Enhance and protect for a sustainable future.

Sophie Siers for Hawke’s Bay Regional Council.

Vote Sophie Siers for the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

I am seeking your vote for a seat on Hawke’s Bay Regional Council to ensure that council stays focused on core business - environmental protection and enhancement that ensures the sustainable future of our wonderful region.  

What are the issues?

  • Water Security

    We can and must do better to restore, protect and ensure equitable access to our water. Water retention within biologically active soils and individual, farm and business water resilience are critical projects that must be forefront.

  • Climate Change and Community Resilience

    We must adapt and plan for extreme weather events. Maintenance schedules and facility upkeep are vital to building resilience. We must be nimble in the face of change.

  • Biodiversity and Ecology

    Protection and growth of our region’s biodiversity and the ecology of our fertile soils are vital. Our soils underpin much of our industry, we must reconsider the management and sustainability of this invaluable resource.

  • The Regional Spatial Plan

    This is the community’s greatest opportunity to direct the sustainable future of our region. My time as Councillor for Hastings puts me in a unique position to work across councils to ensure the cooperation that will bring about good planning in this process.

  • Open spaces

    Our Te Mata Park, Waitangi Regional Park and Pakowhai Dog Park, to name a few, are local treasures. We must protect, enhance and grow our open spaces to ensure our future generations enjoy the same access to green space as we do.

Who is Sophie Siers?

Hawke’s Bay has been my home for 30 years.  My husband and I moved here in the early 90s, built our first home and started our family. We are coastal hill country farmers at Waimārama using regenerative-organic methods and we established our first Hastings business, The Organic Farm Butchery, in 2003. I also write and publish children’s books through my company Millwood Press. 

I love what the Hawke’s Bay environment offered us as a growing family - easy accessibility to a fabulous outdoor lifestyle on beautiful unspoilt beaches in summer to snowy bush walks in winter, with farms, orchards and vineyards surrounding our two cities. To maintain and enhance this environment we need to ensure balance, managing the tensions between environmental standards, climate resilience and our local economy.  

I care deeply and I’m fully invested in helping to fix the problems of the past while creating and adopting new ways to bring about the vibrant and healthy community we all want.    

In 2019 I was elected to Hastings District Council for the Kahuranaki ward.

I am Deputy Chair of the EcoDistricts Committee which created a strategy to embed environmental sustainability into the practice of all council departments.

This experience has given me skills and knowledge about the workings of Local Government that are directly transferable to the Regional Council.

I am an experienced business owner and as a certified RMA commissioner, I have a good understanding of the processes of resource consenting and planning.  

Why choose Sophie Siers?

What are Sophie Siers’ values?

  • Relationships

    I love working with people and people like working with me. I am approachable and believe everyone’s opinion should be heard. I enjoy communicating, collaborating and learning. Good relationships are pivotal in achieving the cooperation that is needed between councils and the community. Strengthening these relationships is a key role of governorship.

  • Efficiency

    Having raised a family and run my own business I know the importance of value for money and budgeting. I will be as careful with the ratepayer’s money as I am with my own.

  • Responsibility

    With regard to the environment, we must all take responsibility. The role of a councillor is to hold the institution accountable by ensuring it delivers on its commitments. This requires a solid understanding of the issues and the ability to navigate the bureaucratic processes, skills I have worked hard to develop.