Every small town has a handful of people who run the town. In America they are often referred to as the mafia. Timaru is not what you might call a small town in fact it would be better described as a small City.
A few years ago the local daily newspaper the Timaru Herald gave a group of people the task of identifying who were the most powerful people in Timaru. The judges named and numbered 25 Timaru people in order of their importance based the position they held in the community and in many cases their wealth.
The Editor of the Timaru Herald Dave Wood was judged the 5th most powerful person in Timaru coming immediately after the 4th most powerful man the Chairman of Timaru’s Primeport Syd McCauley
The 3 judged the most powerful people in Timau are
1. Alan Hubbard- This man is the owner of New Zealand’s biggest Finance Company South Canterbury finance and he is reported to be the most wealthiest man in the South Island with an estimated personal wealth of $650 million. This modest Timaru Chartered Accountant drives an early model VW motor car. He lives in a very modest home and does not appear to enjoy personal publicity but to his credit he has certainly mastered the art of making money.
2. Wynne Raymond- This man is a solicitor in a local law firm Raymond Sullivan Mc Glashan. His law practice in recent years has been buying up some of the prime water front real estate in Timaru. They are now major shareholders in company Grand Piazza Ltd that owns one of Timaru’s greatest icons the Hydro Grand Hotel Ltd
Wynne Raymond is a former Mayor of Timaru who was instrumental in the development of things in the city such as the Piazza Stairs from the Hydro Grand down to the Bay. With the help of his wife Nan Raymond they established the Trever Grifiths Rose Garden at the foot of the Piazza. Mayor Raymond also had the casting vote that resulted in millions of dollars being spent in completely restoring the council buildings. It is now the only building of its age in Timaru that has been strengthened to withstand a possible major earthquake
3. Janie Annear– Mrs Annear is the current Mayor of Timaru and was Wynne Raymonds replacement. During Wynne Raymonds last term as Mayor Mrs Annear publicly stated that she would not stand for Mayor against Mr Raymond if he was standing because he was her friend.
Mayor Annear is a Director Timaru District Holdings Ltd a company owned by the Timaru District Council.
On the 5thJune 2009 the Mayor and her husband Paul registered a private company with a similar name Timaru Holdings Ltd.
Mayor Annear is also a Licensee of Timaru Online http://timaruonline.co.nz/
This privately owned website has links to 3 other websites owned by the
Timaru District Council, Primeport Timaru and the Timaru Herald
Mayor Janie Annear is currently leading a team of councilors and other infuential people to pass a final motion that will see $23 million taken out of local peoples pay packets as the town builds another swimming pool, cafe and public Gym. To achieve her goal Mayor Janie Annear has called on the assistance of the Editor of the Timaru Herald to give her a hand and the newspaper has responded by writing influential editorials. Some councillors have been scared off by her tactics and thrown the towel in claiming the job of resistance to her influence is far to hard
Other Councillors who have succumbed to he charm of this attractive looking women Mayor are as follows
- Ray Bennet – Timaru
- Dave Jack – Timaru
- Warren Barker – Timaru
- Michael Oliver – Geraldine
- Pat Mulvey – Temuka
Keep checking on this website as we tell more about what motivates these people who seem so determined get what they want regardless of who will suffer from being forced to pay for a luxury public facility they will never use.
The SH 1 Directory News comes to you with the compliments of businesses in Christchurch, Ashburton, Temuka, Timaru and Oamaru.
Keep watching this space as we bring you more news on just
WHO”S WHO IN TIMARU
