Well it gives National the chance to look like they are honouring an election promise without actually having to do anything. What if Labour get back in next election? Do we just put it off for another 9 years?

National campaigned on the promise that there would be a referendum on this issue as it had always been promised following the change to MMP and never happened under Labour.. The 2011 referendum is pointless, asking if people want change???? So basically, the country will vote on a referendum to ask if there should or shouldn’t be a referendum??? What a waste of time!

Well it gives National the chance to look like they are honouring an election promise without actually having to do anything. What if Labour get back in next election? Do we just put it off for another 9 years?

National campaigned on the promise that there would be a referendum on this issue as it had always been promised following the change to MMP and never happened under Labour.. The 2011 referendum is pointless, asking if people want change???? So basically, the country will vote on a referendum to ask if there should or shouldn’t be a referendum??? What a waste of time!

Press Release

Ryan Hicks

Eden Albert Community Board Member

Auckland city

“Young people need to think of their futures and those of their families as they go into the first election with Auckland as one city, as it always should have been" says Ryan Hicks, Eden Albert community Board Member.

"Basically what they’ve done is to revert back to a system similar to the old Borough’s with a stronger regional council. This is what we should have had all along", he says, "and those in the Auckland region would never have had to go through the 20 year failed experiment that saw rates rise by 500% while inflation was barely half that."

"But I believe a new generation of Aucklanders is ready for them and will be watching them closely this time. We won’t wait for 20 years (like our parents did) to cry foul if they try to sock it too us again. What Aucklanders demand is a modern efficiently run city based on principles of equality, opportunity and reward for hard work. Young Aucklanders deserve value for money from their rates and user charges because they are already struggling with ludicrously high costs and house prices" he says "Young people are Auckland’s future and already have to pay for the mistakes of the past." Talk about not getting any rates reductions makes me nervous" he says and he is demanding that rates and user charges fall in real terms in the medium to long term.

Ends

The Mt Albert Residents Association is holding a meeting at 7pm on Wednesday June 11th at Gladstone School about lack of progress on several issues affecting Mt Albert residents. If you live in Mt Albert I encourage you to go along and have your say. See flyer here.

I welcome the government’s announcement of higher fines and more community work for graffiti vandals, and new funding for graffiti control. Eden-Albert has been plagued for a long time by this form of vandalism and it will be welcome relief for our residents. Residents and the council loose huge sums of money, that could and should be funding community facilities and events, on a daily basis because of this vandalism. In many cases the weaker members of our community live in fear because of the intrusion into their privacy that graffiti vandalism causes, and yet get little support. Also, as a young person myself, I know that the vast majority of young people are very responsible have no wish to have their image tarnished by the actions of a small minority.

However, in my opinion, further steps are needed. These initiatives are mainly about sending an ambulance to the bottom of the cliff, as they mainly concentrate on the clean up afterwards. Young offenders will continue to fail to pay their fines and fail to do properly supervised community service. These initiatives must be part of a wider law and order initiative where the community requires accountability from the offenders and, often, their families.

Using graffiti as an example, the proposed $2000 maximum fine does not always cover the cost of the damage. We should work towards a system of full restorative justice where the vandal must reimburse the full costs including police and justice system time. Also, as we all know the justice system moves far too slowly. Community work would be more relevant and effective if graffiti vandals were out in the community repairing their damage within a day of being caught!

Finally, many of these measures will still not achieve the ultimate goal – of essentially eliminating vandalism – until there is adequate intervention in and accountability from the families who have produced the vandal. This is where communities have a large role to play in preventing young people from becoming vandals and progressing to worse crimes, by encouraging productive rather than destructive activities, and rewarding effort and responsibility. It has been shown overseas that once the community rejects crime by starting to take firm action on the minor offences, a dramatic reduction in serious crime can follow.

Ryan Hicks, Eden-Albert Community Board Member and Youth Affairs spokesperson

I walked passed the bronze villa replica in Potters Park yesterday. This small sculture caused a lot of angst when the Eden-Albert Community Board paid $20 000 for it. I have to admit that even I did not realise how small it is and on top of that it now seems to be corroding badly. Yes, that really is a $2 coin leaning up against it.

It reminded me why I ran for the community board – to try to prevent this blatant missuse of ratepayers money!

I agree with the council renegotiating the Affordable Housing scheme. Aaron Bhatnagar sums up the affordable housing issue nicely. There are essentially two arguments from the perspective of the Auckland City Council which has been elected with a mandate to hold rates rises to a minimum

1.        Holding rates rises and council costs will improve housing affordability, because the ongoing cost of housing, as well as the purchase price have become major issues for Auckland’s sustainability and building 100 houses targeted to a select few will do nothing to ease the problems

2.       They recognise that housing is a central government issue because it is central government that sets the economic agenda and collects taxes to distribute through welfare and HCNZ to target affordability of accommodation.

Being a young person who will be looking to have a family soon I am probably more concerned about affordable housing than most people but I recognise that central government must take a real lead on this issue, and I consider if City Vision was really concerned they would be lobbying their own Labour led government very hard on to bring in a long term solution to this issue.

I welcome your feedback

Kevin is also intending to run a series of blogs on the housing affordability issue

You can read the plans and give the council feedback. Coming from a Whanau who have grown up plying on Mt Eden for at least three generations I would like to see it easily accessible and open to as many people as possible. I would also like to see it kept safe for children and their parents to play and have fun up there.

People can find out more about the proposals by attending one of two information sessions. The sessions will take place at Langton’s tea kiosk on Maungawhau-Mt Eden on the following dates:

*             10 November between 11am and 2pm

 *            24 November between 11am and 2pm

Members of the public can also view a display at the Epsom Library at 195 Manukau Road or find out more and give feedback at www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/mteden

 It’s your say, so you can use it or lose it.

Here is the press release from the Auckland City Council:

5 November 2007

Public consultation on plans for Maungawhau-Mt Eden

Members of the public are invited to comment on Auckland City Council’s plans for a visitor centre and alternative transport on Maungawhau-Mt Eden. The proposals are a concrete first step in implementing the Maungawhau-Mt Eden management plan and aim to cater for visitors while protecting the integrity of the cone.

All residents have been sent information about the proposals with the council newspaper City Scene.  This includes a feedback form asking for comments on plans to:

·        locate a visitor centre at Tahaki Reserve west, at the base of Maungawhau-Mt Eden

·        prohibit vehicles from the summit road and replace them with an alternative transport option of a lightweight electric vehicle

·        improve the summit area to make it more pedestrian friendly.

The council’s group manager for Arts, Community and Recreation Policy, Ruth Stokes, says public feedback on the proposals will be important in future decision-making.

“Maungawhau-Mt Eden is an Auckland landmark and we need to do what we can to protect this cultural and geological treasure for future generations to enjoy,” Ms Stokes says.  “The impact of vehicles is taking its toll and we need to act to limit the damage and erosion they cause.  The noise and pollution of vehicles also affects the overall visitor experience. “We see a light-weight electric vehicle as being a clean, effective and efficient way to address these issues, but we want to know what people think about this idea.

“The plans for a visitor centre aim to give the public a greater understanding of the cultural and social history of the volcanic cones and pa sites of Auckland.  “This will make visiting Maungawhau-Mt Eden a truly memorable and unique experience, but again we’d like to hear the public’s views on the matter.” Aucklanders are also invited to comment on plans to improve the summit area including removing the former telecommunications building, and replacing hand rails and benches.

The cost of building a visitor centre at Tahaki Reserve west is estimated to be between $6.8 and $8.7million, while a lightweight electric vehicle would cost approximately $3million to build and $1million to operate annually. The council has not yet set aside a specific budget for these developments and cost will be one of the key drivers in future decision-making.  However, the council has a number of funding options available to it, including rates, raising debt, entering into a partnership with another organisation, and/or user charges for use of the facilities.

Ms Stokes says the council has also been conducting surveys and focus groups to assess public feeling about the proposals. “I’d urge people to fill in the feedback form and let us know what they think. Their views will influence important decisions about a much-loved Auckland icon,” she says.

Our main opposition blogsite moderates their comments and only chooses those with a postive spin. Does that sound familiar?

We welcome all comments and suggestions. No wonder our central and local government can never get the best advice because they only listen to their yes men.

We need all voices to be heard in this country. While they go on about “diversity” we embrace all ethnicities, cultures, genders, etc and we also stand for individual freedom and responsibility of expression, association and enterprise.

Please send your vote now – and change the council to people who will listen to all views!

IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO HELP

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