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
Upper Harbour is a fantastic place to live and I’m proud to call Paremoremo home. I have served two terms on the Upper Harbour Local Board and it’s been a privilege to represent our community and help deliver meaningful projects. I’m a hardworking, independent voice and part of the Living Upper Harbour team. I believe in strong local advocacy, great facilities, protecting and enhancing our environment, listening, and making sensible decisions on public spending. Our growing communities need investment. We deserve our fair share of rates returned and smart planning for the future. I work hard to make that happen. As a Chartered Accountant, I bring financial expertise and business experience to local governance. I also volunteer with local sports clubs and environmental groups, and I enjoy sailing, cycling, and exploring our parks with my family and dog. A vote for me is a vote for practical, proven, community-focused leadership.
Why I want to be elected
I’ve served six years on the Local Board. I will keep listening, building great spaces, protecting and enhancing our environment, ans supporting the community. Local boards don’t decide rates, but I fight for our fair share. Priorities include a new Albany Library, better planning in Whenuapai with community spaces, natural areas and sports fields, retaining the Wasp Hangar for an indoor sport and youth space in Hobsonville, and boosting funding for environmental and community initiaves.
My key skills and qualities
I listen well, I work collaboratively and I get things done. I work tirelessly to support our communities, I listen to your needs, I achieve results. I work very hard to understand issues and I'm a great communicator. I am a chartered accountant. I understand the numbers, and I understand the big picture. Sometimes the board need to save for larger items and there is a need for prioritisation. We simply can't get everything at once. I'm a sensible pragmatist who gets results.
My top three key issues
1. The Albany Library is small, crammed and the lease expires in 2029. We need to continue work for a replacement for one that also includes more community spaces. 2. Better transport. Many areas lack Public Transport and there is a lack of safety on the roads especially around schools and playgrounds. 3. Prioritising the future. Ensuring we support youth and build an Auckland where people want to live. We need to build for the future, ensure planning resilience and strengthening community.
My position on key topics
Transport
Many roads and intersections in Upper Harbour are scary and dangerous for drivers, walkers and cyclists. I will continue to push for improvements at key intersections especially in Albany, Hobsonville and Whenuapai. Some suburbs have zero public transport eg Paremoremo and Scott Point. This isn't acceptable. I have worked hard to prioritize safety outside schools with great results and will continue to work with AT and schools to prioritise safety so children can walk and ride to school.
Water
Watercare are doing a good job of managing the provision of water. The reality is there needs to be planning, we cannot develop everywhere and all at once just because a developer wants to, there simply isn't enough money. We need to have another think about the treatment of wastewater as the current solution will run out of space soon. We need to ensure we plan for the future with more frequent downpours and recent stormwater design shows it can be done.
Built environment
I think that the governments plans for trying to enforce massive upzoning throughout Auckland are wrong. They are forcing the enabling of about 100 years of build (at 30k a year), which will have massive implications for our communities. Density is amazing when it is done well (eg Hobsonville Point which has considered design, green and open spaces, public transport and overall planning) and can have worse outcomes when we just let developers do the cheapest option. We need to build better.
Natural environment
The natural space in Upper Harbour are wonderful and we are blessed with very high tree cover. We need to continue to fund community groups well to do their great work around planting and pest control while council resources need to be spent strategically. We need to increase the number of trees planted (specimen and restoration) and ensure pests are controlled. For resiliency we need to ensure we don't build in flood planes and we need to plan for natural spaces in new developments.
Community
Strong, connected and resilient communities with good amenities are key. We can start by ensuring everyone feels welcome, and by reaching out into the community for feedback in different ways. Many areas need community spaces so the residents can build networks and connections. We need to deliver assets differently to the past. eg partnerships with the community or commercial interests. We need a new library in Albany, community space in Whenuapai and a pool in the northwest.
Economic and cultural development
We should work with the whole council and government to boost economic growth, to ensure Upper Harbour is somewhere people want to do business. We can work with AT to ensure good transit linkages, we can work with local businesses to ensure planning rules are appropriate in business zoned land. We have funded our local business area to support a pop up business school aimed at budding entrepreneurs. I would like to investigate more use of local suppliers for maintenance contracts.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
We need to do all of the above. We need to work with Maori organisations, if they want us to, to increase organisational capacity. The Port of Auckland should not expand any further into the harbour, and should continue to pay good dividends while minimizing health and safety incidents and maximizing public space. The port carpark is wasted space. Storm recovery has only been 50% paid for by the central government leaving us with huge costs. We need to think about how to do this better.
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.