The BOI Councillors were invited to give there feedback on the following

1. What specific funding or resources you will commit to fostering collaboration between local businesses?

2. What funding or initiatives you will support to ensure the Bay of Islands is successfully marketed as a destination?

3. What key messages you will advocate for within council to ensure the needs of local businesses are clearly represented?

Ross Yeager

The Government has already signalled repeal of the General Competence clause, meaning “economic well-being” will no longer be a Council commitment and by this Christmas. Until we know the details of those changes, I believe it is unwise for Council to spend energy on initiatives that may soon be outside its mandate and have communicated this prudence to FNDC senior management and Councillors, likewise my reply to your survey.

That said, my position is clear:

• Council’s role with business should be limited. In general, Council should get out of the way and let business get on with it.
• My background work experience shows consistent support for business: St John Kerikeri – 2.5 years (current), Driving Miss Daisy franchise owner – 6 years, Business Consultant – 9 years, Divisional General Management with Armourguard/ADT – 14 years, Otago University graduate.

If your members would like to raise specific initiatives or concerns with me, I will provide an honest opinion on whether I think Council should be involved. 

In terms of my platform:

• I have released a 30-point action plan built on financial discipline and sustainability.
• I support a strict debt cap of $217m for FNDC, reducing committees from 12 to 5, and ensuring Council lives within its operating revenue.
• I support capping rates to the rate of CPI.
• These measures will free up ratepayers and businesses from the burden of ever-increasing Council costs.

My key message is simple: A disciplined, efficient Council that is focused on core service delivery is the best support we can give local business.

Ann Court

• Q. What specific funding or resources you will commit to fostering collaboration between local businesses?
• A. I would love to say X in terms of dollars. But I cant. All funding decisions are by the majority of Council elected members around the table. Any decisions on specific funding will need to form part of the next Long Term Plan. In terms of resources. During Covid the then Mayor John Carter and I as his deputy kicked off the Thursday morning Teams calls. These have proven to be hugely successful with the current Mayor continuing this practice. As an aside I am a committee member of the Kerikeri Business Association so recently we have worked with Business BOI on the CCTV project which will be hugely beneficial when we move to the implementation phase.
• Q. What funding or initiatives you will support to ensure the Bay of Islands is successfully marketed as a destination?
• A. FNDC currently funds Northland Inc who act in a Regional capacity to market Northland (including the Bay of Islands). I would anticipate that this will continue. Again, however, I couch my answer by saying that any future decisions to stay or leave remain the prerogative of the elected council. And, whilst I do not anticipate they would vote to leave – it is prudent that my answer to your question is complete. In addition I am a huge advocate of our community boards who currently are given discretionary funding to support events. I anticipate this will continue because of the criticality of funding to enable successful events.
• Q. What key messages you will advocate for within council to ensure the needs of local businesses are clearly represented?
• A. Councillors are in my experience highly attuned to the needs of local businesses. This is evident in every decision from rating impacts, to car parking, to town amenities to supporting events that bring tourists to town and importantly stay. It is critical that elected members become involved in the local businesses they represent. That is the only true bell weather to understand the pressures facing businesses and how Council decisions impact them both favourable and negatively. My key message would be to ensure elected members understand that advocacy does not end on election day and they need to stay connected and act as conduits and lobbyists.

Tyler Bamber

Thanks for reaching out – as a business owner myself, and someone who has been actively involved with business associations in the past, I know first-hand the struggles and needs of small businesses in the Bay of Islands. I believe council must do more than talk about supporting business – it needs to put practical resources behind it.

On funding and collaboration: I want to explore the feasibility of a Business Improvement District model, similar to the success seen in Kaitaia, where resources are provided to local business associations. This can often be used as seed funding to unlock further investment and generate real “bang for buck” in our local urban centres. Strengthening our business associations will give them the means to foster collaboration and deliver tangible benefits across our communities.

On destination marketing and events: I strongly support the government’s recent event fund and believe council, alongside Northland Inc, should take a serious look at creating a year-round event strategy for the Bay of Islands. Events are a proven way to extend the busy season, boost off-season trade, create temporary employment, and support hire companies, accommodation providers, food and beverage businesses, and the wider economy. By developing an event calendar that reflects our culture, beauty, and people, we can market the Bay of Islands more effectively as a destination 12 months of the year.

On advocacy within council: My commitment is to be an active voice for local business by keeping open lines of communication and staying closely connected, as I always have. I will advocate strongly for practical, business-friendly policies and for council to work in partnership with business groups. Equally, I will make sure that not only the challenges, but also the successes of our local businesses are heard around the council table, so they can be used as examples and benchmarks across the district.

I hope that provides a little background into where I’m at currently – but I will always take up any opportunity to talk my ideas through with business owners, as I know there’s a lot of brilliant minds out there with some great ideas!

Shell Wilson

Thank you for the opportunity to outline how I will support businesses in our rohe to thrive.

This is my first time standing for local government, but I bring governance experience from serving on the Focus Paihia Trust and the Upsurge Bay of Islands Arts Festival Trust. Both roles have shown me firsthand how vital strong partnerships with local businesses are for the wellbeing of our communities and the success of our region.

1. Funding and resources for collaboration
If successful, I will advocate for a dedicated Business Collaboration Fund within council to support joint initiatives between local enterprises, such as shared training programmes, networking events, and innovation workshops. I will also support leveraging existing community trusts and regional partnerships (such as Northland Inc and Focus Paihia) to co-fund initiatives that strengthen links between tourism operators, retailers, hospitality, and service providers.

2. Marketing the Bay of Islands as a destination
If successful, I will champion continued investment into destination marketing that highlights our unique identity: a place of rich cultural heritage, world-class marine environment, and authentic community experiences. This includes supporting targeted campaigns (nationally and internationally), expanding shoulder-season marketing to reduce seasonal volatility, and backing events and festivals that bring visitors and spending into the Bay year-round.

3. Advocacy within council
If successful, I will strongly advocate for:

Prioritising infrastructure investment (roading, parking, water, and digital connectivity) that directly impacts business operations and visitor experiences.

Embedding a “business lens” into decision-making so local enterprises are considered alongside social and environmental outcomes.

Ensuring local voices are heard by promoting regular hui between businesses, hapū, and council to co-design solutions that serve both economic growth and community wellbeing.

I am committed to ensuring the Bay of Islands remains not only a world-class visitor destination but also a thriving place to run and grow a business.

Davina Smolders

Thank you for the opportunity to set out my approach to supporting business success in our region. As candidates we are not privy to the internal budgets that have already been reviewed, accepted, or declined by the current council, so I cannot give the same level of budgetary detail as incumbents. What I can do is be clear about my position and commitments if elected.

Fostering collaboration between local businesses
I support establishing a dedicated Bay of Islands Business Forum—an open quarterly meeting between Council and local business associations where issues like consenting delays, infrastructure priorities, and marketing can be directly discussed. This doesn’t require large new budgets, just a commitment of staff time and councillor engagement. I would also push to make council’s procurement policies more transparent and accessible to local businesses, ensuring local contractors get a fair shot at council work instead of it going out of district by default.

Marketing the Bay of Islands as a destination
I will advocate for redirecting a fair portion of existing “nice-to-have” council spend into destination marketing in partnership with Northland Inc. and local operators. The Bay of Islands competes globally, not just locally, and we need to make sure rates already collected are being invested back into visitor attraction, major events, and campaigns that highlight our natural assets, hospitality, and heritage. Where possible, I would prefer joint-funded initiatives (Council, central government, and business) rather than relying solely on ratepayers.

Key business messages I will champion in Council

1. Cut the red tape – Make consenting and compliance easier and faster, with clear timelines and accountability. Every day a business is held up is lost income for our community.
2. Focus on basics first – Roads, water, waste, and safety must come before vanity projects. Businesses rely on functional infrastructure.
3. Respect ratepayers – Stop wasteful spending and channel every possible dollar back into keeping rates down and enabling growth. A thriving business community means a stronger economy for all.

My bottom line is this: Council should be a partner, not a barrier, to business. If elected, I will ensure that the voice of business is heard loud and clear at the council table, and that ratepayer funds are used to support growth, jobs, and opportunity in the Bay of Islands.