The Life Story of Anne Frank “Let Me Be Myself”

The Life Story of Anne Frank – “Let Me Be Myself” is an exhibition showing at the NZ Academy of Fine Arts Galleries from 12 January 2023.

There’s more to know about the story of Anne Frank!

The new Anne Frank exhibition is particularly moving. Photos, objects, and text and film are used to inform you about the life of Anne Frank and the Holocaust.

There are new and revealing stories in this exhibition!

You will come away with a much better understanding of this aspiring young woman. From the entries in the Anne Frank diary you will see Anne Frank as she saw herself. You will also see her in the context of the larger tragedy that was the Holocaust. This international touring exhibition reaches out to young people especially, encouraging them to explore broader issues of prejudice and discrimination that still permeate societies today.

The Academy thanks the Embassy of France, the Delegation of the European Union to New Zealand, and the Federal German Republic for supporting this exhibition.

Tickets available through Eventbrite or at the door:

Entry per person: $7.50

(Children under 12 years $5) NZAFA members: $5

[The Academy is offering a 25% discount off the annual subscription to be a Friend of the Academy Galleries to all attendees of Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank. Receive notices of upcoming events and exhibitions, and opportunities to join exclusive viewings and workshops]

I recently hosted a meeting which included local property developers and representatives from the City and Regional Councils. The background for the meeting was the need to ensure all people involved in providing more housing in our electorate, whether it be those building them or those regulating and permitting that building, understand the issues which govern the ability to build the houses everyone agrees we need.

The first week of February is one of my favourite times in the electorate; it’s school pōwhiri time where legions of new students are welcomed onto their new school, well supported by their families. The teachers and existing students do the welcoming, as the tangata whenua.

It’s new too for parents who have to get used to new locations, teachers and new parent groups. Life’s about adapting to change and adapting to leaving one school where the student has worked their way up to being in the senior year group, only to have to start again at the bottom of the pecking order at their intermediate or secondary school.

There are essentially two types of development; greenfields and brownfields. Greenfields means building on currently undeveloped land, typically ex farmland on the edges of current urban areas, where infrastructure like sewers, water supply and other essential services don’t exist are usually built by the developer.

Brownfields development means rebuilding on existing sites, and there has been considerable discussion in recent times around how much intensification should be allowed in existing suburbs, especially changing of height limits to allow for more apartments.

Both have their advantages and disadvantages; the Regional Council in particular see their role to prevent more runoff and other material ending up in our harbours, especially the Porirua harbour in the case of development north of Johnsonville and Newlands. The Wellington City Council are concerned that the existing infrastructure cannot handle the pressure it comes under when new housing areas are developed. Existing infrastructure is aging and needs upgrading across our city, as evidenced by recent pipe failures. An advantage of intensification of existing areas means more people, therefore more ratepayers to pay for those upgrades.

It never stops, whether through tertiary study, the trades or any profession; constantly adapting to the changed environment as we take promotion or transfer or change jobs.

My own government has recently had to do the same thing, with PM Jacinda Ardern moving on, and everyone in our party and indeed New Zealand having to move on and adapt. We of course welcome Chris Hipkin’s as new Prime Minister. I got my promotion to Deputy Speaker last year as a result of Trevor Mallard moving on, and now many of my colleagues will move chairs as well.

Developers of course need to make a profit, and wish to keep their compliance costs as low as possible. Many believe the Resource Management Act is too cumbersome. We as government for our part have undertaken to rewrite that act.

Life is constantly changing and it’s our ability to adapt which determines our fulfilment in life, and whether we succeed.

The feedback was good, but the success will be when there are sufficient affordable houses to meetdemand. That is certainly my goal as your MP.

That, and of course having a vibrant and functioning Johnsonville Shopping Centre we can all be proud of.

There’s plenty to be getting on with.

So back to the school’s pōwhiri to begin the year; what a privilege to be able to observe the process of progress up front. And to share the excitement of new beginnings all round. We have some serious talent in this electorate and it is being well nurtured by dedicated and talented teachers. Being up close gives me faith in our future.