Ashburton Mayoralty Race: Who Wants The Job?

Saturday, 22 March 2025, 8:48 pm
Article: Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter

Nominations don’t open for three months but there are already three names in the running to replace Neil Brown as Ashburton’s mayor.

Brown was the big domino to fall in the mayoral race, announcing on Wednesday he would not seek a third term.

Deputy Mayor Liz McMillan and first-term councillor Rob Mackle this week announced they will run for mayor.

Three-term councillor McMillan has been Brown’s deputy for his two terms as mayor, and said she believed she has the experience for the top job.

Outside the current council, Jeff Ryan came forward with his ambitions to be mayor in February.

Since then, he was convicted on two unlawful weapons possession charges.

Ryan said he has also changed his mind about his major campaign pledge of ditching the town's second bridge.

Mackle said he was surprised by Brown’s decision to step down at the election.

The councillor had joked that he “planned to arm wrestle” Brown for the role – with the mayor smiling as he responded that they could still have the arm wrestle.

Of the other councillors, three-term councillor Russell Ellis has confirmed he will stand again for council.

First-term councillor Tony Todd, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor against Brown in 2019, will be seeking a second term as councillor.

Carolyn Cameron, Phill Hooper, Lynette Lovett, and Richard Wilson all said they were still undecided.

There was no response from Leen Braam.

Earlier this month the Ashburton Guardian reported Ryan pleaded guilty to having a 12-gauge double barrel shotgun and a .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle on his property, and for having ammunition, including a round loaded inside one of the guns, despite not having a firearms licence.

He said he’d been concerned about the safety of family members after learning about threats towards his partner’s daughter.

Meanwhile, there has been a change of tune from Ryan on his policies.

When he announced his intentions to run for mayor, he pledged to stop the second Hakatere/Ashburton River Bridge from going ahead and instead build a bypass around the town to alleviate the congestion issues.

He has now backtracked, saying that Ashburton’s second bridge will go ahead but he still wanted to build a tolled bypass as well.

If elected, he said he will progress the bridge and invite Neil Brown to open it, praising Brown for being a great mayor over the last two terms.

As well as his bypass, Ryan has other big plans, including to “reduce rates by 20% and provide a rebate for the last three years of overpricing”.

Ryan said he has not looked at the council’s previous or future budgets but “knows how people have suffered”.

“I’ve got some major plans for the town and if it means borrowing some money, then so be it. Businesses do it, you do it for your household. You grow an investment, and you grow income from it.”

Candidate nominations open on July 1, but the mayoral race is already underway in Ashburton ahead of the October 11 election day.

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