Answers to some questions

Hi Andy, some curly questions as requested:
1. How will you approach the new Transport CCO to stop them covering our island in concrete, and make them listen to our pleas for eco-friendly roading? (e.g. swales instead of kerbing and channeling, reasonable-sizes signage, modest street lighting) 2. What will you do when they don't listen?
3. TPI were recently boasting they are collecting more recyclables since the introduction of wheelie bins - but where is it going? is it still being dumped on Mt. Visy? (There was a group monitoring this, but haven't heard from them - maybe Millie would know) 4. What is your view on the proposed marina at Matiatia?

1. Mark Ford, current chairman of the Auckland Transition Agency, will
head the transport CCO and the Labour Party says he will have more power than the mayor despite holding an unelected position. That may make it rather hard to meet. I suggest that the boards en masse form a posse to go after things they need from the CCO. A united council of local boards has much more chance of being heard.

2. I couldn't suggest public protests or acts of civil disobedience,
but this is usually what happens when local wishes are consistently ignored.
Will the new CCO want to spend money where the local board makes it quite clear it's not wanted in the way they are offering it. Will be be willling to say, well here's half what we would have spent and do it your way? That would definitely be saving rate payers money. After having built Whakanewha up from scratch with vitually no budget for the first ten years I know how to do much with very little.

3. Yes, this is something that would be interesting to do a
journalist's investigation on. I think I would talk with the local papers in the first place and see if they would be willing to pursue this one a bit.

4. A marina at Matiatia. The first people to ask are the Waiheke
boaties, what do you think guys, is this what this island needs? Will it improve anything for the island life. What problems will it create. Who will benefit? This would no doubt be the subject of a substantial planning application and it is my understanding that the local board would have to be responsible for approval of the resource consent for it so it does put some power in the hands of the island.