I had the honour of being unanimously elected Waitemata Board Chair at our swearing in and inauguration on 30 October at the Town Hall
I have already become very aware of the depth of passion, skills, values and commitment that all of my fellow board members – Kerrin Leoni, Alex Bonham, Adriana Avendano Christie, Graeme Gunthorp, Julie Sandilands and Sarah Trotman – will bring to the work of this board. Kerrin Leoni, will be deputy chair of the board until late April 2021, and Alex Bonham, who will be the deputy chair from then, and I have come to know the personal attributes and deep knowledge they have to do a great job.
Fortunately we begin our work from the shoulders of the giants who have preceded us in this role. In particular, I must express my tributes and deep appreciation for what my two predecessors as chair, Shale Chambers and Pippa Coom, have built and developed throughout our communities from the principles and processes they have applied so well.
Shale and his wife Glenda will be sadly missed from local government in Auckland. But we now have a great base and direction to work from. I am also very appreciative of the work and contribution to our area and to local government of the other previous members of this board and especially of our long-serving former ward Councillor Mike Lee.
We have just emerged from a long, vigorous and energising election campaign. I want to especially thank Robyn and my family and friends for their support, to all our City Vision campaign workers, particularly our campaign manager Jeremy Greenbrook-Held, hoardings maestro Louis Mayo, and campaign chair Robert Gallagher, and all the people who voted for City Vision candidates.
I also want to thank those who stood against us to provide an alternative, a challenge and a questioning that our democracy needs and which makes our structures and policies more sound; and those who showed their faith in democracy by participating and giving support to alternative candidates. Sarah, although she stood on a different ticket, will have portfolio and other decision-making responsibilities equivalent to those of the other board members.
For me, thinking globally and acting locally has always been an important guiding precept. Appropriate, practical local initiatives to combat climate heating through our Low Carbon Network and otherwise, and on homelessness need to be a priority.
The board will continue our representation on all our business associations and develop closer formal relationships with resident associations. We need to continue the initiatives and priorities that the previous Waitemata Board has been leading on. We also face many wonderful new challenges and opportunities to work with all of you to make good and lasting things happen in all of Waitemata! (RICHARD NORTHEY)
Contact Richard Northey, Chair of the Waitemata Local Board, northeyr@xtra.co.nz, www.facebook.com/waitemata