Sara Templeton

Sara Templeton
Templeton in 2019 wearing her Sustainable Development Goals necklace
Alma mater	Burnside High School, Onslow College

Sara Louise Templeton (née Beswick, born 1971) is a New Zealand local politician based in Christchurch. She came to national attention when she exposed that an online troll harassing her was a member of the Young Nats political youth group. After the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, Templeton was active in her Heathcote Valley community, and later co-authored a book about the community's efforts. She was awarded a Civic Earthquake Award for her community-building work. She chaired a community board for three years before standing for Christchurch City Council in 2016. She was the only candidate to unseat a sitting councillor, and was subsequently reelected in 2019 and 2022. Templeton is known for her focus on climate change issues. Templeton is a director of Christchurch City Holdings.

In October 2024 she announced that she would contest the Christchurch mayoralty at the 2025 New Zealand local elections.

Templeton was born in Christchurch in 1971 to Ian and Kathy Beswick.^[1] She was educated at Burnside High School and Onslow College.^[2] She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Canterbury in 1995.^[3] She was a secondary school English and drama teacher before entering local politics, and also owned an eco-friendly baby wipes business.^[4][5]

Living in Heathcote Valley near the epicentre of the 2011 earthquake, Templeton was one of a number of local community leaders who helped with earthquake recovery, and she helped establish a community garden behind St Mary's Church. She was awarded a Civic Earthquake Award for services to the community presented by Mayor Bob Parker on 18 December 2012.^[6][7] Templeton coedited a book with Sooze Harris, published in 2016, Heathcote: The Upside: Community Creativity, Innovation and Initiative in Response to the Christchurch Earthquakes. The book details the community-led projects in the Heathcote Valley in the first five years after the Christchurch earthquakes.^[8][9] She served as chair of the Heathcote Valley Community Association.^[10]

Templeton entered politics when she was elected to the Hagley-Ferrymead community board in 2013.^[11] She was nominated as chair of the board during her term.^[10] In 2015, plans by the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority to revamp Victoria Square generated significant public upset, forcing a period of public consultation on the proposed changes.^[12] An Independent Reference Group was set up, which Templeton chaired.^[13]

In 2016 Templeton stood for election as a councillor in the Heathcote ward. She ran under the banner of 'Strong Communities for a Stronger Christchurch' and won the election by a margin of more than 1500 votes, unseating sitting councillor Paul Lonsdale.^[14][9][15]

Templeton was reelected to council in 2019.^[16][17] She said she was keen to work with communities on their responses to climate change, but noted that large scale systemic changes were needed to help people make climate-friendly choices, such as in public transport.^[16][18] She expressed dismay when the council were presented with a draft long-term plan in 2023 that removed all funding for cycleways, saying "I expect to see an option presented that helps us meet our approved emissions reduction targets. Short-term thinking is a disservice to our communities facing the challenges of a climate-impacted future.”^[19]

In 2021, Templeton requested the council remove library fines at Christchurch City libraries, as she believed they disadvantaged some groups. The policy was adopted in March 2022.^[20][21] Templeton is one of two city councillors to sit as directors of Christchurch City Holdings, a company which manages around $3 billion of council assets.^[22][23] In 2022 it was suggested that Templeton might be considering running for mayor when Lianne Dalziel retires.^[10][17] In 2022 Templeton was one of three councillors to vote against increasing the budget for the Te Kaha stadium.^[24] She objected on the basis that the additional cost would be born by ratepayers, either though rates increases or cuts to services.^[24]

Templeton is known for her focus on climate change. She holds the council's climate change portfolio, and chaired the council's Sustainability and Community Resilience Committee of the Whole, until it was abolished during a governance reshuffle following Phil Mauger's election to the mayorality.^[25][19]

Templeton was re-elected for a third term on council in 2022.^[26]

In October 2024 Templeton announced that she would contest the Christchurch mayoralty at the 2025 New Zealand local elections. She would not stand again in the Heathcote ward to focus on the mayoral campaign.^[11]

In July 2021, during her second term as a city councillor, Templeton revealed to the media that she was the target of online harassment from two Facebook accounts with fake names. When the accounts were blocked from her page, they began a smear campaign against her by messaging and posting misinformation about her on other pages. They also attempted to get access to her personal Facebook page through the Official Information Act, and when they were denied, one of them complained to the Ombudsman. The same Facebook accounts were also responsible for targeting politicians Sarah Pallett and Megan Woods.^[27][28] Templeton complained to the District Court and investigations traced the IP address to a house owned by New Zealand National Party member Bryce Beattie. His housemate Jessee Mackenzie admitted to the harassment and both Beattie and Mackenzie resigned from the Young Nats, and Beattie withdrew as an independent candidate in the local elections.^{[29][30][31][32][33]}

In August 2023, Templeton said she had to increase her home security after online comments targeted her, after she laid a code of conduct complaint against fellow councillor Aaron Keown.^[34]

Templeton lives in the Heathcote Valley and travels to work by bus or bicycle, having given up her council carpark.^[18][9] Templeton often wears a wooden necklace that represents the UN sustainable development goals that are most important to her, which are good health and wellbeing, gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, climate action, and peace, justice and strong institutions.^[18]

Templeton has three children. She co-parents with her husband, who she is separated from.^[35]

• Christchurch Conversion, article by Templeton about her move to an e-bike