Transcript

(Please note: for reasons of efficiency this transcript was generated by AI and lightly edited by human, so there will likely be some errors)

Stephen Doran  00:05

Kia ora and welcome to the Timaru District Councilcast. This time we've got the first in a series of Meet the Councillor episodes, where we find out a bit more about those elected to represent you. This time I have counsellor Michelle Pye, who this is her first term at Timaru District Council coming in at the last election. Welcome on.

Michelle Pye  00:21

Thanks for having me on.

Stephen Doran  00:22

Tell us a little bit about yourself. What's your background, and how did you come to the table here?

Michelle Pye  00:26

Yeah, so Leighton and I own Pye group. So that's a farming business and we're based out near Winchester. That's been Leighton's home for life. Our business incorporates cropping process vegetables, dairying, transport, contracting and grazing operations. So we're involved in a lot of different sectors. We have three children, two nearly finished high school and one about to start her third year at university. I was actually born and Greymouth so I'm a Coaster, but I grew up in rural communities around Mid-Canterbury and North Otago. I actually went to Timaru Girls High School, where I was a boarder. And when I left school, I worked for two different accounting firms five years at each firm, and then I started working in our farming business. So I've lived and I've worked in South Canterbury for 30 years now, which doesn't seem like that at all. I'm a strong believer in supporting communities that support us. So I've always been involved in industry and community groups. And so this pretty much followed our children when they were younger. So I was Plunket, preschool in school and sports clubs and guides and then I started to get involved in industry organisations, which led me to being on their Fonterra, shareholder council for five years. And the Fonterra sustainability panel for two years. And now I'm on the board of Potatoes New Zealand and I chair the potato seed cooperative, which supplies potato seed to the group of McCain potato growers and Mid and South Canterbury.

Stephen Doran  01:52

You've got quite a good rural background. And it's probably an interesting district, from that point of view that it does have a kind of an urban core, but it is a largely rural district as well, was that one of the reasons you wanted to stand for council was to bring that rural voice to the table?

Michelle Pye  02:05

Yeah, it is. You know, when I, when I looked around the council table, given, you know, that Timaru District is, you know, the base of it is the agriculture and the food processing sector, we didn't really have a lot of people sitting around that table from those sectors. So, you know, farmers are renowned for having their say, up and down the country, yet not many farmers actually put their money where their mouth was and stood for the local and regional council. So, you know, if you want representation around the table, you need to be prepared to put yourself forward,

Stephen Doran  02:36

What do you think you bring to the table?

Michelle Pye  02:38

So nobody likes blowing their own trumpet? Well, I especially don't but, and I'm more of a backseat driver, but the council is slightly unique, and that it's both representation and governance and I've had experience in both. So representation was around that Fonterra shareholder council table. And, you know, I've been on some industry boards. So I've had that governance experience. And in I think I also have a good mix of skills, having worked in the accounting sector, but also involved in numerous rural sectors. But but alongside the skills and knowledge, you also need to be able to influence people. And you can only do this, if you've got the respect of others. Doesn't matter how right you are, if people don't respect you, they just won't listen to you, and respect is hard earned and easily lost, as we all know. And so I've worked for years building relationships, networks, and hopefully earning the respect of a large part of the rural community and the South Canterbury community. And so I hope that all of those things put together give me the ability to be able to influence for positive change where district.

Stephen Doran  03:43

And is it good to be representing, although you represent the whole district when you're at the council table, is it good being a voice for Pleasant Point and Temuka area, do you think that is important?

Michelle Pye  03:53

Absolutely important, just like it's important to have that rural voice in it. And it's important from a on the ground kind of practical knowledge. You know, when you're discussing things, actually understanding what effect that is going to have on on people's lives and your community and the businesses. I think it's really important and if you don't have that on the ground knowledge that can sometimes get missed.

Stephen Doran  04:13

Since coming to, coming into the council has anything surprised you about being here?

Michelle Pye  04:18

Not really, I was probably realistic about my expectations. I spent a number of years on our school board and and found it very frustrating and I thought council would be like a school board on steroids, and that pretty much how it's played out. But I was realistic about those expectations, so I know that a lot of industry groups and councils are slow moving beasts, but but we're moving in the right direction. So no, nothing too surprising.

Stephen Doran  04:47

From an industry perspective, you run your own business, you're obviously quite hands on, is it quite a mind shift to sort of move into that governance status where... We're coming into the next round of long term planning. This is your chance to make a stamp on the council. What sort of issues do you think we're facing and what sort of things, outcomes do you want to get for the community from that?

Michelle Pye  04:56

Yeah, it is in there's a couple of major differences. One is your risk appetite. I mean when you're spending your own money and taking your own risks, you're probably, you'll probably take far greater risks. When you're spending other people's money, you're probably you're probably not risk adverse, but you're probably more considered about those risks. So that that's probably the main difference.  It is an overarching kind of theme, I'm really keen on us being an enabling council that enables, you know, businesses, enables development and enables people to enjoy what we have here, because it is a great district and I'm, you know, I've lived here for over 30 years or 30 years, and I love it. You know, specifically, aside from the obvious, you know, major projects like the theatre royal, heritage hub and the stadium and the art gallery, we need, we need to deliver on them. But I also think the district plan, it's a crucial and a major piece of work, and we need to get it right. And getting the right balance between sensible regulation and enabling develop, development and growth is not easy, and the council's going to have to navigate that carefully, because there's going to be strong voices on both sides. So I think that's gonna be a big challenge for council. You know, they've made a huge amount of progress to get to where we are now. But now, I feel like we're on the homestretch. And we need to, we need to nail that. Like many other places around the country, we have an availability of housing issue. we really need to be proactive about solving that. I don't know what the answers are, but the first step in solving any problem is actually really identifying the problem and understanding issues. And then we have some really pressing issues around coastal erosion and inundation, and that's already having a serious effect on a number of landowners and hut holders in their coastal communities. These seem to be some obvious solutions, but as a country, my view is that we're regulated ourselves into a bind. And so now, this is actually a really complex issue that it's going to take a lot of time to sort through, and we just don't actually have that luxury of time, so there are some of the issues that come to mind

Stephen Doran  07:09

Reactions to these problems seem to be piecemeal, and coming up as they happen. I'm thinking of Cyclone Gabriel as a good example of that at the moment, where do you think Council stand in trying to lead that process for the communities?

Michelle Pye  07:21

I think, you know, because you're, you're operating at different levels in these different agencies and organisations that need to be involved. But I think Council's main main role is being a good advocate for our community and advocating effort needs to be to government or other councils, you know, regional councils are there, and being that strong voice for our community and understanding what our community needs in providing some proactive solutions that, that we can advocate for.

Stephen Doran  07:50

Going back into the long term plan processing, what do you hope to get out of it for your community and the wider community as well, this time around, as it's quite different environment from previous ones.

08:02

Yeah, it is and it's hard to get that balance of prudent fiscal control and management with some aspirational stuff that will really help us attract people to our district. You know, if we want people living here, you know, you need some of these things that do cost a lot of money. It's a little bit chicken and egg, I guess. So yes, that's gonna be tricky, you know, infrastructure's a given for me, that's almost like a Yep, we've got to do that, you know, your water, your roading, and what Andrew Dixon will hate me for saying this, but most people think is the boring stuff. You know, that that's your bread and butter, you've got to do that. And you've got to do it well, and I think we need we need to continue in that investment. And then, you know, the, the nice to haves are important as well, for our sense of cultural, you know, wellbeing and having people visit and stay it's yeah, yes, but there's not really anything that I go, you know, and I didn't campaign on this, and I didn't come to council going, I want to achieve this. I just want a great thriving district that is well served by its Council.

Stephen Doran  09:11

Do you think this district is a bit of a quiet achiever when it comes to these things? We're sort of slightly self effacing by nature, and we probably hit above our weight, but don't really talk about it.

Michelle Pye  09:19

I probably I think it does, actually, you know, in the stats that came out of the VT research showed that but I also think it's just a personal you know, people are always looking over the fence, they always think somebody else's got it better. And there's the old saying the grass is greener, and I always say Yeah, but you still gotta mow it. It's, you know, it's really easy to look over the fence and think somebody's got to better, but we're actually really lucky and tomorrow, and I think, I think we've got a great district and we're in we're doing okay,

Stephen Doran  09:49

So you're quite excited about the next few years of your term?

Michelle Pye  09:52

Yeah, it is actually coming into Council, it's been a massive learning curve. And I was just reflecting yesterday actually about what you know and understand now compared to what we did when we first joined, because there's so much to learn, I still don't, you know, there's still lots more to learn. But it's exciting to be coming in and doing that long term plan early on in our term so that's yeah, it's gonna be good.

Stephen Doran  10:14

Okay, one of the aspects you bring is a real understanding of this of the food bowl nature of it. How important to sort of Timaru District do you think that food bowl is? Do you think people realise just how much it underpins the economy here?

Michelle Pye  10:25

I'm not sure. I've never I've never liked this, you know, farmers are the backbone of our country. Kind of, you know, you need to thank us every day kind of attitude. We do a job because we love it. And it's a lifestyle, and we do love it. But yes, some stats that Venture Timaru got do prove that that agricultural and food processing industry contributes a lot to this economy. And, and we just need to be careful that we don't cut our nose off to spite our face, to be honest, and solutions around regulation, climate change, etc. have to have the economic consideration taken into account. Otherwise, we might end up being sorry for what we wished for.

Stephen Doran  11:08

How do you think this district will develop over time?

Michelle Pye  11:11

I probably shouldn't say this. But I've done a number of courses, and we talk about strategy, and my response has been, I don't know what I'm having for tea, let alone what's gonna happen in 2050. I've actually learnt in some of the courses that I've done, it's not about imagining the future, it's actually preparing yourself for different scenarios that may occur in the future. And when you look at strategic thinking that way, it becomes a little bit easier to solve. I don't know, I'd love to see a district that's  thriving that you know people enjoy that has a humming CBD, that people want to come to and want to want to live in and want to work in and set up business and all of those things. These are easy fixes.

Stephen Doran  11:57

What's the response been like getting to know the communities and Pleasant Point and Temuka knows a representative to you, they will all sort of feel a sense of ownership of you. And they'll want to come and have their say?

Michelle Pye  12:06

Well I'm really, really lucky in Temuka district that everyone knows, Scotty and knows that he works in the main street and they go to him. I do have the ear of the rural community. But I have actually been asked to speak at a couple of you know, Lions groups and things like that, and one at Pleasant point and that. And it is, yeah, no, it's really good to get out and about in the community because, and I found this when I was in my Fonterra role. If people don't ring you and let you know what the issues are. It's really hard to do your job. You know, like, I understand the issues and that, But if you're not hearing from people, it's just really hard to represent people if you're not hearing from them.

Stephen Doran  12:44

Do you think we still have a reasonably vibrant democracy in Timaru, is your phone still ringing? Are you still getting emails from people?

Michelle Pye  12:49

Not as many as what I thought I would you know, it's Yeah, yeah, I was a bit surprised about that. But you can look at that two ways. It's like you know, attendance at meetings and things like that. If people are happy, you don't hear from them. Sometimes it's when people are really disgruntled, that your phone starts ringing so so I probably take that as a good sign and I must be doing okay. Otherwise people will be ringing me to tell me I'm not.

Stephen Doran  13:14

Here's an interesting question for you. What's one surprising fact about yourself?

Michelle Pye  13:18

This is almost embarrassing. But I skipped in the closing ceremony of the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. I was a fifth former it tomorrow Girls High and embarrassing yourself by taking part in this massive skipping demonstration was a small price to pay for school trip to Auckland. And I actually have a commemorative medal that it looks a lot like a bronze medal so I'm thinking that and generations to come you know perhaps Perhaps there'll be a family myth and wondering what Great Granny was was good at in sport

Stephen Doran  13:49

A bronze medal in skipping.

Michelle Pye  13:50

Yeah, and I was actually just thinking on the way and I he believe the mayoress was on that trip too!

Stephen Doran  13:56

Thank you for your time. It's good to get to know you.

Michelle Pye  13:58

No problem at all.