John Burke (mayor)

John Burke
QSO JP
2nd Mayor of Porirua
In office
1983–1998
Preceded by Whitford Brown
Succeeded by Jenny Brash
Personal details
Born John Brian Burke
(1946-02-06) 6 February 1946
Invercargill, New Zealand
Political party Labour[1]
Spouse(s) Linda Burke
Residence Paremata

John Brian Burke QSO JP (born 6 February 1946) is a former mayor of Porirua City, Wellington Region, New Zealand. Prior to his time as mayor from 1983 to 1998, he served 12 years as a city councillor with six years from 1977 to 1983 as deputy mayor. After a 15-year departure from the city council, in 2013 he stood for election as a city councillor in the eastern ward and was elected with a comfortable majority.[2]

Early life

Burke was born in Invercargill in 1946, the twelfth of his parents' fourteen children. He attended St Joseph's Convent before going onto Marist Primary School and then Marist Brothers High School. After leaving school he was employed by the New Zealand Post Office and moved to Titahi Bay with his family when he transferred to Post Office Headquarters in Wellington in 1968.[3]

Career

Burke was first elected a Porirua city councillor in 1971 and was re-elected in 1974, 1977 and 1980. He became deputy mayor in 1977 and remained in that position until he was elected mayor in 1983. In 1974 he was elected to the Hutt Valley Energy Board, becoming chairman in 1986 and continuing to serve in that role until the then government abolished publicly elected power boards in 1990. He has remained continuously in public office for 43 years and is currently the longest serving person in public office in the Wellington region. He has also served on the boards of several national organisations including Sister Cities New Zealand (national president), the Electricity Supply Association (vice president), Local Government New Zealand (national councillor), The New Zealand Gas Association (board member), The Community Gaming Association (chairman) and the New Zealand Licensing Trusts Association (national president).

Burke was elected mayor of Porirua City in 1983 and was re-elected in 1986, 1989, 1992 and 1995.

He is a former Hutt Mana Charitable Trustee, has chaired the trust on several occasions, has chaired the Porirua Community Trust and the Mana Community Grants Foundation. He also served as a Wellington Regional Councillor from 2007 to 2010.

During his time as mayor, Burke received several invitations to address international conferences on the topics of local government in New Zealand and on the benefits of sister city programmes. This included conferences in the United States of America, Japan, Israel and Australia. Also in 1991 he addressed the New Zealand Society of Accountants Public Sector annual conference on the subject of local government financial reforms.

He was made a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services in the 1989 Queen's Birthday Honours[4] and received the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal for services to New Zealand.

During Burke's time as Porirua's mayor from 1983 to 1998,[3] he oversaw a significant transformation in Porirua's reputation, major growth of the City. Burke was also responsible for leading significant commercial development in Porirua and for bringing the communities of Pauatahanui and Whitby into the City. Much of the continuing economic growth in Porirua today is credited to the Burke leadership of Porirua City.

Since his retirement from the mayoralty, Burke has enjoyed a successful real estate career.

Personal life

Burke married his wife Linda in 1967. They have two married sons and four grandchildren.

Honorific eponym

In 2012 John Burke Drive in Porirua's Aotea sub-division was named in his honour.

Positions held

References

  1. ↑ "Local Body Polls '83". Evening Post. 10 October 1983.
  2. ↑ "Eastern Ward Councillors". Porirua City Council. Retrieved 31 December 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Former Mayors of Porirua City". Porirua City Council. Retrieved 27 October 2010.
  4. ↑ London Gazette (supplement), No. 51774, 16 June 1989. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
Political offices
Preceded by
Whitford Brown		 Mayor of Porirua
1983–1998 		Succeeded by
Jenny Brash


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