Chris Woodhams.
Chris Woodhams describes himself as a capitalist with a social conscience, and that is what he wants to bring to Waipā District Council if elected Mayor.
He says he has owned and operated businesses since he was 22, and lived and worked in Europe with his family for 20 years, so he has a lot of experience.
Now back in Cambridge, Chris loves Waipā and believes as mayor he could bring a fresh approach and a new appreciation.
Travelling the district, he says not only are the main towns of Cambridge and Te Awamutu exciting and vibrant in their own ways, but the villages of Kihikihi, Pirongia and Ōhaupō have unique charms and potential that need to be maximised.
Choosing two policies to champion, Chris says connectivity and affordability are most important.
His plan for connectivity is twofold. He believes everyone should have equal access to a quality internet connection; and, public transport should also be available between Te Awamutu and Cambridge, and not just from the towns to Hamilton.
He believes a simple and inexpensive community garden concept will help the household budget and help to make living in Waipā more affordable.
The internet plan is one where capitalism and a social conscience meet.
Chris says the council should enable, but not own, a social ISP that is available to everyone, no matter their means.
To achieve this a provider would need to be open to offering the service and subsidising some users out of other profits.
Chris says all the plans should be high quality so everyone can enjoy the benefits. He says some providers offer a "poverty package" but they don't meet the needs of a modern household.
One of his main concerns is the lack of connectivity for students once they are out of the school environment, making it hard for them to keep up and compete with their peers.
In terms of public transport connectivity, he says it is ludicrous we support a bus service to only our nearest city when residents also want to work, shop and play in the other towns and villages of Waipā, apart from their own neighbourhood.
His simple community garden concept is to utilise berms for citrus planting.
He says various citrus fruits are popular and healthy, and the trees are suitable because they are easy to maintain and have small root systems that won't be a hindrance to underground services.
Chris believes it is a simple plan that people will value.
This summer will be critical to discover if the sharks have started returning.