Christina Robertson
Auckland, September 14, 2022
To make the best decisions possible in local government, we need to know what people’s problems are, what they envision for the future, and what they value most about the city.
Traditional consultation processes are often unrepresentative of Auckland’s diversity in age, ethnicity and lived experiences, and the City Vision team for Albert-Eden Local Board have pledged to change this situation.
Chrystal Thompson, a first-time candidate for the Maungawhau subdivision (which includes Greenlane, Epsom, Mt Eden, Kingsland and Balmoral), will bring a fresh outlook to the local board. “As a proud Fijian Indian, I want to reach out to our diverse communities and build genuine connections across Albert-Eden,” she said.
Margi Watson, who is currently the Chair of the Local Board, agrees.
“Good consultation is critical so that we can deliver what communities want and need, and it is even more important to make sure diverse voices are not drowned out.”
As first-term local board members, Julia Maskill and I spent the early part of the 2019 term attending events, meeting with community groups and talking to as many people as possible while we developed the Local Board’s three-year plan.
In the coming term, we are looking forward to building on those connections and bringing more local voices into local board decisions.
City Vision’s candidates across the Local Board area bring community connections and a wealth of experience to the task.
Able and dedicated Candidates
Suveen Sanis Walgampola is the Co-Founder of Duality NZ, an organisation dedicated to enabling migrant youth to thrive in Aotearoa through workshops, events, engagement and advocacy, and regularly organises events with the Sri Lankan community.
Luke Johnson aims to use his background in business and government advisory roles to advocate for local residents and business owners.
Benji Fraser is passionate about using his skills in youth outreach to consult younger Aucklanders on issues that most affect them.
In the Owairaka Subdivision (which includes Sandringham, Morningside, Mt Albert, Pt Chevalier and Waterview), Liv Roe hopes to use her leadership and governance experience in the not-for-profit and research sectors to reach out to grassroots community groups.
Carrying Communities’ voices
If elected, the City Vision team will ensure the voices of all Albert-Eden’s communities are represented in Local Board plans and projects.
We will plan for facilities and activities in parks that give everyone something to enjoy. We will restore the hours of service at community centres that were reduced during Covid and ensure space in Council-owned facilities is allocated equitably.
We will continue to support community groups from across Albert-Eden with grants, and partner with community organisations to put on successful events such as the Albert-Eden Schools Cultural Festival.
We will advocate for more frequent, reliable buses and trains, and ensure our communities’ views are represented in planning for the light rail network.
Through our local board climate action plan, we will involve communities from across the area in planning for a more sustainable future.
Christina Robertson is a long-time Albert-Eden resident and has been an Albert-Eden Local Board member since 2019.
