You know me as the ranger at Whakanewha Regional Park and you will probably have enjoyed what has been achieved there. I am first and foremost an environmentalist but I am not an extremist, and today I want to talk about community.
It is community that I have worked for and love and it is community I am standing for.
community means.....
being accountable to each other and standing together to support one another
it means caring for our world for without a healthy environment we cannot survive
it means taking each other views into account, valuing differences to find the middle way
it means working with our tourist industry that supports us and brings money to the island
it means supporting local businesses, encouraging them to develop, buying locally even if sometimes this might mean some inconvenience or paying a little more
it means acting locally, becoming more self reliant in this rapidly changing world, supporting local produce, energy, and public transport initiatives,
it means looking after the young, the old, the infirm and community members in need
This next few months or more will be chaotic for the new Auckland Council.
We need to elect a team that will be accountable, that can stand firm and resolute in our negotiations to gain greater decision making responsibilities and make major advances in consolodating our local identity.
Then, when big issues face us, and at the moment we are faced with public transport, signage, matiatia, roading, affordable housing, tourism, struggling local businesses....... then we will be able to decide amongst ourselves.............. as a community.
An issue focussed approach tends to create division amongst us. We need a visionary approach which incorporates all these aspects of community.
This election is not about my views …...........it is about community needs. As a local board member I will facilitate decision making for our needs.
Elect a board that can work together, that will reach out and establish advisory groups and coopt to gain greater expertise because, the real power is not in money it is people, people, people.
A real community is capable of bottom up democracy where the needs of the people and their environment drive the planning process.
I would like to see major decisions taken by referendum particularly where there is dissent.
We still have community - Much of the world has lost it and do not understand it's value. It is absolutely precious, we must safeguard it.
When the board has negotiated reasonable local funding then we the community can be responsible for make the best use of it. We can achieve far more with similar levels of funding by being more creative.
We want to sustain our community's quality of life and our island's character and diversity into the future.
This is why we live here, why we love it, and why thousands visit us.
Vote for Andy, someone who has proven that they can work with and for community.
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