Fireside chats planned to grill election hopefuls | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Two Greytown women who want voters in the town to be well informed before casting their votes in October's local body elections plan to borrow from a concept made famous by a wartime American president.

Peggy Duncan and Narena Olliver are organising informal cottage meetings, along the lines of Franklin D. Roosevelt's fireside chats, so voters can relax and ask questions of candidates without the constraints of large, formal meet-the-candidates evenings.

They plan to invite those seeking office to their homes along with friends and townspeople who need answers to questions so they can talk on a one-to-one basis.

The two women want other Greytown people to join the cottage meetings network and therefore allow many more people to get the chance to hear what candidates have to offer, in the comfort of residential homes.

Peggy Duncan said the two mayoral candidates, Adrienne Staples and Robert Petelin, would be invited to a meeting - or meetings - and on separate occasions candidates seeking election to South Wairarapa District Council, Greytown Community Board and the Wairarapa constituency of Greater Wellington Regional Council would be invited to talk and answer questions.

She said in past election years larger, organised meetings in public halls have been found wanting.

This has been partly because the structured environment doesn't suit all people who may want a question answered but don't feel comfortable asking it at a large gathering.

Ms Duncan and Ms Olliver feel several outstanding issues need to be addressed to take the town forward and believe people are worried over continually rising rates while matters concerning water usage and management, sewage treatment, strip development and business confidence remain unanswered.