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
'Find your place on the planet. Dig in, and take responsibility from there.' I love Puketāpapa and have spent most of my life here. I attended local schools, taught at them, and have served two terms on the Local Board and as Manukau Harbour Forum Chair. We have faced some tough challenges but also had successes in transport, the environment, and parks. However, we need to do more to ensure that our local communities have access to a high quality of life. We should aim for more investment in parks and assets, better infrastructure, better transport choices, and to listen to the voices of our diverse community. We also need to be investing in the health of our waterways and the harbour. Serving the community of Puketāpapa has been my greatest privilege – with your support, I would love to continue. Please vote for me and the City Vision team.
Why I want to be elected
I would love to be re-elected to continue my work in building a thriving Puketāpapa, with well-connected parks, improved community facilities & safer streets. I have successfully advocated for more toilets, water fountains, shade sails & bus stops & will continue this advocacy. The next three years will be a time of increased responsibilities for local boards & it is vital we have a board that understands council processess and how to get the best outcomes for Puketāpapa.
My key skills and qualities
As a two-term Puketāpapa Local Board member and chair of the Manukau Harbour Forum, I’m experienced in consensus building, with my colleagues representing a wide range of political backgrounds and areas. I bring a strong analytical mind, with a Masters in Public Policy. I have shown that I listen to community feedback and staff advice, unlike the board's decision to remove off-leash in Monte Cecilia. My experience as a teacher at local schools has given me extreme patience!
My top three key issues
Environment. Let’s protect and restore the Manukau Harbour, Wairaki Stream and Te Auaunga/Oakley Creek, as well as plant more trees. Housing. We have seen the near-cancellation of a big building programme in Puketāpapa and need to ensure whatever gets built is well-planned and appropriate Transport. We need to be building better cross-town transport, including the rail line between Avondale and Onehunga to connect Mt Roskill to the rail network. We need to fund footpath repair on a large scale.
My position on key topics
Transport
We need to build networks that provide genuine transport choice so that people and goods can move around Auckland with ease and safety. This looks like completing the Rapid Transit Network, including crosstown links such as the Avondale-Southdown line. We should fund projects that make it safe and easy for people to walk and cycle to work and recreation - including an increase in the footpath repair and upgrade programme. Make sure AT are quickly repairing potholes and towing footpath parkers.
Water
We need to continue the work we are doing to build high-quality infrastructure to reduce wastewater overflows into our streams and harbours. The Central Interceptor will make a huge difference but we need to be funding a programme of separating networks in areas that were built with combined sewers. An example of this close to home is Lynfield Cove. We need to identify the outputs into the stream from individual houses and connect them to the sewage network to stop overflows when it rains.
Built environment
We can embrace our local heritage through signage, eg. Arthur Lydiard's house in Wesley from which gold medal Olympians trained. We need to be building housing close to our existing town centres, transport stations and recreational facilities. We can’t afford to keep building outwards and subsidising urban sprawl. Our local board area has faced years of disruption and hundreds of millions has been spent on upgrading infrastructure to support more housing and we need to make the most of that.
Natural environment
The floods of 2023 bought home the realities of what a changing climate could mean for Auckland, and highlighted areas that should maybe not have housing on them and instead be restored as rivers and wetlands. We should be doing more projects like the Te Auaunga/Oakley Creek naturalisation, to improve flood resilience and restore the environment. We need to ensure we are protecting and enhancing both the Manukau and Waitematā harbours, and fund them proportionately.
Community
Puketāpapa has the highest level of diversity of cultures in NZ, which means amazing food, great festivals, interesting conversations and lots to learn from each other. I support increasing funding for community groups who work to build a sense of togetherness. We also need to be ensuring our spaces are fit for use - which looks like building accessible public toilets, working to allow community groups to share space and ensuring people across the ward can get to our halls safely and easily.
Economic and cultural development
We have a great range of businesses in Puketāpapa, from food to landscape supplies and everything in between. Council can support our businesses by ensuring people are able to get to them without being stuck in traffic, ensuring street scapes are well-kept and inviting, and allowing for events to be held locally. Stoddard Road is a hive of activity but the footpaths are dire. We could fund streetscape upgrades so that the environment matches the great businesses there.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
Local Boards need to be resourced properly to represent their constituents, as well as having decision making powers that reflect their status in the make-up of Auckland Council. Our Local Board needs to build a stronger relationship with mana whenua. I support 100% ownership of the Port of Auckland and seeing the Future Fund grow. We need to be ensuring we are able to fund recovery from emergencies - our area has been hit hard over the last 6 years through flooding and Covid.
Candidate's supporting links
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