Helen White, Labour MP, Auckland Central

I want to begin my first column in Ponsonby News by introducing myself, and talking about why I put my name forward to be your next MP and my vision for Auckland Central.

When my family first came to Auckland we lived in the recently developed terrace housing in Wellington Street. They were built around a shared green space, which we called a 'common'. The commons were fantastic and that common space meant we played together and families and residents got to know each other. I made great friends, as did my parents.

My childhood taught me the importance of our built environment on neighbourhood communities. Our townhouses were built for people. I want a city that is built around people.

There are still plenty of people fighting for this. A while ago I attended the announcement of the winning design for the new community park at 254 Ponsonby Road. LandLab’s design captures what I think Auckland can be - a bustling urban centre weaving together urban centres with green spaces. Such initiatives need supporting and it also needs to be recognised that fundamentally it is not the direction this Government has been going in. Even in its recent housing announcements, it seems to me the Government is being dragged kicking and screaming to the party by the result of polling, not real understanding or values.

There are a number of issues that I would prioritise should I be elected as your next MP and they all focus on building a urban environment that is people-centred. We need to build interesting and vibrant green and open spaces. We’ve come a long way with recent projects such as Wynyard Quarter. But we need to prioritise projects such as 254 Ponsonby Road, Victoria Street’s Linear Park and pedestrianising our CBD.

Pedestrianising the CBD is a very good example. In 2001 only 9500 people lived in the CBD. Now 47,000 people call the CBD home (growth 15 years ahead of Auckland Council’s projections). We need a CBD that has open spaces for these residents to live, work and socialise. Our current environment prioritises the 5000 vehicles using Queen Street. It’s time we focussed on these residents and the 35,000 pedestrians using Queen Street every day.

I want to ensure Auckland Central is a place our children can afford to live in. A city in which we are building high-quality affordable housing, and ensure tenants have secure and healthy homes. I want to convince my kids to stay in Auckland but that seems increasingly difficult. Some of this has to do with the lure of overseas travel, but some of it is because like many young people they have lost hope that they will ever buy a home.

Underpinning all of these challenges is a need for central government to roll up its sleeves and start investing in our community.

I have a number of ideas, both local projects that I will advocate for like Victoria Street’s Linear Park and pedestrianising the CBD and region-wide projects such as rail to the airport.

Housing and our urban environment is one area in which Labour has a comprehensive and innovative plan. Labour has a plan to build affordable homes and expand the role of urban development authorities to deliver this. Development authorities will partner with private developers, councils and iwi to undertake major greenfields and revitalisation projects, building affordable homes with KiwiBuild and the private market. These homes will be part of great communities built around parks, shopping centres and transport links.

Auckland Central is, for me, a place of great opportunity and most importantly it should be a place that opportunity should be available, no matter how much people earn and whether they rent or own their home.

I still remember the excitement I felt as a child moving here from Kawerau. The city I came to was full of opportunities for the kids who lived in it that had little to do with how much their parents earned. I want to invest in building a city that is vibrant and exciting, that protects its beautiful landscapes, and builds the infrastructure of the 21st Century. (HELEN WHITE)

Helen White is the Labour MP for Auckland Central.

www.labour.org.nz/helenwhite