Successful council candidate inspired to stand after attending tragic road crash
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask;
A farmer inspired to stand after a roading tragedy will be sworn in as a new district councillor this week.
Rob Mackle was announced as the likely winner of the Western Ward by-election on Thursday.
The provisional result after voting closed at midday on Friday had Mackle out in front by a clear enough margin over the other candidates.
With 98% of ballots counted, Mackle was on 655 votes, well ahead of Hayden Tasker on 467, Dame Lynda Topp on 409, and Carol Johns on 126.
“I’m very humbled that the people have put their faith in me,” Mackle said.
“I’m looking forward to doing what I can for the area and hoping I can prove my worth.”
There will be little time for the farmer come first-time councillor to settle into the role as he will be sworn in at next week’s meeting.
“Obviously because I’m a bit green I’ve got a fair bit to learn, so it will be taking it all in for a start but keen to get stuck into it.
“No doubt I’ll get a lot of support from the council to get me up to speed so it doesn’t faze me at all.”
Mackle was inspired to pursue a council seat after being first on the scene of a fatal crash near Ashburton in 2019, where he performed CPR on an 8-month-old baby who later died in hospital.
“It rattled me quite a bit and I just thought I should be something a little bit more around the district.”
He said a core personal focus is to “see a lot more maintenance and repairs going on around the district”.
He is well aware the issue around funding increased roading improvements is a trickle-down effect from Wellington but is keen to “make enough noise to make it happen”.
As the success of his campaign sunk in yesterday, he offered commiserations to the other candidates after a “fair old battle”, and expects to see them all back on the nominations list in the next local body elections in 2025.
The by-election followed the sudden death of second-term councillor Rodger Letham in December.
Mackle will also sit on the Methven Community Board alongside fellow Western Ward councillor and deputy mayor Liz McMillan.
The voter turnout in the Western Ward, the vast majority of the area west of State Highway 1 to the southern alps incorporating Methven, Mayfield and Mt Somers, was lower than in last year’s election.
There were 1668 votes cast (excluding special votes and votes delivered after the ballot boxes closed at midday) equating to 38.89% of the eligible voters, down on the 53.47% turnout (2,316 votes) in October.
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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48.5% Yes
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49.6% No
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2% Other - I'll share below
Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
www.humansofchch.org......
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