Peter Veltkamp
Last updated: 25 Aug, 2025 10:29pm
Candidate Statement
My principal place of residence is in the area.
Caring for people has always been at the heart of what I do. I’m standing for Council to be a strong, compassionate voice – someone who listens, includes, and takes action.
Over the years, I’ve supported our community through volunteer work with the Samaritans, Citizens Advice Bureau, council advisory groups, and local committees. I co-founded the 3Mile Co-working Community, chaired Ka Pai Carterton, and currently serve on the Go Carterton and Carterton Crier committees.
For the past 11 years, I’ve run my own freelance graphic design and communications business from our home in Carterton.
My career has included roles as senior designer, graphic design tutor, production manager, brand coordinator, and assistant principal; giving me a broad skillset I’m excited to bring to council. Carterton is a special place.
I’m committed to ensuring council decisions reflect our community’s voice. I’m kind, approachable, open-minded and 100% focused on Carterton’s future.
Video transcript
I’ve lived in Carterton for many years, run my own graphic design and communications business from home, and been actively involved in local projects and committees.
I’m standing for council because I believe many of our best answers are already in the community. I’ve seen it with KaPai Carterton – when people are trusted and given the chance, amazing things happen. We’ve got so much skill, knowledge, and creativity here, and I want to see council working with people, not over them.
By listening, including, and sharing responsibility, we can build a Carterton that’s vibrant, welcoming, and future-focused.
My priorities are putting people at the heart of decisions, making council genuinely cooperative, and empowering the community to take the lead where it makes sense.
Carterton is full of talented, experienced people who know this place better than anyone. If we tap into that and keep conversations open from the very start, we can make smarter choices, avoid unnecessary costs, and get better
results. It’s about council and community working side by side to keep our town strong, resilient, and proud of what we achieve together.
The next few years will bring some big challenges – keeping rates affordable, dealing with uncertainty over our water assets, and the possibility of amalgamation. And the reality is, council simply can’t do everything the community might like – there just isn’t the money. But that doesn’t mean we can’t achieve great things. If we’re honest about the limits, focus on priorities, and work alongside our community, we can find practical solutions that protect what matters most and keep Carterton moving forward with confidence.
