LETTERS & EMAILS

THE PEOPLE OF WAITEMATĀ HAVE SPOKEN The election was loud and clear. There can be no doubt that the people rallied to ensure that community decision making was put back on the table. The new Waitematā Local Board is more balanced, and with that, hopefully better equipped to deliver for this incredibly diverse ward.

Our ward was one of the few in the country where the voter turnout was up significantly on the last election, without doubt because people felt ignored by the former local board. You cannot act against the community, in both the Erebus debacle and the unnecessary slaughter of 15,000 native trees at Western Springs and come away unscathed.

Thank you to every single person who came out and voted. You voted for change and against the status quo. Your voice mattered. You have been heard.

My wish for the new board is simple. Put the people first. Make every decision based on genuine consultation and listen to what the community want. As our new ward councillor Mike Lee reminded us during the campaign, you are here to serve; to act on our behalf and to fight for us and our collective needs, not just to deliver on your own personal agendas.

I am absolutely delighted that Sarah Trotman is back. There is no greater business and community advocate. Her absence from the former board was evident. I am also pleased that Alex Bonham has returned and that while the community punished City Vision for their failures, she was largely exempt, because she deserved to be.

I am excited for the considerable corporate governance, finance and policing experience of Greg Moyle. I am looking forward to the guiding hand of heritage expert Alan Matson, especially as our city grows. I know Gen Sage will keep passionately pushing for her inner-city community, only this time with a strong team supporting her.

I hope Anahera Rawiri will be a clear voice for all Māori – a voice not just for her hapu Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, but for all the 13 iwi who whakapapa to Waitematā. I hope Richard Northey manages to stay awake in meetings and contributes more constructively this term.

Let’s hope there is less controversy, more inclusion and consensus building, less favours done for mates and for Wellington ideals, more time for public forum, greater transparency, more genuine consultation, active listening and open workshops. Let’s hope the minutes better reflect the meetings, and that the governance of this term is greatly improved from that of last term. Let’s hope this is a strong and committed team who will deliver for Waitematā.

It is a broad church, our community; full of diversity, affluence, poverty, villas, apartments, homelessness, big enterprise, small business, and most importantly, people who genuinely care about the city we live in and the parks we play in. I believe we now have the matching skills and commitment on the local board to tackle the challenges ahead. Let’s put the past three years behind us and look forward to community led local decision making. Jo Malcolm, Ponsonby

LOSE WITH GRACE and WIN WITH HUMILITY I can honestly say that even though I wasn’t elected I count this election as a personal win. I asked people to vote for themselves, to be heard by choosing a cross party board that had to discuss issues with community rather than caucus amongst themselves.

Voters agreed with my board member suggestions of “Allan Matson to protect our built heritage opposing unplanned urban growth; Greg Moyle for fiscal responsibility; Sarah Trotman and Alex Bonham to protect our living ecosystems, as proven by their votes to save ratepayers $2million and 15,000 natives at Western Springs”. Only one career politician slipped through onto the board, but he will no longer have the power to redact public meeting presentations from the minutes.

I wish to thank everyone who showed confidence in my community advocacy by voting for me and to those who took literally my words that “I'd be happy to continue as an unelected advocate for a diverse, cross-party team of experts to be elected”.

The constituents of central Auckland voted for democracy and to be listened to by the Waitematā Local Board and the choice of councillor in Mike Lee, whose service to the people is exemplary.

The people voted for Mayor Wayne Brown who has promised to “fix Auckland” and bring the CCO into being controlled and to listen to Aucklanders. This is a clear mandate against the status quo and in particular, Auckland Transport’s dangerous humps and bumps, cycleways and restrictions on arterial roads, and attacks on our local shopping villages by taking away parking. Remember, mature trees, not cycleways, more effectively fight climate change.

The new board and council reflect diversity of opinion. This could well be the council of transparency and accountability I dreamed of... but don’t worry, I’ll be keeping an eye on them. Gael Baldock, community advocate.

LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Pippa Coom and City Vision (Labour and Greens) on their very hard fought campaign. If it's any personal consolation, not being elected in 2019 actually turned out to be one of the best things that happened to me.

I would also like to extend my warm congratulations to the new Waitematā Local Board. Clearly the voters of this most politically sophisticated community sent a reminder that elected members are there to serve the public - not the other way round. For all that, the voters have also signalled their preference for a balance of political views around the table. All of this can only be healthy.

I would like to especially congratulate the new board members. City Vision’s Anahera Rawiri impressed me during the campaign. She brings youth and lots of natural talent to the table, C&R’s Allan Matson has much to offer the board with his heritage expertise - especially so with our special character suburbs under attack from the government and the council. Also congratulations to my old sparring partner Greg Moyle whose return to the board after six years will bring valuable experience and local knowledge.

Finally welcome back Sarah Trotman. Sarah’s staunch defence of local residents and the Western Springs forest was clearly not forgotten by the voters. As we remember, Sarah was treated shabbily by the council and in effect hounded prematurely out of office. This must never happen again. Sarah must feel vindicated by the public support and buoyed by her renewed mandate.

I look forward to working with this new board. What we have in common is more important than what divides us, and together I firmly believe we can make a difference for the best electorate in New Zealand. Mike Lee