12 minute read
Our place: At the libraries, Struggling charities
Titirangi Library
Saturday August 1, 1-2pm: Amy McDaid is a local author whose book Fake Baby is a best seller at Whitcoulls, It features three quirky characters and a uniquely Auckland setting. Amy will discuss her writing process and read excerpts, followed by a Q & A session. Signed copies will be available on the day ($35 cash). RSVP to 817 0011.
Advertisement
Saturday August 1 to Saturday August 8: Curated by Jill Perrott, Titirangi Library is hosting an exhibition by six well-known local artists. You can view art for sale at the library and collect your Village Art Amble map that will lead you to more art on display in village shops and eateries. (You can also enter the draw to win a print.)
Wednesday August 5, 11am: Two Hearts, local musicians Sylvia La Trobe and Mallory Gawn, bring music and song for an informal relaxing music session.
Thursday August 20, 5-7pm: Opening night of the exhibition Masks of Hopeful Challenge, works by Caroline Bensinger based on mask images that have sprung from the unconscious. The exhibition runs until Saturday September 12. All works for sale, contact the artist.
In term three the library welcomes back preschool and afterschool activities. There are three programmes for under-fives to encourage literacy, movement and active play in a fun social environment: Music and movement at Rhymetime on Tuesdays, 10.30am; Interactive learning at Storytime on Wednesdays, 10.00am; and Active movement at Wriggle and Rhyme on Fridays 9.30am.
There are also three after-school clubs where children can meet up and enjoy similar interests: Ukulele with Mark on Mondays, 3.30- 4.00pm, suitable for ages 8+; Lego Club on Wednesdays, 3.30-4.30pm; and Minecraft Club on Thursdays, 3.30-4.30pm (own device and Minecraft logon required).
Glen Eden Library
Saturday August 15, 1:30-2:30pm: Book Launch for Precious by Anna Soppet. You are invited to meet Anna, a West Auckland author, and learn about Precious, her new book of poems focussing on some of the special people, places and experiences that make life meaningful, and the simple joy of quality time spent with those we love.
The library’s regular programmes include Rhymetime every Thursday, 10:30-11:00am; Wriggle and Rhyme every Friday, 11am; and a Lego Club every Saturday, 2.30-3.30pm.
Every Wednesday, 1-3pm during school term, Whau Ace Adult and Community Education offers free support and advice in the library. These drop-in sessions are designed for those needing help to get work. They cover preparing a CV, career guidance, job search, online Job applications and cover letters.
Glen Eden Library’s Book Chat group meets on August 5, 10.30- 11.30am, in the library’s meeting room. Everyone is welcome to share what they’ve been reading.
F F I- P C
C Ĵ ¢ ¢ fiǰ ǰ ǯ
The royal treatment for your feline friend
Large numbers of community groups are struggling to meet basic operating costs including power bills, personal protective equipment and water rates according to new figures.
New data shows the average amount of funding sought by local charities to cover their current overheads is almost $8,000. The figures also reveal that operating expenses were higher among community and wellbeing groups as well as environmental and arts charities.
Over 100 charities who have seen a significant increase in demand for their services, and are struggling to meet their operating costs as a result of Covid-19, will now receive a share of more than $500,000 – thanks to a new emergency fund.
A diverse range of community organisations have applied for a grant from The Trusts Your West Support Fund to cover a wide range of expenses. Trusts CEO Allan Pollard says the high volume of funding requests received in the past two weeks suggests many local charities are struggling to stay afloat.
“We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the normal income streams of community groups.
“These are organisations providing blankets, food and support services to the most vulnerable members of our community.
“What was particularly concerning to see was that many of these organisations have asked for help to cover their fundamental operating needs such as power, internet and rent.
“For many of these groups, this funding will be an essential lifeline to help them continue to support their community in a post-COVID environment,” he says.
Pollard says the requests for support exceeded more than $1.1million and cover a wide range of organisations including food charities, whanau-based support, elderly and youth support services, hospice as well as environmental and sporting groups.
Have your say on the future of Waitākere Ranges
Our local board has come up with a three-year plan outlining the key initiatives we want to focus on to help our communities thrive and support the recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.
Now we need your help to check if we’ve got it right.
So love local and get vocal about your local community, and don’t forget to provide your feedback before 4pm, Thursday 13 August. For more information, a copy of the draft Waitākere Ranges Local Board Plan 2020 and to provide your feedback go to
akhaveyoursay.co.nz/lovelocal
T o g e t h er w e c a n love local .
The 2020 General Election will be held in September along with the end of life choice and cannabis referenda. This is your opportunity to choose the parties and individuals you want to represent you in parliament for the next three years.
Electoral Commission
You need to be enrolled before you can vote in the election and referenda and you need to be 18 years or older, a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident, and have lived in New Zealand continuously for 12 months or more at some time in your life before you can enrol. (You can enrol or update your enrolment details online at https://vote.nz.)
The current parliament will be dissolved on August 12 and on August 16 the Governor General formally directs that a general election is to take place. The full party lists and candidate schedules are to be announced by August 20 and overseas voting starts on Wednesday, September 2.
If you’re in New Zealand, you’ll be able to vote from Saturday, September 5 to 7pm on election day, Saturday, September 19.
Preliminary election results will be released from 7pm on www. electionresults.govt.nz.
At this year’s general election, you can also vote in two referenda. One is on whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal and the other is on whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019, giving people with a terminal illness the option of requesting assisted dying, should come into force.
You’ll get a voting paper for the referendums at your voting place, along with your voting paper for the election. The preliminary results for the two referenda will be released on October 2. The official results are to be declared on October 9.
Covid-19 and the Election
Keeping everyone safe while they vote is essential and new processes and arrangements have been put in place to achieve this.
Voting places will open two days earlier than usual, and there will be more of them to reduce queues. Voters are encouraged to vote locally and bring their own pen. There will be hand sanitiser at voting places and there’ll be space for physical distancing. If you need to stay home, there will be have other ways of voting including voting by post.
In the interests of fair and open debate, The Fringe offers all election candidates and parties advertising space at discount rates and complementary editorial space to introduce themselves and their policies in more detail. Conditions apply – to find out more email info@fringemedia.co.nz.
Dr Deborah Russell, Labour candidate for New Lynn
I love the New Lynn electorate. It's diverse and vibrant, full of people who care about each other and their community, and it now stretches all the way from Avondale right out to the Waitākere Ranges.
The Labour government has worked hard for us in New Lynn, providing extra funding for schools, building over 300 new social housing units, and supporting great local organisations.
I live right in the middle of the electorate, so I understand our local issues from the inside. I’ve helped with funding for a rebuild at Lynfield College, led a select committee investigation into kauri dieback, and connected with community groups across West Auckland. I’ve helped people to solve problems with housing, immigration, schooling, and all of the issues we face in our daily lives. Some of the best moments for me and my team over the last few years have been when we’ve been able to get a family into a new, warm, dry house, or we’ve sorted out a visa problem, or helped a young person to get into education.
In recent months, after the Covid-19 shut down ended, I’ve been visiting businesses throughout the electorate, finding out how things are going on the ground, and helping people to access government assistance. Packages like the wage subsidy and the small business loan scheme have helped our local businesses to keep going in this difficult time.
I’m thrilled that the New Lynn electorate now includes the Waitākere Ranges. If I am re-elected as your MP, it will be a privilege to be one of the people responsible for looking after this extraordinarily beautiful part of Auckland.
I want to keep on working for you. This September, vote Deborah Russell for New Lynn and party vote Labour. Let’s keep moving!
Advertisement
Meet the National team working out West
Tell me a bit about you.
Lisa: I am National’s candidate for the New Lynn electorate. I am a management accountant by trade and have worked in local government for the past 15 years. A passionate Aucklander with a love for the outdoors, I enjoy the West Auckland beaches and walking tracks – and the diversity that the electorate brings. My family – which includes many animals, is very important to me.
Alfred: I am a true-blue Westie! I have been knocking on doors as an MP for nine years – and as a community member for long before then. I am deeply passionate about our community and the diversity of our people. My family and my faith are very important to me.
Bala: I am the National Party candidate for the Kelston electorate. I am a familiar face around the electorate being an active community member, and I currently work at a locally based Auckland business, AsureQuality. I have a Master’s degree in chemistry, with eight years of teaching experience. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring the great outdoors.
Jake: I am National’s candidate for the Upper Harbour electorate. Born in the Waikato, I was raised in a typical hardworking Kiwi family. Dad was a bricklayer and Mum kept the house in order. I went to public school, got a student loan, and made coffee to put myself through university - studying law and international relations. Hard work and determination are part of my DNA! I have a beautiful family – which includes my gorgeous partner, our young son and four dogs!
What made you want to get involved in politics?
Lisa: I have always been very focussed on community and the people that make up a community. The New Lynn electorate expands over a vast area, and with that comes a range of opportunities and issues. New Lynn deserves a government that won’t waste its hard-earned tax dollars on experimental projects like KiwiBuild and light rail instead of on the roads they’re paying extra for.
Alfred: I was raised with family values of service to community. I always volunteered while growing up and have continued that in my adulthood. My parents were migrants from the Pacific, so I wanted to serve the country that gave us a home and politics allows me to do that.
Bala: More jobs and strong families are the cornerstones of a thriving community. Kelston is a vibrant and diverse part of Auckland, filled with so many hard-working families trying to get ahead. Faced with what is the worst economic crisis in recent times, Kelston needs a National government with a proven track record and capability to steer us through what will be a critical time for us as a country. Jake: Last year, at 31, I returned with my family from the United States after co-founding a tech start-up which grew from the lounge of my university flat to leading the world in parking technology and operating in 51 countries. My aspiration for New Zealand is to become a world leader in tech. With the right framework and support from government, we can create the tens of thousands of highly paid jobs we need to recover from Covid19 and build the infrastructure we desperately need both in Auckland and across New Zealand. As a country, we can’t borrow our way out of every problem, and instead – we need to start focusing on how we are going to pay for the world-class roads, schools and hospitals West Auckland needs – which is where tech can play a major role. My pledge is to work hard and listen to the issues that matter to locals the most. If elected to government, National has the team, has the plan – and has the track record of delivering for New Zealanders through some of our toughest economic storms – like the GFC and Christchurch Earthquakes.
What are the issues that matter most to you?
Lisa: Infrastructure, law and order, and environmental issues such as water quality and kauri dieback.
Alfred: Infrastructure, strengthening the local economy through support for small business, investment and trade, education, and housing.
Bala: Creating opportunities for people through education and employment, and good transport links that will facilitate accessing these opportunities.
Jake: Tech! It is currently worth about $12 billion per year to our economy and employs just over 120,000 people. By comparison, Australia’s tech industry employs nearly half a million people and is on track to be worth $315 billion in the next 10 years – leaving us in the dust. Technology connects people, and it connects us to the world – and the vast opportunities that come with that. Our recent pandemic only highlighted the importance of technology in our workforce and the productivity gains we can see from investing in tech.