The Cleine Line
Kia ora, and welcome to The Cleine Line. I’m Jamie Cleine — Former Mayor (2019-2025) of Buller District, a local born and bred, farmer, business person, and now a podcast host too. Now just to clear things up right from the start — this isn’t the official line, it’s the Cleine Line. It’s not a press release, it’s not a meeting minute, and it’s definitely not spin. This is just me, speaking directly to you, about what’s going on — around Buller, across local government, and sometimes even up in the Beehive. Each episode, I’ll take a few minutes to share what I’ve been up to — the good stuff happening in our communities, the challenging things, and the occasional eyebrow-raiser coming out of Wellington. I’ll give you a few behind-the-scenes thoughts, maybe a laugh, maybe a rant — and hopefully give people a better sense of what goes on in this place we call home. The Cleine Line episodes will cover my previous work as a rural Mayor in the Buller District of New Zealand and the diverse communities that I served. I will comment on the issues and opportunities that I encounter, and provide commentary on these as I see them. I aim to inform and share some insights into how I approach leadership, strategic long term thinking and advocacy. The episodes will traverse the serious to the less serious including some community characters, events, social and news commentary. The Cleine Line is my own podcast and is not the official line of the Buller District Council.
Episodes
Kia ora — Jamie Cleine explores whitebaiting on the West Coast: what whitebait are, the cultural importance for Māori and local communities, and personal memories from Buller families and elders.
The episode examines environmental pressures, management and compliance efforts, and how community action and rules aim to protect the fishery so future generations can keep the tradition alive.
Kia ora — Jamie Cleine, Mayor of Buller, explores why official projections paint the West Coast as declining while recent data shows modest population growth driven by international migration and lifestyle relocations.
The episode explains that projections are conditional scenarios, not certainties, and outlines practical strategies to make growth stick: targeted attraction of workers, multi-year job pipelines and training, better ...
Kia ora — Jamie Cleine, Mayor of Buller, explores why local government and the upcoming local elections matter. He explains how councils shape daily life, the shared challenges of infrastructure, climate resilience and affordability, and the critical need for cooperation with central government.
Jamie zooms in on the West Coast and Buller, highlighting the importance of unity across districts and the strategic role of the Port of W...
Kia ora — welcome to The Cleine Line with Jamie Cleine, Mayor of Buller. In this episode Jamie explores the rise of Parkrun and how the global movement has taken root in Westport with the new Lost Lagoon Parkrun.
We hear from local organisers, volunteers and visiting runners about the event's inclusive, community and mental-health benefits, plus partnerships like Speed Freaks. Join the Lost Lagoon Parkrun Saturdays at 8am — free, f...
Kia ora — Jamie Cleine, Mayor of Buller, hosts a candid episode about youth life on the West Coast, focusing on the inaugural Buller Youth Festival. The episode explores national youth policy, regional challenges, and the festival’s practical workshops and inspirational speakers who aim to build pride, resilience and future pathways for local rangatahi.
Listeners hear stories from organisers, performers and young locals, learn abou...
In this episode of The Cleine Line, Mayor Jamie Cleine explores the groundbreaking Westport master plan, "Cutting Our Own Track." This community-led initiative looks beyond traditional approaches, aiming not just to mitigate natural hazards but to shape the social and economic landscape of Westport. Join us as we discuss the challenges of climate and geological risks, the strategic interventions of the Resilient Westport Work Progr...
In this episode of The Cleine Line, Mayor Jamie Cleine takes us through a detailed reflection on the 2025 Local Government New Zealand Conference held in Christchurch. Focusing on the significant outcomes and directional changes revealed at the conference, Jamie shares insights from key political figures including Simon Watts, David Seymour, and Chris Bishop. The episode delves into central government's expectations from local coun...
In this episode of The Cleine Line, Jamie Cleine discusses the new Local Water Done Well reforms that mandate councils to develop a Water Services Delivery Plan. He explains the implications of these reforms for local councils, particularly in Buller, and the decision to form a multi-council Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) to manage water services. The conversation delves into the complexities of water management, the necessi...
This episode discusses the importance of Bathurst Resources and their Stockton coal mine to the Buller economy and our community. This means utilising the coal resources available including the Denniston Plateau to ensure a decades long time period to plan and enable a just transition of the economy and the people of the Buller. Making a plan for when the coal runs out.
This episode points out that stopping mining and developing...
The Cleine Line is hosted by Buller Mayor - Jamie Cleine and is a place for honest conversations about local government, life on the Coast, and everything in between.
This isn’t the official council line — it’s a personal take on what’s happening in our communities, around the council table, and sometimes from the halls of Parliament too.
Each ep...
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