Young and rising star of the Waitemata Local Board, Rob Thomas has announced his council candidacy for the Waitemata and Gulf Ward.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce my candidacy for the Councillor for the Waitemata and Gulf Ward,”
said Thomas.
“The council needs fresh thinking and an independent voice for our community. We need to preserve our history but we can’t rely on the ideas of the past. We have to look forward and find new ideas to take this city forward.” Putting our environment first Creating a green Auckland is at the top of the agenda for Thomas heading into this election.
“Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time and its adverse impacts undermine Auckland’s ability to achieve sustainable development. Auckland needs to start investing in clean technology within our community.”
Thomas is campaigning for the first electric public transport vehicles on our streets and on our waterways.
“We’ve already seen the huge difference that electric trains can make to the lives of Aucklanders, so why stop there?” said Thomas.
“Let’s bring our ferries, busses and council vehicles into the 21st Century by going electric.”
Central to Thomas’s policy platform is a commitment to greening our city, by empowering local boards and the community to plant one million new trees over the coming years.
“Auckland has to quite literally go green.” explained Thomas. “Auckland’s Urban Forest has an almost endless number of benefits from stormwater management, air quality control, natural habitat and carbon sequestration. However, Auckland has just 19% tree cover within the Auckland isthmus and are behind Melbourne with their ambitious target of 40%.
“The effects of climate change aren’t just an issue for the council, this is something that all communities have to take the lead on.”
Building a better council Housing, rates and council spending are all hot topics heading into this election, but so far no candidate has put forward a comprehensive plan to actually fund the city’s growth in a sustainable manner. For that reason Thomas will be campaigning to introduce smart changes to the way the city is funded, while freeing up under-utilised land within the city’s existing urban boundaries.
“Auckland Council needs to get its financials books in order. The city needs significant investment in Transport and Housing infrastructure over the next two decades,” explained Thomas.
“There is no doubt that millions can be saved within the council’s existing processes but Auckland Council needs to develop an investment strategy that works on growing the rates base rather than borrowing or penny pinching. There are under-utilised plots of land all across Auckland, in city centres and around transport hubs, that are serviced by infrastructure and are not working for us. Just one of those low-yield sites is the Ports of Auckland.”
A tech-driven Auckland
Cities around the world have recognised that great ideas and collaboration turn them into great businesses. This means having a council that is actively engaged with the entrepreneurs and thinkers of our city before they decide to take their ideas overseas.
“Auckland has a technology start-up sector that is teetering on the edge of major global success. Since Grid AKL was established, fledgling tech hubs have already sprung up in the roof of Devenport’s Ferry Building and Grid UpTown near the Mt Eden Railway Station. These are just the start, though, we need a whole new generation of startups to take Auckland into the future.”
Rob Thomas has spent two terms (six years) serving on the Waitemata Local Board. Thomas first started his community service as the Chair of the Auckland Youth Council and working on the Britomart Train Station project. Since then, he has worked in strategy for the City of Westminster in London and Wellington City Council, culminating in his experience on the local board. Thomas is a keen cyclist and has cycled across the Rocky Mountains in Canada, through Switzerland and around the Mediterranean Coast in Italy.
“It has been a great pleasure to represent our community on the Waitemata Local Board but now is the time for a major sea change. Auckland faces a bright and healthier future which involves a focus on the environment, technology, and sustainable investment plan in transport and housing.”
www.robthomas.co.nz