Peter Hackett

Peter Hackett will push for Wanganui District Council to live within its income if he is elected.

He stood for a council seat in 2010, and said he loved the process and got 2649 votes.

It was the council's debt issue that grabbed him this time. He's advocating selling off 5 per cent of its assets to pay back debt.

Its forestry could be sold, as well as other assets of the council's holding company.

The council needed to make some tough decisions and stop borrowing. Mr Hackett said he would task its chief executive to make a 5 per cent cut in operational spending.

"Too much is going on operational."

He's keen to see more infrastructure spending, which, he said, would create jobs.

He also likes the idea of council going into equity partnerships with other parties in order to pay for new assets such as port development.

"The port needs to be developed, because look at all the boats in Wanganui. We could have a small marina. We could service barges," he said.

He doesn't know the answer to the city's wastewater treatment plant problem but said Wanganui's wet industries would have to be accommodated.

He said the earthquake strengthening issue had to be tackled case by case, but he thought it was generally cheaper to rebuild than to strengthen buildings.

Mr Hackett has lived in Wanganui all his life and is a self-employed farrier.

"My job takes me to all corners of the district and I'm in tune with the ratepayers.

"I'm giving them an alternative," he said.

He owns 32ha on the Aramoho edge of the city, where he has forestry, sheep and cattle. "I live in paradise."