Local elections often generate plenty of talk, but candidates’ real positions on key issues can be difficult to track and are rarely recorded for future reference.

To give voters a clear and lasting resource, we asked candidates to share their views in writing on three major topics: two pressing challenges for Councils, rates and debt, alongside one potential solution, amalgamation. Each candidate was invited to provide up to 200 words on their stance.

Rising rates, increasing debt, and the potential for council amalgamation are critical issues for our business community and wider region. On this page, you can read how each candidate plans to tackle these challenges and, importantly, how they intend to put their policies into action.