Hastings councillor says she would love to continue her work on council

Hastings councillor Eileen Lawson said she is proud of what she has achieved over the last 16 months. Photo / Supplied

Hastings District councillor Eileen Lawson says she would love to continue the work she has done while on council and is seeking re-election.

Lawson, who was elected in the Hastings-Havelock North Ward in a 2018 by-election, said she is proud of what she has achieved over the last 16 months.

Lawson moved to the district 24 years ago with her young family.

"The Hastings District has come a long way since I moved here. I have seen my three children grow up, go away to university and now all return here to pursue their careers.

"This wasn't how it used to be, and it illustrates just how well our region's economy is performing."

She said her varied background, which includes owning and managing two successful businesses, and a background in housing, banking and agribusiness, and more recently training to be a counsellor which she said is beneficial to her role in council.

Her focus since election has been on community, leading the community development portfolio, and chairing Safer Hastings.

"I've also worked to develop effective community plans, and increase the capacity of the Council-led 'Youth Pathways' to provide training and support into full time employment."

At the 2018 by-election, Lawson campaigned on supporting economic growth to provide a wider range of employment, looking after our environment for the future, supporting young people into employment, and working to keep our communities safe and deter drug use and crime.

She said the benefits of providing a trained and capable workforce are two-fold: helping employers and youth, which in turn helps revitalise the district.

"I am dedicated to making our community a better place to live, by providing an economic, social, and cultural environment that supports and sustains all our residents."