Kereama praised Mr McKelvie’s ability to work through difficult issues with others and find a solution, while close friend and campaign manager Simon Taylor recalled the early days on the election trail.

He also revealed that Mr McKelvie had been “dead easy to sell – like political Coca-Cola”.

In response, Mr McKelvie agreed that the events of 2004, and the wonderful people surrounding him at the time, had taught him more about local government in three months than he had subsequently learned in the next eight to nine years.

“It was a turning point and did enable me to understand the business very quickly, and you had to when you are there for 24 hours a day.”

Mr McKelvie said it was important to realise that the governing of local government was not a job – it was a service – and though it carried a number of privileges, it equally carried a large number of responsibilities.

“The main one is to make decisions that your staff can implement with clarity and confidence.”

He said a mayor didn’t have a job as such and it was just as well that a job description hadn’t been written for them as they were all different.

“It’s equally important that if we are prepared to stand up for our community we’ve got to take the flak as we go along. It’s part of the game.”

Mr McKelvie said there was now an opportunity like never before in local government to make a difference and it did not involve doing nothing.

“There is a real impatience out there for more efficiency, better planning and more innovative infrastructural solutions. It’s important we all go in the same direction and the only way that happens is to talk to each other,” he said.