Peter Butler announces he'll run for DHB board seat

CHB mayor Peter Butler is keen to swap his mayoral chains for a seat on the Hawke's Bay District Health Board.

Although he's standing down as Central Hawke's Bay mayor after these elections, Peter Butler is still keen to be involved in local issues and has announced this week that he is instead going to run for a seat on the Hawke's Bay District Health Board.

The last time a person from Central Hawke's Bay was on the board was up until 2010, when David Ritchie from Otane was at the table.

Mr Butler said he felt it was time that the district had representation again.

"I thought about this three months ago, and then when I saw news of others standing I thought I would have a go - there's a few things I think need looking at in Central Hawke's Bay."

One of his concerns was that people who were terminally ill were being moved from the CHB Health Centre just before they died.

"One of my friends was told they had to leave and go to Mount Herbert with only three days left to go.

"I have also had a person ring me saying they had been told there was no room for their terminally ill husband and they had to find accommodation in Hastings.

"I'm really concerned about this," he said.

He also wanted to address the situation where although Waipukurau had two ambulances based at the local St John station, only one was operative in the area as the other went to Hastings and Napier each day.

A shortage of doctors in the district was another matter he wanted to work on in conjunction with central Government, he said.

"I want to get newly qualified doctors to Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa, and in exchange look at having their student loans reduced or even waived completely.

"As it is, at the moment people have to wait three to four days for an appointment to see a doctor here."

Also in his sights were waiting times at the Accident and Emergency department at Hawke's Bay Hospital and improving the car parking both there and in Waipukurau.