Aaron Hawkins (politician)

Aaron Garth Hawkins (born 1983/1984) is the mayor of Dunedin City in Otago, New Zealand.[1] He was elected as Mayor on 12 October 2019. He is a representative of the Green Party.[2][1]

Aaron Hawkins
Hawkins in 2019
58th Mayor of Dunedin
Assumed office
25 October 2019
Preceded byDave Cull
Personal details
BornInvercargill, New Zealand
Political partyGreen
Spouse(s)Anya Sinclair (artist)
Children1
ResidencePort Chalmers, Dunedin

Personal life

Hawkins was born in Invercargill but has lived in Dunedin since 2002 to study at the University of Otago.[2] He lives in Port Chalmers with his wife (artist Anya Sinclair) and son.[3][4]

In 2016, he was involved in a near-fatal car accident after skidding on black ice in Halswell near Christchurch. He had to be cut free from the car and suffered a fractured humerus. His wife and son had minor injuries.[5][4]

He does not drive and is known to hitchhike from his home in Port Chalmers.[6][7]

Hawkins is a vegetarian.[7]

Career before politics

Hawkins was the host of Radio One's breakfast show.[8]

Political career

Hawkins first stood for council and mayor in the 2010 local body election but was unsuccessful after ranking 13th with 3.22% of the vote.[9][10]

In 2013, he was elected to Dunedin City Council in the Central Ward as a representative of the Green Party. His campaign for the mayoralty was unsuccessful coming fourth with 7.5% of the vote.[11][12]

In 2015, he was part of a successful campaign to save, strengthen and restore Dunedin's courthouse building after it was deemed an earthquake risk.[13][14]

In 2016, he was re-elected to council. He contested the mayoralty for a third time, but was not successful and came fifth with 7.7% of the vote.[15]

He stood for re-election to council and for the mayoralty in 2019 as a representative of the Green Party.[16][17][18] He was successful in the mayoral poll and was the first official Green Party candidate to win a mayoralty.[8][19]

As of September 2019, he is the chair of council's community and culture committee, grants committee, refugee steering group and the Mayor's taskforce for housing.[2][20] He is also a member of the Dunedin Fringe Arts Trust board and the Blue Oyster Arts Trust board and the co-chair of Local Government New Zealand's young elected members committee.[8][21][22]

In 2019, he successfully led a motion asking Councillors to support the protection of Foulden Maar.[23][24]

On 12 October 2019, he was elected as Mayor of Dunedin.[1][25]

In May 2020, the Dunedin City Council approved a set of controversial measures designed to entice the public back into the CBD following the COVID-19 lockdown. George Street's speed limit was lowered from 30 km/h to 10 km/h, free parking was introduced and businesses were enabled to use footpaths for free. The measures were criticised by opponents as "ideological". Hawkins respond "This has been called part of a wider ideological drive, well of course it is. Everything is ideological... Every opinion expressed by every person in this room is a product of ideology. A product of your values, your knowledge and your perspectives and your opinions. That's what that means.".[26]

References
  1. Morris, Chris (12 October 2019). "Dunedin goes Green". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  2. Council, Dunedin City. "Cr Aaron Hawkins – Dunedin City Council". www.dunedin.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  3. "The artist and the mayoral candidate: How Anya met Aaron". Stuff. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  4. "The hitchhiker's guide to local government". Stuff. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  5. "Dunedin city councillor waiting for six days for operation for badly broken arm after crash". Stuff. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  6. "The hitchhiker's guide to local government". Stuff. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  7. "Dunedin's 35-year-old, hitch-hiking, Green Party mayor". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  8. Adams, Josie (17 September 2019). "Race briefing: Dunedin, the left-wing utopia/drunken hellhole of the south". The Spinoff. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  9. "Cull wins Dunedin mayoralty". Otago Daily Times Online News. 29 October 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  10. Morris, Chris (7 September 2010). "Mayoral Profile: Aaron Hawkins". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  11. Council, Dunedin City. "Dunedin City Council Final Results – Dunedin City Council". www.dunedin.govt.nz. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  12. Porteous, Debbie (19 September 2013). "Mayoral Profile: Aaron Hawkins". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  13. Borley, Craig (8 December 2015). "Dunedin courthouse saved (+ video)". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. "Official opening crowns campaign to save Dunedin's historic courthouse". Otago Daily Times Online News. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  15. Council, Dunedin City. "Dunedin City Council Final Results – Dunedin City Council". www.dunedin.govt.nz. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  16. Morris, Chris (5 September 2019). "Strong track record of building political support". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  17. McPhee, Elena (18 April 2019). "Hawkins announces bid for city mayoralty". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  18. Block, George (12 July 2019). "Plans unveiled at Green Dunedin campaign launch". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  19. Donnell, Hayden (3 September 2019). "Revealed: The famous and interesting candidates standing in our local elections". The Spinoff. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  20. Morris, Chris (5 June 2019). "DCC looking to inner-city living". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  21. Morris, Chris (5 September 2019). "Strong track record of building political support". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  22. Morris, Chris (19 June 2019). "Dunedin councillors eligible for childcare allowance". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 19 September 2019.
  23. McPhee, Elena (30 May 2019). "DCC supports preservation of Foulden Maar". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  24. McPhee, Elena (18 May 2019). "Hawkins in bid to support Foulden Maar preservation". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 9 September 2019.
  25. Morris, Chris (12 October 2019). "Vandervis led early in mayoral race". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  26. "Dunedin City Council hopes new measures will entice people back into city post-lockdown". Radio New Zealand. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by
Dave Cull		 Mayor of Dunedin
2019–present		 Incumbent
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