Andrew Maxwell Clark is running for mayor in Tasman and Invercargill and reckons he could do both jobs, if elected.

“I would be honoured to serve both, to be honest, if I was appointed to both,” he said.

When asked if he had the capacity to lead both councils, Clark said he could, suggesting the scenario was similar to Members of Parliament who split their time between their constituencies and Wellington.

“Travel is relatively cheap; you can get down there in half a day. Their schedules are quite different, but there’s a lot of benefits from joint knowledge, in my view… Whether the community supports you, well, it's entirely up to them.”

During a mayoral debate hosted by the Southland Chamber of Commerce in August, Clark confirmed that he was “actively looking” for a place to live in Invercargill.

He also acknowledged that it was difficult to unseat sitting mayors who ran for re-election, as Tasman’s incumbent Tim King was, and clarified he wasn’t able to withdraw his nomination in Tasman.

However, Clark has since said there was a “good chance” he could beat King and that Tasman needed “fresh ideas”.

“People are very concerned about our debt loading and our rates increases, and there’s no sight of any turnaround, and I think it’s as good a chance as anybody.”

Clark is no stranger to controversy, having previously made headlines for getting embroiled in a legal dispute around the purchase of a neighbouring estate, fundraising with motorcycle gang affiliates, and letter-dropping misleading pamphlets about the Waimea Community Dam.

Clark wanted irrigators to pay more of the debt incurred as a result of building the Waimea Community Dam. Photo: Max Frethey. [via LDR single use only]

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Just this local election campaign season, he’s also had to defend running in the two locations under different names, public disagreements in the media with his brother – incumbent Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark – and submitting outdated photos to election authorities.

Clark has previously defended himself, saying the issues were “out of perspective” compared to what normal life had been for a long time.

“We’ve dealt with everything that comes up in a fair and reasonable basis, and I don’t see any issue there whatsoever.”

He didn’t think his mayoralty, if he was elected, would distract from Tasman District Council’s work.

“I’ve done a very intense work as an intensive care paramedic, and a registered nurse; I can control the situation… It’s a matter of being able to judge a situation very correctly.”

Reducing Tasman’s “totally out of control” debt and delivering rates relief were Clark’s priority for Tasman.

After enduring an “excessive” average rates increase of 8.9% this financial year, he wanted to put pressure on Waimea Irrigators Ltd (WIL) – 49% shareholders of the dam – who he said weren’t pulling their weight on dam debt repayments.

“[Council] appear to be unrepentant about the debt loading on the ratepayers, and it’s totally unaffordable for a great many people,” Clark said.

“It’s long overdue that [WIL] paid their share.”

WIL chair Murray King said Clark’s suggestion was “misguided”.

“Waimea Irrigators contributed approximately $16 million by way of equity at financial close and, through a complex set of financial arrangements with Crown Irrigation Investments, are servicing all of their share of the additional debt.”

King added that the dam has benefited the whole community by averting the need for water restrictions in Richmond last summer, maintaining the health of the river, and ensuring jobs associated with a reliable water supply are retained.

Clark has repeatedly rubbished assertions that the dam ensures the aquifers, from which the Waimea Plains communities get their water, remain full.

Other campaign priorities for Clark include giving landowners permission to undertake flood protection work, limiting purchases of properties, opening council workshops, spending less on consultants, and fixing congestion in Richmond.

Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air