Venkat Raman
Auckland, August 9, 2022
West Auckland needs a sensible and responsible alcohol policy that strikes a fine balance between safe consumption and peaceful families, an experienced community worker has said.
According to Gurdeep Talwar, who is contesting as a Labour Party candidate for membership of the Waitakere Licencing Trust Lincoln Ward, shops selling liquor should be away from schools and places of worship.
“There should be a limited approach,” he said, meaning that the number of alcohol shops should be less in number.
Family and community safety
Calling liquor stores ‘bottle shops,’ Mr Talwar said that Trusts are a safeguard against the kind of worker exploitation that is prevalent in similar shops in other areas.
“If elected, I will make sure that we are a trusted organisation that leads by example. I believe that a reliable Trust is one that gives back its profits to community groups in its area and gives back more. Every Trust needs the right candidate to win,” he said.
Mr Talwar’s supporters say that being a management consultant, he knows how to run a business and solve complex operational problems.
“With your vote, he will bring those much-needed skills to the Licensing Trust,” they said.
Mr Talwar said that he has been involved in community service over the past several years and has held several voluntary governance roles in organisations that are focused on community development.
He is regularly consulted by ministries and government agencies to discuss community issues. He was among the few non-Muslim attendees at the Hui on terrorism hosted by the held in Christchurch last year.
About Gurdeep Talwar
A postgraduate of a British University, he was the person of Indian origin to be appointed President of the Institute of Management Consultants in New Zealand.
The Institute is a member of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes, which has more than 25,000 members in more than 50 countries.
Mr Talwar is President of the Waitakere Ethnic Board, a not-for-profit organisation focused on the well-being and integration of ethnic communities in West Auckland.
Among the outstanding contributions of the Board is the publication of a Report by the Wellington-based Sense Partners on March 11, 2022.
The Report, defining the economic contribution as income earned, entrepreneurship and ownership of businesses, said that ethnic communities in New Zealand contributed $64 billion to the New Zealand economy in 2021.
Details of the Report, published by Indian Newslink, can be read here.
Mr Talwar is a member of several Governance Boards covering various community sectors. As well as President of the Institute of Management Consultants New Zealand, he is associated with Member, Refugee Alliance New Zealand (Strategy Group since 2021), Business Mentor New Zealand (since 2018), Waitakere Ethnic Board (President since 2019), Panel Member of Health Alliance New Zealand (since 2021), Hospice New Zealand (since 2020) and Tamaki Makaurau Ethnic Community Leaders Group Community Leader (initiated by the New Zealand Police in 2020). He was a Member of the Waitemata District Health Board Patient Survey Advisory Group during the years 2019-2020.
His contributions to various sections of society earned him a Community Award at the Eighth Annual Indian Newslink Sports, Community, Arts and Culture Awards 2022 held in Auckland on June 20, 2022.
