Throughout Bill’s career, he has focused on building community, achieving commercial results, and balancing different stakeholder needs. With extensive experience in farming, Bill has an understanding and appreciation for the natural environment.

‍

Bill’s sense of community led him to local government, where he represented the Franklin Ward as an Auckland City Councillor. In 2016, he was appointed Deputy Mayor for Auckland Council.

In the six years he spent as Deputy Mayor, Bill’s key achievements included developing innovative solutions to waste management, initiating the appointment of independent experts to the Audit & Risk committee, and introducing a partnership model for strategic procurement. He was the Project Sponsor for the City Rail Link, Chair of the Rural Advisory Panel, Chair of Strategic Procurement, and Deputy Chair of Regulatory, Audit, & Risk.

‍

Bill is the owner and managing director of Cashmore Farms, one of Auckland’s largest farms, and the owner and director of Kiripaka Consulting. He is currently the Chair of Franklin Economic Development Areas.