Disclaimer
The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.
Jessica Sophia RALPH
Candidate for Puketāpapa Local Board
Candidate statement
Kia ora Puketāpapa! My name is Jessica, and I would be honoured to represent our community on the Puketāpapa Local Board. I’m interested in supporting local business, improving walkways and cycling paths, and protecting our wonderful parks and reserves (including off-leash space for our furry friends). Along with a busy family life I work full time, study part time and volunteer. Like many of you I am also a regular at Mt Roskill Library; I walk in Monte Cecilia and Big King Reserve; I shop at the Three Kings Woolworths and Mt Roskill New World. I really care about our neighbourhood, about the success of our local businesses, and about the health and happiness of our families and neighbours. I don’t have a grand agenda but I’m enthusiastic about our community, and I’m keen to work with you all to keep Puketāpapa beautiful.
Why I want to be elected
Kia ora Puketāpapa! My name is Jessica, and I would be honoured to represent our community on the Puketāpapa Local Board. I'm a newbie to local politics and running as an independent candidate. I don't have a grand agenda but I care about our parks, our library, our schools, the CAB and other community services. I'm interested in hearing about what matters to you, and working collaboratively with whoever else is elected to find what's best for our community.
My key skills and qualities
I'm organised, patient and enthusiastic about our neighbourhood! I'm also very practical, and I appreciate the economic challenges many of us are facing because I'm facing them myself. I balance working full time with part time study, volunteering with the Coastguard, and hanging out with my amazing family. I'm currently studying towards a Master of Disaster Management, so I'm very interested in emergency response planning and community risk mitigation.
My top three key issues
I'm very keen on community resiliency - one of my priorities would be working with families, schools and businesses to make sure we are all prepared to deal with extreme weather events. Supporting our local library and CAB, as their work gives so much to the community. We are lucky to have some beautiful parks and reserves in Puketāpapa. I would like to see more upgrades to pathways and cycle paths to allow access for all. I'm also in favour of keeping our off-leash spaces at Monte Cecilia.
My position on key topics
Transport
I would love to see upgrades to pathways and cycle paths, especially where better access for wheelchairs and strollers is needed (at some beaches and around our parks and reserves). I work in rail operations, and as a motorcyclist, cyclist, pedestrian and occasional bus user I truly believe the best transport option is the one where we all have access to a range of decent, reliable options.
Water
To ensure we are prepared for population growth and to strengthen community resiliency to extreme weather events we need to continue investment in upgraded networks, flood protections, and increasing stormwater and wastewater capacity. Good public stewardship of our water systems also means we will have reliable water and wastewater infrastructure to hand down to future generations.
Built environment
I truly believe we can find a happy balance between vibrant, higher density, walkable communities and preserving the beautiful heritage properties that we have. Let's encourage mindful, considerate development, that complements our historic taonga. No one rule is going to be the right fit for every space in the community but we should champion good eco-friendly design that meets peoples needs.
Natural environment
Protecting our biodiversity and keeping our green spaces pest-free is crucial, ongoing work. We also need to be realistic about what geological hazards Puketāpapa will face as extreme weather events become more common, and be prepared for landslides, flooding and other events to impact our community more frequently. A changing climate will effect us all, and good community preparedness will be our best chance at risk mitigation.
Community
We already have some amazing local groups and organisations doing good work in our community and I'm very keen to hear from them how best to support their work. Community resources like our libraries, public pools and leisure centres, and the CAB are invaluable pillars of community wellbeing, and I think ensuring their ongoing funding and good governance is crucial to maintaining strong, vibrant communities.
Economic and cultural development
We have some great local business in our neighbourhood, many of them family-owned, and business support organisations like Puketāpapa Business Voice. I would like to see local business given more support and resources to help them prepare for climate emergencies and to help them transition to more eco-friendly or low-waste practices where possible.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
We need to ensure fair outcomes for Māori through genuine, Te Tiriti-led partnerships and shared decision-making. Fair, collaborative and sustainable management of our public assets, like the Port of Auckland, should be used to fund future growth and resilience initiatives. We won't be able to avoid global economic downturns or extreme weather events but we can prevent them being total catastrophes for Puketāpapa by focusing on building community capability and resilience.
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.