Richard Mansell is standing for the Waikanae Community Board.
Well-known Kāpiti businessman Richard Mansell is standing for the Waikanae Community Board in October’s by-election, and says he will work to help his community maintain its identity and character as it grows over coming years if he is elected to the Board.
With four generations of his family living in Waikanae, Mr Mansell’s family has called Kāpiti home since 1963, moving to Waikanae when he was five years old. His family established and built Coastlands and developed several subdivisions in Waikanae, amongst other contributions to the region.
Mr Mansell says he is choosing to stand now for the Waikanae Community Board to give back to the community he loves and has called home for more than 50 years.
“I want to share the local knowledge and business skills I have gained living and working here. I want to ensure that while Waikanae grows it remains supportive of our elderly, provides quality facilities for our families, is safe and accessible for pedestrians and cyclists, and respects the special character of our various Waikanae communities.
“We have inevitable growth on the horizon when Transmission Gully and the Expressway are completed, and we have a significant amount of greenfields left for residential development. I want to help our community be proactive in addressing the inevitable challenges and opportunities this growth will bring,” says Mr Mansell.
Getting the library and service centre back at full capacity, improving Waikanae’s connectivity (including a second crossing over the railway line, and a full interchange at Pekapeka) and encouraging proactive conversations amongst the community are his top three priorities for Waikanae.
“Waikanae is a safe and beautiful place to live and work. When it becomes easier to commute to Wellington, we will see more people move here, and residential development to the north of Waikanae will accelerate.
“We need to be ready for this growth and have appropriate planning and infrastructure in place to cope with it, but we must also maintain Waikanae”s unique character for the people who already call it home,” says Mr Mansell.