Avenues sat down with mayoral candidate Sara Templeton to talk community, climate, and why she’s put up her hand.

Sara Templeton has never been one to shy away from a challenge. She grew up in Ōtautahi Christchurch, went to the University of Canterbury, and, like plenty of others, headed off on her Big OE at 21 before coming home to teach high school English.

While raising three young children, she was running a small business and volunteering in her local Heathcote Valley community when the earthquakes hit, and life took an unexpected turn into community leadership and then politics.

That was fifteen years ago. Since then, Templeton has served as community board chair and then a city councillor. In her tenure, she has championed climate action, community wellbeing, and smarter urban design.

“We’ve made enormous progress since the earthquakes, and that’s been off the back of some bold, future-focused decisions. I’m keen to build on that momentum and create a truly liveable and sustainable city, with our communities and our environment at its heart.”

She splits her time between community work on the ground and handling the significant amount of paperwork that comes with the role. She says she enjoys the mix, from big-picture decisions in urban planning and economic development to smaller issues like cutdowns to mobility parks.

Sara says the community is what drives her. She has the Climate Change Portfolio and chaired the Coastal Hazards Working Group as the Council adopted its first Adaptation Plan and was key in setting up an intergenerational resilience fund, a proposal that garnered significant community support. She was also behind the removal of the library fines and hold fees.

Templeton also announced a plan to plant one million trees and other plants across the city and Banks Peninsula if she is elected as Mayor, a plan she hopes will help every suburb become a leafy one and bring back the birdsong.

“It’s an ambitious, but achievable goal, and one we will do in partnership with community groups and businesses, so many of whom are already leading the way.”

Sara’s other priorities include delivering a network of chlorine-free water stations across the city and ramping up water pipe renewals to halve leakage from current high levels in a decade.

“It’s time we stopped kicking the can down the road on our infrastructure,” she says, “as it only costs us more in the long run.”

With five years as a director of Christchurch City Holdings Ltd under her belt, Sara has governance experience to match her community background. She believes this mix helps her see the value of our city-owned companies – both for the region’s long-term future and in keeping them under council ownership.

And for those who don’t follow Council, Sara may be a familiar face for the stand she took against online harassment back in 2021, unmasking those behind a targeted campaign against her and other female politicians.

“Young women need to see that female leadership is valued, and calling out the misogyny that targets women is a crucial step in creating a political system that’s safe and inclusive for all.”

So what motivates Sara to stand for mayor? She wants to be a leader who “listens, collaborates, and delivers the promises we’ve made to build a vibrant, affordable, and resilient city now and for future generations.”

Authorised by Sara Templeton: kiaora@saratempleton.nz

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