Political reporting tends to disproportionately focus on things happening in Wellington, despite often lamenting how there’s too much focus on Wellington.
This trend in our coverage mirrors the decline of investment in regional reporting and maps pretty neatly to declining local government engagement.
While most debate on the Aotearoa New Zealand Public Media Bill currently in front of parliament, has focused on whether we need a change in our media landscape at all, we’ve focused Green contributions on the obvious needs not being met in our communities.
Imagine, for example, if we had more than one or two dedicated reporters covering the business of our local boards.
There are three within the central government Auckland Central electorate: Waitematā (which extends into both the Mt Albert and Epsom electorates), Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier. The community leaders we swear in to lead these organisations receive quite sizeable power to shape our neighbourhoods and therefore, our cities.
I dare say I’ve had closer and more proactively collaborative relationships with local boards over the last two years than any other layer in the hierarchy of local and central government – and a lot of that comes down to their practical mandate.
That practicality prompts a need for collaboration across the aisle, something which one comes to know personally a whole lot about as a Green in parliament. You don’t get things done if you’re only talking to people who agree with you.
For that reason, I’m looking forward to upcoming meetings with our local board members across party affiliations after the fireworks of the Waitematā swearing in (I’ve never seen anything in parliament come down to a toss of the coin!).
We’re going to need that cross-partisan commitment to community outcomes when it comes to the many opportunities and challenges in front of us. Some of these I spoke to about in a regular catch-up with our wonderful Ponsonby Business Association just the other day; if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s the value of supporting local.
Other issues may seem more out-there, like the proliferation of private helicopter flights, but for any of us who’ve been kept awake at night by blades chopping through the air know, once the legislative genie is out of the bottle, it’s a perpetual frustration.
On this issue, I want to acknowledge the organisation of our very own Quiet Sky Waitematā who have successfully rallied the troops to stop even more of this inequitable incursion into our cityscape.
Working this past year with our local boards, Quiet Sky Waiheke and the Civil Aviation Authority, it’s clear we have a massive regulatory gap between the RMA (and therefore Unitary Plan that falls from it) and the Civil Aviation Act (currently being updated in parliament).
There’s a range of supplementary order papers (proposed amendments) to the law in my name and that of my colleague, Hon. Julie Anne Genter, to be debated before the end of the year to improve that law and I’ve had some constructive interactions with Minister McAnulty so far.
The support of the Waitematā Local Board to date has also been fundamental to our campaign to restore the St James Theatre, which will soon be moving to its next phase with the handover of our open letter to Minister Allan.
A lot of work behind and in front of the scenes means that soon, good news this way (all going well) comes. (Chlöe Swarbrick)
Chlöe Swarbrick, T: 09 378 4810, E: chloe.swarbrick@parliament.govt.nz
www.greens.org.nz/chloe_swarbrick
#ChlöeSwarbrickAucklandCentralMP #greenpartyNZ #thegreens #ponsonbynews #iloveponsonby #ponsonby #auckland #aucklandshippestrip #onlyponsonby #ponsonbyroad #Greylynn #freemansbay #westmere #ponsonby #hernebay #stmarysbay #archhill #coxsbay #westernsprings