Zulfiqar Butt says quality and frequent public transport and safe and pleasant footpaths are ways to encourage people to stop using their cars for short trips. Photo / Supplied
Palmerston North City Council candidate Zulfiqar Butt answers Local Focus' questions.
Last TV show you binged? Cricket T20 series.
Favourite book? Different books at different times.
Favourite music genre? Semi-classical.
Beer, wine or neither? Neither.
PC or Mac? PC.
Palmerston North or Palmy? Both.
Drive yourself or take public transport? Drive most of the time.
When did you last ride a bike? More than a month ago.
Favourite evening meal you cook yourself? Rice with lamb.
If you were running for Parliament which party would you be with? I am running for the council.
What is your favourite restaurant in Palmerston North? Afghan Darbar.
What is the biggest issue facing Palmerston North and what are you doing about it?
Wastewater treatment plant. Trying to get the best possible available options.
Where do you stand on Three Waters?
Agree with most of my fellow councillors.
The cost of living is affecting everybody - what tangible things should the council do to address it?
Supporting local businesses, local farmers, local producers.
How does the council plan to keep up with the demand for housing?
Working more closely with Kāinga Ora, supporting organisations and groups working in affordable housing and strengthening our own social housing.
A lot has been made of the city's potholes – how did it get so bad and what's being done to fix it?
Many factors to blame; Covid, hiring and retaining good and experienced staff, change in weather patterns. Hope our council and the contractor will be able to fix it soon by working together.
How do you propose to encourage people to stop using their cars for short trips?
Quality and frequent public transport. Safe and pleasant footpath conditions.
The council says it can't reach its carbon target on its own. What do you suggest the community should be doing? And council?
Council/community/businesses and different sectors need to work together to reach this target.
Is crime an issue in Palmerston North? If so, what's the solution?
Up to some extent, youth crime. Creating programmes to engage youth and supporting and providing them with alternative opportunities, helping them in the identification and selection of their career pathways.
Tell us about yourself. What life experiences have you had that make you a good councillor?
I am a Justice of the Peace and love community service. I am also a trained forester and environmentalist, a businessman and employer. Have supervised a large number of staff, have experience in managing smaller as well as multimillion-dollar budgets.
On average, 18 people die every year in recreational craft incidents in New Zealand.