If we want to get big things done in and for this city, we need alignment between central and local government.
That’s not to be confused with agreement on all things. It’s about finding the areas of accord. Some of those issues will be obvious, while others will take a whole lot of work.
This is why I was glad to hold one of the first official public meetings with our new mayor, who also happens to live just around the corner from Ponsonby.
About half of my electorate workload involves trying to get council to do something; to implement the City Centre Masterplan (signed off 10 years ago), enable more community gardens (a collaboration with Bayfield School hopefully coming soon!) or just install and maintain public toilets.
It was brilliant that we were able to find areas of consensus, most notably on city vibrancy and safety.
These included supporting the Māori wardens with a base at Myer’s Park, resourcing Heart of the City and City Mission’s ‘Street Guardians’ programme, a public toilet strategy with budget attached, a single-point contact for those experiencing or concerned about those experiencing homelessness and removing barriers for food trucks (remember the White Lady drama?).
These are all tangible and measurable actions that will make a difference, especially together.
Tangible matters, because that’s what council has the mandate and flexibility to do: to govern, improve and care for our immediate natural and built environment. It’s got levers that central government does not and it should use them.
Returning 77 hectares of waterfront land to Aucklanders is tangible – on that, the mayor and I strongly agree. I know some of the foundational work had been considered by former Mayor Phil Goff, particularly when it came to separating the land and operating company.
We’ve had reports up to our eyeballs for more than a decade noting the operation will run out of space within the next 30 (now 20) years, so the move is not a surprise to anyone who’s been following the issue. I met with, then wrote to CE Roger Gray in March asking that they start removing cars from the ‘fingers’ along to Bledisloe Wharf for public use. But it takes alignment with council’s plans and priorities for things to start moving.
Speaking of, council consultation is currently open on concepts for the restoration and modernisation of the Leys Institute – thank you to Friends of Leys’ Helen Geary for the ongoing advocacy and provision of information for all of us supporters out there! Please do submit to show the tidal wave of community support for getting this beautiful building restored and back in community hands.
In parliament, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to an Inquiry into the Covid-19 economic response, with Minister Hipkins announcing mid-October that the government was scoping one on the entire response.
It’s disappointing to have lost so much time to politics in Finance and Expenditure Committee, my motion for us to fulfil our democratic function to undertake such an inquiry blocked every sitting week for almost a year now by Labour members, but I’m glad we’ll finally take these important steps.
Work also continues across all other portfolios, not the least in tertiary education, I’ve been working for two months to get investigation into and policy change on inconsistent post-graduate and placements support.
This could make all the difference to the pipeline of not only research and innovation in Aotearoa, but our social workers, nurses, clinical mental health workforce and so much more. (Chlöe SWARBRICK)
www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick
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