A Far North fire chief is one of the first candidates to put his hand up to contest October's local body elections.
David Williams, of Pakanae in South Hokianga, is the chief fire officer of the Rawene Volunteer Brigade and works for Mid North Real Estate in Kaikohe. Until recently he owned and operated Rawene Service Station.
He said he was standing as councillor for the Far North District Council to make sure the people of the Kaikohe/Hokianga Ward had effective representation. "I'll be taking my time over the next few months to meet with Hokianga and Kaikohe people to hear what issues they believe are the most important in the areas of development, environment and resources, to improve community facilities in the wider district," he said.
He had been involved in Hokianga ratepayer organisations since 1984 and was one of the last community board members on the then Hokianga County Council. His wife, Christine, is a manager at Hokianga Health.
The Far North District Council has two seats in the Kaikohe/Hokianga Ward, currently held by Sally Macauley and Tracy Dalton. Mrs Macauley is expected to stand for re-election but Mrs Dalton is not.
