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Fenella CHRISTIAN

Fenella CHRISTIAN

Candidate for Aotea/Great Barrier Local Board

Candidate statement

My husband and I have lived on Great Barrier Island for 46 years and brought up three daughters on the island. I am an artist, and was a Counsellor, Ambulance EMT and an Administrator before I retired. I have worked in many areas i.e. education, community development, social services, sustainability, environmental restoration, and the arts. I would like Great Barrier Island to be more self sufficient and with an aging population, a growing Maori population, our isolation and more young families coming as well as our visitors and regular bach owners, I recognise that all these present unique challenges. I have a lot to learn but hope that if I am elected that people will feel comfortable coming up to me if they have concerns.

Why I want to be elected

I decided to stand for the local board because I felt I needed to take a turn on the local board after living here for 46 years. I will be on a steep learning curve, but I hope people will feel like they can approach me if they have any concerns or if they need more information. I would like to make sure Great Barrier Island's needs can be addressed within the bigger context of Auckland Council.

My key skills and qualities

My knowledge of the Great Barrier Island community is my strength and I also bring into this role my people skills. I don't always get it righ,t but I do try to do my best. I can be outspoken at times, but I do have honesty and integrity which I would bring into this role. I also have a good knowledge of many of the organisations on the island and have worked for Department of Conservation in a past life and understand how this government department works.

My top three key issues

Food resilience is important for our community. I would like to continue working on this and try an thing of more ways we can have food resilience. Wasting of ratepayer's money on silly Incidental unnecessary costs which add up i.e. 10% charges on invoices because contractors and Auckland Council payment systems don't work well with small businesses. Thirdly I want to be a voice for Great Barrier Island's uniqueness especially in the bigger Auckland Council context.

My position on key topics

  • Transport

    Alternative options for a bus service around the island. I'm not sure at this point what else needs to be done for cycling and walking so I will have to learn what we have already.

  • Water

    I would be concerned if unreasonable regulations around water were put on Great Barrier Island residents and ratepayers. I do recognize that water safety is important but there are areas such as water tanks, filtration etc.. that could be more supported especially for low-income people.

  • Built environment

    Urban development on Great Barrier needs to be thoughtfully looked at. There is a history of silly subdivisions and with the increased interest for housing the when and where subdivisions are and the relevant services need to be carefully looked at. Existing roads, and footpaths need better maintenance for the ongoing care of drains, roads and footpaths. Erosion of road edges, cliffs, etc.. are also a growing problem because of increased vehicle numbers and big weather bombs.

  • Natural environment

    Weeds are a huge issue on Great Barrier Island and I believe the existing very good programs should continue. Any way we can preserve what is already here is important. There are not a lot of islands left in the world that are as untouched as Great Barrier Island and it is important to work to retain what we have. There are a number of areas that are susceptible to being cut off by rising sea levels. Future planning around this will be important.

  • Community

    By supporting existing organisations that do the bulk of the work to build strong community here on Great Barrier Island. This includes social services, health services and those working on community wellbeing. Our community is changing, and this will require being aware of what the changes are and how the local board can support those changes. We have a aging population, more young families, more Māori moving back to the island and on top of this regular bach owners and visitors.

  • Economic and cultural development

    There are lots of issues - Economic vulnerability because of a reliance on a few things. - Low incomes and people living in isolation. - not enough housing for those working in the service industries. - An isolated island near a major NZ city and under Central Auckland. - Reliance on freight, and transport from the mainland,

  • Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori

    -More Māori representation on more local organisations and find ways to encourage this. -There needs to be a plan for storm recovery with a budget to support recovery (this probably exists but I would need to learn about this). - growing the Auckland Future fund (I would need to learn about this) - I would need to learn about this but Great Barrier Island Shipping from Central Auckland needs to be preserved..

Candidate's supporting links

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Disclaimer

The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.