FAQS

Jo is 58 years old and has lived most of her life in Dunedin, where she grew up, went to school, and studied at university. She has travelled widely but has always kept strong ties to the city. Jo is the mother of two daughters, Kaitlin and Anna, and the daughter of Lois and Bill Galer. She has two sisters, Kristine and Trudy. She now lives in Company Bay, Dunedin, and works at the Otago Regional Council, having also spent many years as part of the Opoho community.

Because Jo loves Dunedin and values its status as New Zealand’s heritage capital, she sees serving on council as a natural step. It gives her the chance to contribute directly to the community she cares deeply about.

- Southern Heritage Trust Chair and Trustee since 2015 - Dunedin Heritage Fund committee member since 2019 - TEU committee member, Otago University branch - Islington Early Childhood Centre committee member and Treasurer, 2003-2007 - St Hilda’s PFA committee member - Victim Support (Dunedin Branch) Committee member 1998-2001. - First woman President in the more than 100-year-old history of the Otago University Rugby Football Club, 2020-2022.

While preserving our heritage is my passion, I am equally committed to ensuring the city grows in an innovative, sustainable way without continuing to place a crushing burden on ratepayers. In fact, I am focused on removing compliance for struggling heritage building owners whose buildings are treated the same as new builds under current legislation and planning rules. They should not be - as this makes owning them onerous, expensive and encourages demolition by neglect. The only area where I would like to see added compliance, is ensuring those owners neglecting their inner city buildings (in a dangerous and unsightly manner) are penalised using health and safety bylaws. This requires urgent action and I am committed to working on this issue if elected. Scores of Dunedin heritage buildings are currently sitting in either partial or complete abandonment. I will work to ensure council gets alongside those building owners and works with them (and other relevant Council departments) problem-solving, so that barriers to their sustainable re-use are removed. But more than heritage, my campaign is built on a multi-faceted vision: securing an international airport to unlock economic opportunity, reducing rates to ease household pressures, and creating a wealth fund by selling unused assets so we can invest in the future while protecting residents from rising costs.

Wherever she goes, Jo stands up for Dunedin and defends the city against its critics. She sees Dunedin’s much-maligned weather as an asset, offering serious weather watchers an incredible variety. A stormy harbour, a clear blue-sky day, or even an aurora are all part of its charm. She also wants to challenge the critics within the city. To her, the glass is always nearly full, because Dunedin has it all. She believes residents deserve a higher standard of living, given the city’s beauty, history, architecture, scenery, and wildlife. Jo has spent her entire working life connected to local government in Dunedin, whether through reporting, lobbying, or working within it. She often feels frustrated that the city does not push harder in Wellington and make its presence truly felt. At the same time, she can clearly see where changes are needed.

Jo is tenacious. She is also well known among those who have worked with her for being fearless and giving her unvarnished advice. Over the years, she has learned from her earlier, more fiery days, to temper her passion with better listening and problem-solving skills. Her favourite saying is ‘where there is a will there, is way.” She is a ‘can do’ ‘sky is the limit’ kind of girl. Jo values collaboration and is a team-player, having built successful relationships and teams in her professional life as a manager and colleague. She believes ratepayers need someone who will ask the tough questions and not sit back and ride the wave. She brings fresh ideas, thinks carefully about others and impacts, and she will make sure decisions are made in the interests of the whole community.

Voting opens on Tuesday, 9 September and closes at noon on Election Day, Saturday, 11 October 2025.

Voter packs for this year’s local elections will be mailed out to enrolled electors from 9 September, and the Dunedin City Council is encouraging residents to make sure they’re enrolled – and their postal addresses are up to date – so they receive these on time. ​ Voting rights are determined by the elector’s address. All residential electors within the DCC area will receive voting papers that allow them to vote for the mayor of Dunedin, 14 city councillors and up to five councillors for the Otago Regional Council. ​ You can enrol online at vote.nz or by completing a paper enrolment form and sending it to the Electoral Commission.

For Dunedin City Council, some positions use Single Transferable Vote (STV), where you rank candidates in order of preference, and others use First Past the Post (FPP).

Your vote matters! Local elections shape the services, policies, and future of our city. Every voice counts, and it’s your chance to make a difference in Dunedin.

No, you don’t need to show ID to vote in local elections if you’re already enrolled and your details are correct.