Former Watercare CEO joins AT board

Ex-Watercare chief executive Raveen Jaduram has returned to the Auckland Council fold as one of two new directors of Auckland Transport (AT).

Jaduram resigned from Watercare in 2020 as the Auckland region was dealing with its worst drought in decades. At the time, he was council’s highest paid executive, with a salary of $775,000.

Jaduram has worked extensively in the water industry and is currently on the boards of the NZ Infrastructure Commission, Hynds Limited and the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australasia.

Local board dishes out grants

How tight things are in local government, when it comes to grants to community groups, came into focus when the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board allocated funds at its May 23 meeting. Each decision was tough for members to make, with limited funds available and many organisations requesting a lot more than the local board could give. Successful local grants in this round include:

Local Grants Round 2: Youth in Transition Charitable Trust, $8000 towards the cost of counsellors and therapists; Gutter Kitties, $3000 towards desexing and microchipping project July-December 2023; Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, $1000 towards facility hire at Estuary Arts Centre and other costs; Hibiscus Men’s Shed, $2093 towards installation of fire protection equipment; Harbour Hospice Trust, $1000 towards costs of a fundraiser; Coast Community Trust $2300 to support Meals & More project; Coast Youth Community Trust, $3500 towards Coast Mentoring programme; Estuary Arts Charitable Trust, $2000 towards marketing and other exhibition costs; Friends of Okura Bush, $4000 towards predator control plan; Susannah Law, $1000 towards installation of Silverdale Pioneer mural, Sept-Oct 2023; Grant Wilson/Red Beach Squash Club, $3500 towards court repair work; Whangaparāoa Hub Community Trust, $5000 towards Christmas event costs; Red Beach Surf Club, $4000 towards surf sport equipment; Business Whangaparāoa, $2680 towards costs of Fun Family Days events June to December 2023; Hibiscus Coast Grandparents Parenting Grandchildren, $3500 towards coordinator wages; Hibiscus Coast branch of NZ Society of Genealogists, $1000 towards laptop purchase; Hibiscus Coast Softball Club, $2000 towards trophies.

The second new AT director is Henare Clarke, who has worked in roading and rail construction, maintenance and infrastructure management for more than 40 years, including roles with Higgins, KiwiRail and Downer. Clarke has also held board roles on the North Canterbury Transport Infrastructure Recovery Alliance after the Kaikoura earthquake, as well as several not-for-profit organisations. Selection panel chair Councillor Chris Fletcher said the appointments brought “commercial nous, a customer-first ethos, and first-hand understanding of the delivery and management of our transport assets”.

Facilities Grants Round One: Ōrewa Theatre Trust, $7000 towards motorized truss; YMCA North Inc, $7500 towards concept design for multi-use sport hub at Metro Park (see story this issue); Estuary Arts Charitable Trust, $20,000 towards upgrade of Studio 3; Silverdale & Districts Historical Society, $8000 towards re-piling two buildings; Stillwater Boating Club, $17,000 towards expanding existing trailer parking; Hockey Hibiscus Trust, $5000 towards safety fencing; Silverdale Tennis Club, $10,000 towards fence repair; Whangaparāoa Community Patrol, $10,000 towards planning, consultation and installation of cameras for Whangaparāoa and Hibiscus Coast Community Patrol $10,000 towards installation of CCTV cameras July2022December 2023 (see story this issue).