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The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.
Roy KAUNDS
Candidate for Henderson-Massey Local Board
Independent
Candidate statement
Do you know the annual budget of the Henderson-Massey Local Board and the names of the members? Do you know where your rates are spent? I didn’t, and I have been here 20 years. I didn’t know about local boards and didn’t care. But I complain about the potholes, speed bumps, cycleways, wasteful artworks and lack of core services. But I don’t vote and let the gravy train chug on. I am an entrepreneur, filmmaker, broadcast journalist and political analyst. I promote NZ-India business relations, and my NGO serves ethnic communities. I was a bureaucrat for 14 years and I hold a Masters from Massey and a PgD from Victoria. I am stepping up, to speak up. Vote to stop the gravy train. (BTW, the budget is $54.4 million for 2025-26 and the board’s priority is to restore original Māori names and identify new Te Reo names for Henderson-Massey).
Why I want to be elected
I feel most local board deliberations and decisions are not publicised. Yes, they are transparent to the extent that agendas and minutes are posted on the Auckland Council website. If elected I will ensure that I invite atleast five individuals from the community, who are not known to me, to attend and participate in each local board meeting. I will let my community know what are main issues before the board and how the board has addressed these issues. I will be the voice of the voters.
My key skills and qualities
I have extensive experience in governance having been on the board of a few companies. I am also the chair of a charitable trust, and run a media and film production company. I have been a bureaucrat in the NZ government for 14 years and am the secretary of the New Zealand-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry. I have been a political analyst in broadcast media and have a good handle on finance and economics. I hold a Masters in Digital Education and a PgDip in Public Sector Management.
My top three key issues
1. Wasteful expenditure by public bodies. Often more funds are allocated for nice-to-have items instead of funding essentials. Like funding to change place names to te reo while public facilities are neglected. 2. Lack of consultation. No effort is made by the local board to go the extra mile to consult the community. Any consultation is just a tick-box. 3. No consideration of the end-user when making changes to traffic rule, parking, speed bumps et al.
My position on key topics
Transport
I advocate hub-and spoke public transport system to integrate rail and bus services. Council should introduce electric mini buses to service the last mile. There should be strict rules around road cones. Cycling and walking tracks are good-to haves but not a priority. Level crossing should be replaced with flyovers in West Auckland.
Water
Current management is good but it looks like Watercare and Auckland Council are on different wavelengths, else what accounts for the severe flooding even after resouce consent is passed? Wastewater charrges must be borne by the end-user and not the property owner whio does not reside on the property.
Built environment
Heritage protection must be pragmatic and practical. It is important to preserve historical landmarks. While all urban areas expand, Auckland's development must be planned. The current housing intensification plan has not been thought through and is a political decision that is destroying the character of Auckland. Unplanned intensification will choke Auckland like it has many other cities of the world.
Natural environment
Auckland unique biodiversity must be preserved from encroachment. Certain regions must be no-built zones.
Community
What Auckland has achieved in the last 50 years, in terms of building community facilities is fantastic. But it needs to change with the times. For example, while having the latest books in public libraries was great 50 years ago, the digital age has revolutionised reading habits. Maybe we need to rethink what community services and facilities are in the sunset zone and what future services will be needed. We need to start planning for the next 20 years.
Economic and cultural development
We need to start rethinking some old paradigms. For example, 'vocal for local' was good when trams ran in Auckland and trains were hauled by steam locomotives. But the world has become an interconnected village and this question proves that mentally we have not started moving on. I am on the board of the New Zealand India Chamber of Commerce and we connect Kiwi SMEs to Indian SMEs to promote two-way trade. Culture is promoted at home. Communities must be funded to preserve their culture.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
Every community must be encouraged to thrive and lead happy lives. The Port of Auckland must be fully privatised and the Council should charge a fixed fee from the operator. The ratepayers must not be involved in business. The Auckland Future Fund is a fantastic initiative. Instead of talking about storm recovery, Council and government must draw up plans to ensure that damage is minimised in case of a severe weather event. Lack of planning caused the storm damage in 2023.
Candidate's supporting links
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