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
I have learnt through life that the truth at any cost lowers all other costs. Quantity Surveyor, I have an ability that no other councillors will have. I can work out the lowest possible cost of any project. Data Analyst, I want to produce a lot more data so that we can scrutinise the spending that council commits too. Granular data will be the first step in understanding and controlling how council spend. Accountability, better data means that you can choose your vote based on what each councillor intends to spend, not on what they represent. Losses, everything can be measured as losses. Lost time or lost money! Efficiency, my focus will be on recording inefficiency so that we can eliminate the unnecessary cost burden that it creates on your rates. Time, I intend creating a set of benchmark measurements that record the hours/lifetimes lost every year because of council.
Why I want to be elected
What on earth has happened to this great city we live in? Shops and offices are empty? People seldom go out. Costs have escalated above any rational level. Values have dropped beyond what is reasonable. In short, I see a city that has become unattractive. It is a city that is being given mixed signals on how to improve. My primary goal is to argue for the the ratepayers and stakeholders of Auckland and to deliver the complete opposite to these problems. We need a sexy low cost city to live in
My key skills and qualities
Stop Incurring Debt My daily routine involves looking at financial considerations. As a Quantity Surveyor I have to work out the cost and the profit of projects constantly. It appals me to see public projects come in at double and triple their original budget, all the while destroying the neighbouring businesses through their delays It appals me even more that the council must indebt itself even further to cover these costs explosions all the while leaving future generations to cover those costs
My top three key issues
No More Debt, Much More Efficiency A large part of my focus revolves around the belief that councils and governments should bring to the public the things that they want and to lower the costs of those things by leveraging the purchase power of many through the one entity. If this was happening today, we would not see the negative outcomes that are on display. It appears that we have a council that has mandated its departments to find ways to charge for their services to achieve their budget
My position on key topics
Transport
Your time is my priority! Every hour that you are trapped is an hour in your life that you cannot get back. Time you could have spent with family or friends or training or studying is gone. In affect you are trading a part of your life for what? All for the whim of someone else’s agenda. Every extra hour you waste travelling is evidence of pollution. Evidence that the environment is suffering from pollution as well. Evidence that a green agenda does not fit well with a transport agenda.
Water
In a country like New Zealand water should be free (or near free). We are told it is a valuable resource. Is it really? Like the air we breathe it just falls out of the sky, so who has commoditised this resource and told us it should not be free? In line with my policy on delivering cheaper services to the community through better community governance I intend investigating this illogical over expense placed upon the rate payer.
Built environment
Auckland has lost its attractiveness to others, and this is reflected in the lack of demand. To overcome this issue, we must focus on what makes this city sexy and different and highly attractive. As a point in question, consider whether more cycle lanes, reduced parking spaces, and more expensive parking for everyone reduced the demand for city living or enhanced it. My goal is to focus the council on changing its values to reflect saleability over sustainability.
Natural environment
In fairness to the people that have a passion for this topic, I will leave my mind open to being convinced of the need for council involvement. I am aware of issues such as the stormwater runoff being polluted. I am happy to support the people that have practical solutions to these topics.
Community
Communities do not feel like communities if people do not congregate together. We now live in an internet age and people are feeling disconnected. The constant wasting away of our retail and hospitality sectors is making this problem more severe. We need to make the main parts of the city more attractive for people to gather in and we need business vibrancy and events to be the key part of that solution
Economic and cultural development
I value population wealth over population growth For me, economic development is the primary focus. Successful people build successful cities. Successful governance creates an environment where the people in the city can find their success. To be successful people need a city that is unhindered by bureaucrats and unnecessary rules.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
I have two comments to make here. One is that I have an extreme preference for all Maori to thrive and succeed at no less than the rates we see exhibited in other ethnic groups in New Zealand. The other is that the sustainability of Maori success must be built on the efforts and determination that are achieved by Maori themselves. It is not possible to do the raising of a groups mana if they have not achieved the mana by themselves. Your own mahi, not someone else’s mahi produces your mana.
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.