Now That's an Idea

In this episode of Now That’s an Idea, we sit down with Sam Gibson — maybe better known as Sam the Trap Man — to talk about his candidacy for local council in Gisborne/Tairāwhiti.

Sam shares his background in conservation and community work, and why listening to constituents is central to his approach.

Sam's idea: we need for greater resilience in the face of environmental challenges, including more targeted native forest and cutting red tape for farmers.

Our kōrero also touches on funding for biodiversity initiatives and the high costs of road maintenance caused by heavy industry.

Keywords:

Sam Gibson, sam the trap man, local governance, environmental resilience, community involvement, biodiversity, council elections, Gisborne, New Zealand, road infrastructure, public engagement

In this episode of Now That’s an Idea, we sit down with Elizabeth Kerekere, a candidate for local government in Tai Rāwhiti, to talk about one big idea: devolution of power and funding from Wellington to our communities.

Elizabeth draws on her background in activism, education, and politics to explain why local control over spending and decision-making is crucial for real community representation. She shares her vision for Tai Rāwhiti, where council decides how to spend its resources to meet local needs directly — instead of waiting on Wellington.

We also dive into the challenges of infrastructure funding, and why building strong relationships across political lines is key to making lasting change.

If you care about local democracy, community voice, and shifting power closer to the people, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Keywords:

Politics, activism, local governance, Tai Rāwhiti, infrastructure, youth development, devolution of power, community engagement, Elizabeth Kerekere, candidates