Community advocate Hayley Guglietta has confirmed she will stand for Christchurch City Council in the Central Ward, saying years of advocacy have led her to believe real change now requires a seat at the table.

Guglietta said recent disappointments, including the council’s handling of community garden Otakaro Orchard and the lack of genuine community representation on the Ōtākaro Avon River Corridor governance committee, pushed her to reconsider her role in the city.

“I asked myself, do I need to be inside the tent to get these things done? After 12 years of solid work in the central ward, not just in Richmond but also in the central city and surrounding suburbs, I feel the current representation has fallen short.”

Guglietta described herself as a unique mix of environmental advocate and successful business owner, pointing to her 13 years operating a telecommunications company as evidence she understands both people and process.

“People know me as someone who’s passionate about our environment and waterways. But I’m also a business telephone technician by trade. I’ve built a company that has supported me to work voluntarily in the community for six years. That gives me a fiscal lens and practical experience.”

One of her key campaign messages is to break the political bloc voting that she believes is holding the city back.

“I am running as a true independent. I’m not aligned to any political group and I want to vote issue by issue, case by case. That’s how you serve a city properly.”

She is also calling for urgent attention to the state of Cathedral Square, which she said has become symbolic of council inaction.

“We have let the Square go to wreck and ruin. It is holding back investment, and while we have focused on the cathedral, we have forgotten the importance of the space itself. We need it to connect the beautiful developments happening in the north frame to the rest of the city.”

In her campaign launch, Guglietta described herself as a pragmatist, not a politician.  She pointed to her past collaborations with groups like the Methodist Mission, which she said delivered real results on social housing projects such as Guild Street.

“I’m interested in outcomes. Pragmatism is about working with all sides and getting to a solution everyone can live with.”

She said the council has forgotten who it is meant to serve.

“The ‘big building’ often feels disconnected from the community. I’ve spent years pushing back and it shouldn’t be this hard. That’s why people feel disempowered and give up. If someone like me can feel like that, imagine how everyone else feels.”

Guglietta welcomed the choice between incumbent Mayor Phil Mauger and challenger Councillor Sara Templeton, saying she would be comfortable working with either.

“Phil’s kept the stadium on track and pulled rates into line, and Sara has a strong environmental focus and understands governance.

Christchurch is lucky to have two strong contenders.”

She also called for greater fiscal responsibility, saying too much money has been wasted on projects that could have been handled more effectively.

“The $5 million spent on consultation for the Wheels to Wings cycleway was ridiculous. That money could have gone straight into delivery. Gloucester Street was another example. There’s been a lot of waste.”

On the issue of asset sales, Guglietta said she is open to discussion but wants to protect strategic infrastructure.

“Of course we don’t sell the family silver. We need to keep assets like the port and the airport. But in some cases, we might need to reconsider how we use capital to future-proof key services. Orion, for example, needs to be ready for the demands of decarbonisation. The port needs a larger berth to compete with Timaru. These are serious infrastructure conversations.”

Guglietta said her campaign would focus on restoring trust in civic participation and making council more accessible to the people it is supposed to represent.

“We need a culture shift. Governance should be collaborative and genuinely community focused. People deserve better, and I’m putting my hand up to make that happen.”