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
My name is Geoff Upson; I have done one term in opposition. I've watched your rates get wasted on overpriced consultants for projects which will never go ahead, and I've seen money get taken away from critical maintenance in favour of budget lines which provide almost no benefit to the community. After this election I am hopeful that we have a local board made up of 9 good honest people to get some common-sense decision making for Rodney. I have learnt the hard way I can't fix council on my own and that's why my brother has offered to help me fix council on your behalf. Please give Rob Upson your 2nd vote to help fix council. This will be a very tight election, please vote Geoff Upson and Rob Upson for the Rural South/Southern Kaipara subdivision of the Rodney Local Board.
Why I want to be elected
I want to fix the system and address the serious deficits in core services and excessive wastage of rate payers money I’ve sat in opposition for 3 years learning how things work and now it’s time to make a difference aslong as we get some other good candidates elected too!
My key skills and qualities
I am passionate I am a practical person. I am willing to go above and beyond to address the deficits of core services I am willing to stand up to nasty bureaucrats who think they can control the elected members
My top three key issues
Roads need to be maintained Speed limits need to go back up where appropriate Other core council services must meet minimum requirements such as pipes, drains etc
My position on key topics
Transport
Roads need to be maintained to minimum requirements instead of stealing road maintenance money for non essential activities. Public transport must be effective and go when and where people actually want to travel, it’s also essential that park and ride facilities are available for rural and urban areas where it’s not practical to have a bus go past every house.
Water
Zero tolerance to storm water inflow and infiltration which causes sewer to overflow into our waterways and beaches.
Built environment
A lot of Aucklands infrastructure is nearing end of life, we are seeing major deficits due to miss management of funds and this will only get worse as some of the major infrastructure assets get closer to their end of life. We need to get ahead of this and ensure infrastructure is maintained and upgraded before catastrophic failures occur
Natural environment
Our storm water systems need to be maintained to ensure our city can handle rain We also need to address the impacts of sewer overflows so that one day Auckland beaches and rivers become swimmable again.
Community
If we ensure the roads are safe to drive on free of potholes and the footpaths are safe to walk on without tripping hazards then it will be easier and safer for communities to stay connected which improves mental and physical wellbeing!
Economic and cultural development
We can boost local economies by making sure it is safe for people and freight to get to and from all parts of the community. We currently have businesses struggling to attract customers due to the damaged roads. Take for example rics restaurant where the only road in has massive potholes.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
Storm recovery wouldn’t be required if the drains weren’t blocked causing the storm damage to start with!