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, Parnell
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