PERFECT FOR ENTERTAINING

This kitchen, by Michelle Gillbanks from Kitchens By Design, was designed to fit seamlessly into a brand new holiday home in the Coromandel.

The client’s brief was for something different from the minimal kitchen in their architecturally designed family home, while providing a functional, user-friendly space for their friends and family to enjoy throughout the year.

Michelle set about creating a warm and welcoming space with organic and earthy hues, materials and textures – even incorporating a space high up on the back wall for a spread of high-quality faux plants that can be washed in the dishwasher when needed. However, the kitchen still needed a modern edge to fit seamlessly with the contemporary aesthetic of her client’s home.

“From a functional point of view, it needed to be capable of entertaining upwards of 20 people at any given time and having the storage capability for up to 10 guests’ holiday food, platters, wine and beer was essential,” says Michelle. To achieve this, the designer incorporated a large, working scullery that houses a fridge-freezer and tall storage for food, drinks and all those platters. Day-to-day items are kept in the main kitchen, along with a bar area for coffee-making and drink preparation.

Easy-clean and low-maintenance surfaces were also crucial for the clients, as the house could be vacant for long periods. In response, hardwearing Dekton was specified for the island benchtop, with the same material in a different finish chosen for the feature splashback. Paired with the plants above, it provides a stylish backdrop to the kitchen.

The experienced team at Kitchens By Design offers an integrated design-to-completion service. If you’re looking for a new kitchen, please call T: 09 379 3084 to make an appointment with one of their designers. Kitchens By Design’s showroom is located at 9 Melrose Street, Newmarket.

For inspiration, take a look at some fabulous projects at www.kitchensbydesign.co.nz

Reviewing Ward Boundaries

All local government entities (regional councils and territorial authorities) are required to review ward boundaries every six years to ensure fair and effective representation. As a result of such reviews, the entities may change their ward boundaries to reflect any significant changes in population to achieve a fair ratio of elected members representing their respective communities.

In 2019-2022 the then Auckland Council, under Mayor Phil Goff, decided that it should consider introducing Māori Wards. As a result, Auckland Council is about to embark on a public consultation round to determine whether we should have Māori Wards in addition to the thirteen General Wards that currently exist.

It’s my view that such an important constitutional change should be made by way of a public referendum. I have always felt that on such constitutional matters as the change from First Past the Post to MMP and the possible four-year term for Parliament, it should be for the public – those being represented – to decide.

Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be a majority on the council that supports my view that such a change is a constitutional matter and should not be determined by as few as eleven councillors. I strongly believe it should be a decision taken by the public at large but, sadly, that doesn’t look like it is going to happen.

But there is one vital point I believe the public must be aware of in advance of making their response to the consultation round: there already exists a Māori voice at the table called the Independent Māori Statutory Board (IMSB). It is made-up of nine representatives, including two mātāwaka representatives and seven Mana Whenua. The budget last financial year for this group of nine was $3.48 million.

They sit on all decision-making committees and have voting rights. There are two on the Expenditure Control and Procurement committee that I chair. On a number of occasions, they have cast the deciding votes.

Over the last few months, I have made it my practice to ask at every meeting I have been speaking at to have a show of hands as to who knows what the IMSB is. Sadly, it’s been a tiny handful of people on each and every occasion.

What concerns me is that when the public are being asked for their views, they should have all the facts at their disposal.

A very rigorous debate occurred at the council as to what information should be included in the consultation document. A significant group of our council members tried to supress any and all reference to the existence of the IMSB. In the end, fortunately, they lost that vote.

They did not want the existence of the IMSB to be mentioned in any of the consultation documents that are to go out to the public. It would mean that the decision as to whether you wanted Māori Wards or not would be made without the knowledge that there was already an IMSB that is a strong Māori voice at the decision-making table.

I firmly believe the public should have all the facts before they make their decision.

I’m not taking a stance one way or another on this matter. This should be for the Auckland public to have their say. Do they want the existing IMSB to remain, do they want Māori Wards instead, do they want both or do they want neither? That’s what the public should determine.

As I said, by a narrow margin we managed to defeat the silencing motion, so when the council does go out to consult, Aucklanders will know that we already have a statutory board representing Māori (the IMSB) that have been part of Auckland Council since it was first set up back in 2009.

My final plea is this: When Auckland Council does go out to consultation over the next few months, please don’t be complacent. Please don’t leave it to others. Please participate and have your say. That’s exactly what democracy is all about.

Cr Maurice Williamson, Howick Ward Councillor, Auckland Council

'LET WOMEN SPEAK' EVENT

It is good news that the Independent Police Authority is to conduct a review of the Police response to the 'Let Women Speak' event on 25 March in Albert Park. The Authority received 162 complaints about policing of the event.

I was in Albert Park that day and had hoped to speak against allegations that women attending the event to hear KellieJay Keen must be Nazis, as had been widely reported in our media in the preceding week.

I wanted to remind people that Nazis put women and their children into concentration camps and conducted vile experiments on them, as well as putting millions to death in gas chambers. Neo-Nazis don’t respect women either from what I have seen.

Needless to say, I didn’t get to speak and nor did anyone else. The noise was horrendous. We felt like sitting ducks as the situation deteriorated and the angry mob surged forward.

I did not make a complaint to the Police Authority even though I was outraged at the absence of any Police presence at the time. It was only later, when I saw video footage on social media, that I realised the Police were there, and standing around well behind the mob, or in their van parked off Princes Street.

Women learnt that day that we cannot rely on the Police to treat us as citizens worthy of protecting our democratic right to assemble and to speak.

We started the Women’s Rights Party the following week, and we are in the process of registration as a political party to be on the ballot in the Election in October.

Jill Ovens, Women’s Rights Party