Whanganui Deputy Mayor Helen Craig is calling time on nearly 12 years as a Whanganui District councillor.

The long-time arts and heritage champion for the city has announced she will not stand again for council in this year’s elections.

“I no longer have the desire to continue,” Craig told Local Democracy Reporting.

Craig, who was chosen as deputy mayor in 2022 at the beginning of her fourth term, is one of two long-serving councillors who have announced they will not seek re-election.

She was elected to the council in 2013.

Since then she has chaired the property and community services committee and the town centre regeneration sub-committee, and oversaw establishing council strategies for town centre regeneration, arts and heritage.

She was behind the city’s entries in the Most Beautiful Awards, in which Whanganui was named Most Beautiful City in 2019 and Most Beautiful Small City in 2020.

As chairwoman of the Whanganui Regional Heritage Trust, Craig spearheaded the annual Whanganui Heritage Month and triennial Heritage Awards.

She also chaired the Whanganui Heritage Restoration Trust and has been on the executive board of Historic Places Aotearoa.

Charlie Anderson will also step aside after completing his 12th year as a councillor.

“I’ve done my dash and I’m going to do other things,” Anderson said.

“Let someone else have a turn.”

Eight of Whanganui district’s 13 serving council members have confirmed they will stand again in the October elections.

Two have yet to make their decisions public and another is undecided.

Mayor Andrew Tripe, serving his inaugural year in local government, will seek re-election as mayor.

First-term councillor Peter Oskam has declared he will also stand for the mayoralty.

Tripe said he wanted a second term as mayor because he had received strong encouragement from “a large cross-section of the community” to carry on.

“And I’m enjoying the job,” Tripe said.

“This particular term has been arguably the most difficult in local government history, with the challenges of a high-rates environment across New Zealand. It’s required us to batten down the hatches and focus on doing the basics.”

Tripe said he would announce his vision for Whanganui during his campaign.

Oskam confirmed he would seek re-election to the council and run for mayor.

“I’m thoroughly enjoying the experience and looking forward to the journey we are on.”

Josh Chandulal-Mackay, completing his ninth year on the council, said he was not ready to reveal his plans.

“I’m planning to announce my intentions for the local body elections sometime in mid-to-late March. Until then I’m not going to comment publicly on it.”

Philippa Baker-Hogan, who is in her seventh term, said she had not made up her mind yet.

“I’m not looking to make a decision until July at the earliest. If I do decide to stand for another term it would definitely be the last.”

Another of the council’s longest-serving members, Rob Vinsen, will seek re-election after six-and-a-half terms. He was first elected in 1999 for a single term, then re-elected in a byelection in 2008.

He said he plans to use his experience to offer common sense decision-making and minimise costs.

“I try very hard to speak for the ratepayer.”

Kate Joblin said she would seek a fourth term to see through the completion of the council’s housing project.

“I believe there is significant need in our community for affordable housing and what is currently in front of council is to enable the pensioner housing portfolio to be redeveloped and create many more affordable homes.”

First-term councillors Glenda Brown, Ross Fallen, Michael Law and Charlotte Melser will also seek re-election.

Brown said she joined the council to advocate for business.

“Three years is not long enough to get established and understand the environment in order to make a difference. There is still much to do and much to advocate for if our business sector is to be protected and supported to survive and thrive.”

Fallen said he supported the community’s desire for fiscal restraint and active engagement in the community and the council chamber.

“My record will show I am generally a conservative when it comes to any expenditure that is not core business.”

Law said he had committed to three terms to focus on his strategy to “fix, grow and invest”.

“I stand by my commitment.”

Melser said she hoped to implement some “exciting work” with the youth sector in a second term.

“For people to actively engage with local government, or feel like it is relevant to them, they need to see people at the table who they feel can represent them. I am consistently learning how we can enable our community and organisations to achieve goals and projects.”

Jenny Duncan declined to disclose her plans.