I am committed to mantaining the Paekākāariki Community Board as a strong and independent voice for the Paekākāariki community, particularly as we face changes in the local governance structure.
We cannot take the community engagement for granted. We need local government to be much more responsive to community concerns, and to willingly and genuinely consult, and clearly communicate, with the community.
Too often council has been pursuing the agendas of local politicians and bureaucrats. This has led to unwanted and unnecessary spending, debt and rate rises.
We need to ensure that Paekākāariki remains a thriving and unique community, and does not become unaffordable for the people that have made it so.