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Sara Templeton

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Sara Templeton
Templeton in 2019 wearing her Sustainable Development Goals necklace
Alma materBurnside High School, Onslow College

Sara Louise Templeton (née Beswick, born 1971) is a New Zealand local politician based in Christchurch. She came to national attention when she exposed that an online troll harassing her was a member of the Young Nats political youth group. After the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, Templeton was active in her Heathcote Valley community, and later co-authored a book about the community's efforts. She was awarded a Civic Earthquake Award for her community-building work. She chaired a community board for three years before standing for Christchurch City Council in 2016. She was the only candidate to unseat a sitting councillor, and was subsequently reelected in 2019 and 2022. Templeton is known for her focus on climate change issues. Templeton is a director of Christchurch City Holdings.

In October 2024 she announced that she would contest the Christchurch mayoralty at the 2025 New Zealand local elections.

Early life and education

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Templeton was born in Christchurch in 1971 to Ian and Kathy Beswick.[1] She was educated at Burnside High School and Onslow College.[2] She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Canterbury in 1995.[3] She was a secondary school English and drama teacher before entering local politics, and also owned an eco-friendly baby wipes business.[4][5]

Living in Heathcote Valley near the epicentre of the 2011 earthquake, Templeton was one of a number of local community leaders who helped with earthquake recovery, and she helped establish a community garden behind St Mary's Church. She was awarded a Civic Earthquake Award for services to the community presented by Mayor Bob Parker on 18 December 2012.[6][7] Templeton coedited a book with Sooze Harris, published in 2016, Heathcote: The Upside: Community Creativity, Innovation and Initiative in Response to the Christchurch Earthquakes. The book details the community-led projects in the Heathcote Valley in the first five years after the Christchurch earthquakes.[8][9] She served as chair of the Heathcote Valley Community Association.[10]

Political career

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Community board and councillor

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Templeton entered politics when she was elected to the Hagley-Ferrymead community board in 2013.[11] She was nominated as chair of the board during her term.[10] In 2015, plans by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to revamp Victoria Square generated significant public upset, forcing a period of public consultation on the proposed changes.[12] An Independent Reference Group was set up, which Templeton chaired.[13]

In 2016 Templeton stood for election as a councillor in the Heathcote ward. She ran under the banner of 'Strong Communities for a Stronger Christchurch' and won the election by a margin of more than 1500 votes, unseating sitting councillor Paul Lonsdale.[14][9][15]

Templeton was reelected to council in 2019.[16][17] She said she was keen to work with communities on their responses to climate change, but noted that large scale systemic changes were needed to help people make climate-friendly choices, such as in public transport.[16][18] She expressed dismay when the council were presented with a draft long-term plan in 2023 that removed all funding for cycleways, saying "I expect to see an option presented that helps us meet our approved emissions reduction targets. Short-term thinking is a disservice to our communities facing the challenges of a climate-impacted future.”[19]

In 2021, Templeton requested the council remove library fines at Christchurch City libraries, as she believed they disadvantaged some groups. The policy was adopted in March 2022.[20][21] Templeton is one of two city councillors to sit as directors of Christchurch City Holdings, a company which manages around $3 billion of council assets.[22][23] In 2022 it was suggested that Templeton might be considering running for mayor when Lianne Dalziel retires.[10][17] In 2022 Templeton was one of three councillors to vote against increasing the budget for the Te Kaha stadium.[24] She objected on the basis that the additional cost would be born by ratepayers, either though rates increases or cuts to services.[24]

Templeton is known for her focus on climate change. She holds the council's climate change portfolio, and chaired the council's Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee of the Whole, until it was abolished during a governance reshuffle following Phil Mauger's election to the mayorality.[25][19]

Templeton was re-elected for a third term on council in 2022.[26]

Mayoral candidacy

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In October 2024 Templeton announced that she would contest the Christchurch mayoralty at the 2025 New Zealand local elections. She would not stand again in the Heathcote ward to focus on the mayoral campaign.[11]

Online harassment

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In July 2021, during her second term as a city councillor, Templeton revealed to the media that she was the target of online harassment from two Facebook accounts with fake names. When the accounts were blocked from her page, they began a smear campaign against her by messaging and posting misinformation about her on other pages. They also attempted to get access to her personal Facebook page through the Official Information Act, and when they were denied, one of them complained to the Ombudsman. The same Facebook accounts were also responsible for targeting politicians Sarah Pallett and Megan Woods.[27][28] Templeton complained to the District Court and investigations traced the IP address to a house owned by New Zealand National Party member Bryce Beattie. His housemate Jessee Mackenzie admitted to the harassment and both Beattie and Mackenzie resigned from the Young Nats, and Beattie withdrew as an independent candidate in the local elections.[29][30][31][32][33]

In August 2023, Templeton said she had to increase her home security after online comments targeted her, after she laid a code of conduct complaint against fellow councillor Aaron Keown.[34]

Personal life

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Templeton lives in the Heathcote Valley and travels to work by bus or bicycle, having given up her council carpark.[18][9] Templeton often wears a wooden necklace that represents the UN sustainable development goals that are most important to her, which are good health and wellbeing, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, and peace, justice and strong institutions.[18]

Templeton has three children. She co-parents with her husband, who she is separated from.[35]

References

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  1. ^ "Births". The Press. No. 32773. 25 November 1971. p. 25. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  2. ^ Templeton, Sara. "Sara Templeton: Christchurch City Councillor: Putting our Future First". LinkedIn. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Graduate Search - Alumni Association | University of Canterbury". The University of Canterbury. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  4. ^ Law, Tina (10 October 2016). "New city councillors join the ranks". The Press. pp. A3. ProQuest 1827106077.
  5. ^ "Entrepreneurial mums running for council". Now to Love - New Zealand. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  6. ^ leadership lab. "A story of the Heathcote Community, Heathcote Village Project, and the Christchurch Earthquakes" (PDF). leadershiplab.co.nz.
  7. ^ Christchurch City Council. "Christchurch Earthquake Awards Recipients List" (PDF). Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  8. ^ "Heathcote: The Upside". HVCC. 21 January 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  9. ^ a b c "Sara Templeton". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b c "Templeton hints at mayoralty bid", Otago Daily Times Online News, 4 May 2022, retrieved 11 October 2024
  11. ^ a b Law, Tina (11 October 2024), "Sara Templeton announces bid for Christchurch mayoralty", The Press, retrieved 11 October 2024
  12. ^ Yardley, Mike (2 February 2015). "Cera sees sense over Victoria Square revamp". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Future Christchurch Update: The Voice of the Canterbury Rebuild" (PDF). Future Christchurch Update. August 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  14. ^ "2016 local elections". Christchurch City Council. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  15. ^ Conan Young (11 October 2016). "Mayor, rejigged council refocus on Christchurch CBD". RNZ. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b Gibson, Jess (22 October 2019). "Templeton focuses on climate change". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  17. ^ a b Law, Tina (5 May 2022). "Councillor who outed her online bully is considering running for Christchurch mayoralty". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  18. ^ a b c Edwardes, Tracey (31 July 2019). "Walking the talk". Metropol. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  19. ^ a b Law, Tina (9 September 2023). "Councillors 'shocked and surprised' at move to scrap cycleway funding". The Press. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Council votes to end fines for overdue library items". Newsline. 27 January 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  21. ^ Law, Tina (22 November 2021). "Policy of overdue library fines only deprives the disadvantaged, say critics". Stuff. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  22. ^ McDonald, Liz (17 May 2024). "Council wants new CCHL chair name within days". Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Call for review into council oversight of CCHL after directors quit". Otago Daily Times Online News. 17 May 2024. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  24. ^ a b Williams, David (14 July 2022), "In defence of Christchurch's dissenting three", Newsroom, retrieved 11 October 2024
  25. ^ Templeton, Sara (29 August 2022). "Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee 2019-22 — Election 2022". Sara Templeton. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  26. ^ "Final election results released", Newsline, 14 October 2022, retrieved 11 October 2024
  27. ^ Law, Tina (9 July 2021). "Enough is enough: Christchurch City councillor calls out online bullying". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  28. ^ Law, Tina (31 March 2022). "Online bullying of female politicians linked to Young Nat's house". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  29. ^ Rachel Sadler; The Project (31 March 2022). "'I was losing sleep': Harassed councillor 'relieved' online troll Young Nat outed himself". Newshub. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  30. ^ Jamie Ensor (31 March 2022). "Two Young Nats resign from party after allegations of online trolling against female politicians". Newshub. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  31. ^ "Two Young Nats resign after female politicians harassed online". NZ Herald. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  32. ^ "Two Young Nats resign after female politicians trolled online". 1News. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  33. ^ Duff, Michelle (7 November 2023). Jacinda Ardern: The Full Story of an Extraordinary Prime Minister. Allen & Unwin. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-99-100662-2. Wikidata Q125145504.
  34. ^ "Christchurch city councillor increases home security after threatening online comments". NZ Herald. 2 April 2024. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
  35. ^ "The Press". www.thepress.co.nz. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
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