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The information on this page has been provided by the candidates. It does not reflect the views or positions of Auckland Council.
Kay THOMAS
Candidate for Whau Local Board
Labour
Candidate statement
'The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others' said Mahatma Gandhi. I am a strong believer in the importance of community, and I am honoured to have led the Whau Local Board as Chair over recent years to improve community and environmental outcomes. My work in the community includes being a volunteer at New Lynn Citizen Advice Bureau, on the Waitakere Citizens Advice Bureau Board and the Literacy Waitakere Board. I am also Patron of Whau Ethnic Collective. Of Te Ati Awa and Pakeha descent, I have two Masters degrees and a background in secondary teaching and management, including at Kelston Girls and as Deputy Principal at Mount Roskill Grammar School. I will continue to use my skills and experience to build a connected safe Whau community focussed on improving the wellbeing of Whau residents. Whau Labour is your progressive local voice.
Why I want to be elected
I will continue to ensure that Whau Local Board works collaboratively and constructively for the good of the community and the environment. That means continuing to fund Whau Pasifika Komiti, Whau Ethnic Collective, our libraries, our community hubs and houses and services for our seniors and our youth. Supporting Whau environmental volunteer groups, improving community safety and emergency resilience and retaining open spaces such as Avondale Racecourse are also priorities for me.
My key skills and qualities
As a secondary teacher and Deputy Principal at MRGS I developed skills in team building, analysing documents and communicating effectively. As Local Board Chair I have experience in building relationships with our diverse communities and advocating for improved outcomes. As a volunteer at New Lynn Citizens Advice Bureau I gained knowledge and understanding of the issues faced by Whau residents and how their lives are affected by local government decisions.
My top three key issues
Firstly, Whau needs more facilities, such as the Whau pool, Te Hono, a Youth Hub, playgrounds, sports facilities and an extended network of community hubs. Secondly, our diverse communities should continue to be supported through the funding of groups, events, library and arts programmes. Lastly, environmental initiatives need support so we can have cleaner waterways, fewer pest plants and more trees planted. Acting on these matters will create a more vibrant, welcoming and healthy Whau.
My position on key topics
Transport
Whau needs more regular bus services to our outlying suburbs and a Park and Ride facility in New Lynn to encourage increased public transport usage, especially when the CRL is completed. Whau has the lowest number of cycle paths across Auckland and more cycleways need to be constructed. I support permanently lowering speed limits, especially around our schools and areas with large numbers of pedestrians. We also need our rail level crossings to be replaced to gain maximum benefit from the CRL.
Water
I support Watercare managing Auckland's water supply and wastewater systems. From my experience travelling I believe that our water supply is of high quality, but I would like to see work on the separation of stormwater and wastewater being accelerated.
Built environment
I support brownfield intensification but with updated and adequate infrastructure and quality urban design. The Whau has many overland flow paths and flood plains, which developers continue to build on. I am concerned that the Whau will have an increasing number of unlivable houses as future severe weather events occur. It is also difficult to protect our heritage as the Whau Local Board area has examples of "demolition by neglect", but the old shops on Rosebank Road need heritage protection.
Natural environment
To improve our natural spaces, biodiversity and climate resilience we need to retain our open spaces, and plant trees, especially in Avondale and New Lynn where there is very low canopy cover. We also need to concentrate on reducing the number and spread of pest plants and clean up our waterways. Opening up and "day lighting" our waterways will also reduce the potential for future flooding and retaining open space will have a "sponge" effect during such events.
Community
Whau Local Board has already had success in building community wellbeing and I would like to build on that success by continuing to recognise and support our diverse ethnic groups, our youth and our seniors. I would also like to continue the board's work on improving local services and progress plans that are underway for new facilities. I aim to place a greater emphasis on creating feelings of safety by making our town centres more welcoming.
Economic and cultural development
Building on the Whau's creative capital has the potential to boost economic growth in our area. If done well, it would attract other artists as well as tourists. I support making our town centres attractive, safe and inviting so as attract and retain shoppers. We should support the cultural heritage of all our settlers, for example, by celebrating the Whau Portage route for Māori, the market garden heritage of the Chinese and the ceramic heritage of Pakeha, such as the Crown Lynn Museum.
Well-managed local government and outcomes for Māori
I have been actively working in storm recovery by working with others to create the Whau Community Resilience Network to ensure our area is prepared for and can recover quickly from future emergencies. I support the Port of Auckland remaining under the governance of Auckland Council. I believe that the best way to deliver Māori outcomes is to build relationships with iwi and mata waka so we can have a genuine understanding of their aspirations and how they can be achieved.
Candidate's supporting links
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