Campaign Meeting, Oratia - West Auckland

Blog; Wednesday 15 June.

My first campaign meeting for the 2016 Local Body Elections.

I spoke at the Oratia Residents and Ratepayers AGM last night, something I had looked forward to since receiving the invitation. To my surprise, I was a little out of practice, it only seems like yesterday that I was debating local issues in campaign meetings. But actually it was almost 3 years ago, how time flies. Many thanks to Paul Mitchell for a couple of questions that lit up my passion about our area.

It was good to see five of the Waitakere Ranges local Board members brave a damp chilly night just to hear me speak and quite flattering to see Board Chair Sandra Coney taking copious notes.

The best part of these meetings is always talking to individuals over a cuppa at the finish and having them explain council’s actions or inaction relating to events and issues in their immediate area- sometimes with great humour. Let’s face it you have to laugh or some of this stuff will drive you crazy.

I spoke about council’s inefficiencies, how these inefficiencies are from top to bottom through the organisation. About how Auckland Council lacks robust management and that this is because of the absence of good leadership from the present Mayor and Councillors. How the Council and the Council Controlled Organisations are more focused on income generated by their activities, rather than outcomes and serving ratepayers. 

Of course at present no meeting would be complete without at least touching on the issue of Auckland growth. I tried to communicate how I read the potential costs of rapid growth to us, the already established communities/suburbs, how the established Communities/Suburbs are being forced to pay overpriced charges for Council services in part to fund new housing growth.

 All in all a good first meeting.

Thanks Oratia.