John Futter
Last updated: 25 Aug, 2025 10:34pm
Candidate Statement
My principal place of residence is in the area.
Part-time worker @ https://www.earthsciences.nz.
I am a semi-retired Engineer who lives in Norfolk Rd with my wife Karen. I am standing for Council as an apolitical candidate. I’m concerned with how much rates have increased over the past years.
I hope to make a difference with: any future rates rises, that these will not be greater than the rate of inflation.
The environment is super important to me, as is water. No major decisions should be made with regard to water-rights, bores or water supply until the data collected by GW (via the big tennis racket suspended below a helicopter) is available.
Refer to ‘Taking to the skies to Understand Wairarapa aquifers’ at GWRC.
Roading is also a focus of mine. The recent State Highway 2 repairs in Carterton are great, but the process was very disruptive to both road users, businesses, and householders alike, and could have been handled better.
Video transcript
Hello, my name is John Futter.
I am a candidate in the upcoming Carterton District Council elections. A little about myself, my wife and I own a small cattle stud in Norfolk Rd, and we have been resident here for eight years.
I am a semi-retired engineer, and now I have time to put back into my community. I see being a councillor as part of public service, a bridge between ratepayers and people living in Carterton and the machine that is
our local council.
My top priorities over the next three years are to use my skills, including my engineering skills, to reduce overspending. Having solar panels installed on all appropriate council buildings, convert
the last of the old street lighting to more efficient LED lighting, and better planning of State Highway 2 road repairs with NZTA to avoid road closures resulting in 9km detours
The environment is also very high on my to-do list. We must continue to improve on the good work already done by CDC, with regard to water, wastewater, the air we breathe, and proper recycling of unwanted material.
The biggest challenge facing Carterton is climate change.
As we are on the east of the Tararua Ranges, we will become drier, and storms coming in from the northeast and southeast will tend to be more extreme. Resilience needs to be improved if we are going to mitigate future
weather events and water shortage issues.
