Disclaimer
The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.
Candidate statement
Working with Ken Turner, Sunil Kaushal and the Westwards team, I'm standing for Henderson-Massey to bring fresh energy and results-driven focus. I care about a community where residents and business owners feel safe, connected and heard, holding confidence that elected members are making decisions in our best interests; not being swayed by central government agendas. Every ratepayers dollar needs to count and be spent on the brilliant basics - safer streets, less gridlock on roads, bins emptied regularly, parks, playgrounds and pools we can be proud of and reviving town centres to attract a wide variety of new businesses. I live in Te Atatū Peninsula with my husband and our 9-year old son. We're local business owners who love living, working and supporting locally. I'll bring strong leadership, sound decision making, a collaborative mindset, along with the time, energy, and commitment to deliver results for our community. Learn more, www.westwards.co.nz
Why I want to be elected
My motivation is simple: to be a strong, local voice that champions our residents' needs. We're already very diverse and now West Auckland is growing and changing rapidly. Our board needs a team of representatives that can work collectively and constructively around the table to achieve the best outcomes for the community. I will work to ensure that every voice is heard and that our shared vision for a safer, more connected, and more resilient Henderson-Massey is brought to life.
My key skills and qualities
1. Collaborative Leadership: My marketing background in both the corporate and public sector has provided me with the experience to work effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, even when we have dramatically different views! 2. Strategic Problem Solving: I can break down complex issues and provide critical thinking to contribute to well-considered plans and initiatives. 3. Listening and Understanding: Ensuring our communities diverse perspectives are represented.
My top three key issues
1. Community Safety and Wellbeing: Our community expects to feel safe within our own homes and operating our businesses (ie. from theft and damage) to being out in public (ie. antisocial behaviour, roaming dogs) and at the moment we don't. 2. Protecting our local environment: From careless littering to out of control weeds and intensive development - its costing our environment and us. 3. Transport and Congestion: We're spending too much time stuck in traffic to get to where we need to go!
My position on key topics
Transport
We need a multi-faceted strategy and approach when it comes to transport. Yes we need to improve public transport but it is not the only answer as its simply not practical for everyone! Tradies need their vans to transport building materials and their tools, families need their cars to do their shopping and get to sports and shiftworkers have limited options in off peak hours. I support the Te Whau pathway and the planned North Western bus upgrades.
Water
We already know our infrastructure isn't coping and housing intensification has left us with some big problems such as housing developments in Massey storing their wastewater in tanks and regular sewage overflows polluting our creeks and streams. As Henderson-Massey continues to grow we are going to have to increase the investment in fixing aging pipes, increasing the network capacity and working harder to prevent stormwater overflows with Watercare.
Built environment
The housing intensification that has happened, especially in Te Atatu Peninsula, shows a complete lack of commonsense in the approach. The literal 'free for all' of building townhouses with no off street parking was never going to be a good idea. Streets are literally choked with cars narrowing the roads, residents regularly face hour long delays to leave the peninsula and car thefts and break-ins have risen dramatically. I will strongly advocate for some balance in future developments!
Natural environment
We have some brilliant community led organisations such as the Rivercare Group and Ecomatters doing amazing work in this space. I think we should continue to support these passionate groups however we can by encouraging the community to volunteer their time to help and give funding.
Community
By listening to the views and perspectives of everyone in our community. We need to focus on getting the brilliant basics right so that the services and facilities we have now stay in good shape, support our grass roots organisations and be the conduit that brings people together.
Economic and cultural development
I am a strong advocate for supporting local business owners and a member of a number of business associations locally. Reviving our town centres and attracting new and varied retailers and hospitality offerings will bring with it economic growth and create jobs - particularly for our youth. It is crucial that we support local business owners by making sure our town centres are safe, welcoming, and vibrant spaces for people to gather and connect.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
I believe that a strong, inclusive community celebrates all of its unique cultures and leaves no one behind in delivering positive outcomes for all. The Port of Auckland holds great economic economic importance & is an asset for our city. The Auckland Future Fund I believe must be managed with transparency and a clear focus on delivering a long-term benefit. We learned a lesson from the Auckland floods but I still think we need more focus on emergency preparedness for future natural disasters.
Candidate's supporting links
These links to external websites have been provided by the candidates. The content on these websites does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.