Origins
I was born in Greymouth on the West Coast and grew up on a dairy farm at Inchbonnie. The Inchbonnie valley lies between the south shore of Lake Brunner and the Taramakau river.
Education
I attended Saint Bede's College in Christchurch and then went on to complete a Bachelor of Science at the University of Canterbury, majoring in Philosophy. Following that I studied Business Computing for a year and a half at CPIT before embarking on a career.
Career
I spent the first five years of my career working as a Software Developer for a small Christchurch based company, which focused on the car sales industry.
Following that, I took up a role at Alpine Energy, initially as a GIS Technician and now as a Systems Analyst. Working for Alpine has allowed me to broaden my IT skills, take on leadership roles, and gain a valuable working knowledge of the electricity industry.
Inspiration
When I was young, I remember my father talking about how Granddad donated the timber for the Inchbonnie Hall and I remember helping out with the local working bees. There was a real community spirit throughout the Inchbonnie, Poerua and Rotomanu valleys. Growing up there taught me the importance of helping out in the community and being involved.
My Nanny was also a big inspiration. She was involved in a lot of voluntary work, including delivering meals on wheels and playing piano all over town, at rest homes and the RSA. She brought love and joy to a lot of people, but she saved the best for her grandchildren.
There was also a late family friend, who had farmed at Inchbonnie and then sold up to become a successful businessman in Christchurch. He had a great sense of humour and loved a good political debate. He'd always take the other side to any argument and he'd never shirk at an opportunity to debate. You never knew whether he actually believed in what he argued for, but that?s not as important in debating as being prepared to ask questions and have your view challenged.
Although I don't agree with his politics, seeing Gerry Brownlee develop his political career was an inspiration. I was one of his star 5th form students back in 1991, gaining an A1 for Technical Drawing. Unfortunately, he wasn't much of a teacher as the bulk of his time was directed towards becoming a politician. It was his booming voice, his quick wit, his ability to interject and to get noticed that caught my attention. At the time, it was evident that Gerry was well on the way to Parliament.
I wrote my first letter to the editor (which was published in the Christchurch Press) when I was at university. The topic was whether joining student unions should be made voluntary. This was something that I strongly supported and it's a debate that still continues today.
The Present
Over the last few years, I have become more and more active, both politically and in the community.
I have written submissions to the Timaru District Council, several letters that have been published in the Timaru Herald, some broadcasting complaints and I regularly attend public talks and meetings.
I am currently involved with the following groups: Green Party, South Canterbury Mountain Bike Club, South Canterbury Young Professionals, Forest and Bird, and Transition Timaru.
The development of this web site is intended to showcase what I have achieved so far.
Future
On a global scale, the primary importance is to ensure that we have a future. The world is currently on an unsustainable path. Fossil fuels are being used up at an alarming rate, to both power and feed the world, while the human population grows exponentially. As we cross the tipping point of peak oil it will be food production that is hit hardest. We have two choices, either we burry our heads in the sand and pretend nothing's wrong or we act now to help alleviate the inevitable harsh realities that we ultimately face. I'm all for action, but it has to be planned and thought through carefully and there needs to be large-scale buy in from communities across the world.
Locally, we face issues of rising crime, poverty, violence and alcohol abuse. I see that this is because we've become a community that's fixated on Me. People ask quest ions like: What's in it for me? Why should I care? We have lost our sense of community and we are forgetting about the generations that have been and the generations to come.
I'm a big believer in making laws to change behaviour, but those laws need to be practical and not lead to unnecessary inconvenience. I am a big believer in inspiring others by actions, and I admire anyone who's prepared to get out into the community and get involved.
Current Positions Held
United Future Candidate for Rangitata 2011
South Canterbury Forest and Bird Committee Member
Previous Positions Held
Green Party Spokesperson for Rangitata (2009-2010)
Andrew McMillan
Authorised by Andrew McMillan, 2/30 St George Street, Timaru