Community Meeting – And Our Youth

Written by Ben Ross - Talking Auckland

Youth Want to Be Heard

 

Then Tonight is the Night TO BE HEARD!

 

Well after Sydney and myself put out the same (although different words) call rallying Auckland Youth to get in behind and give feedback to the Unitary Plan, a big litmus test in that call will be tonight.

Tonight we have this:

COMMUNITY MEETING

APR 17 • 6PM — TELSTRACLEAR EVENTS CENTRE – Telstraclear Events Centre, 770 Great South Road

6-8:30pm

Community meetings tend to be presentations followed by questions and answer sessions.

 

The topics are our favourites: intensification and transport 😀

 

The areas of concern through this particular meeting are those within the Manurewa Local Board area which includes most of the Manukau City Centre, however the topics at hand and what is being discussed have very wide regional impacts. So this is about ALL OF US regardless of age and location in Auckland.

 

I do have this from the Shape Auckland website and Councillor Goudie:

CALLING YOUNG AUCKLANDERS: MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD

 

Engagement on the draft plan is now in week five out of eleven, and I’m challenging more young people to get involved by speaking up.

It’s awesome to see twenty-somethings, gen Ys and teens getting involved in the debates on the draft Auckland Unitary Plan.

A surge of comments supporting the draft Unitary Plan has hit social media as a counter-response to the views of people labeled as ‘NIMBYs’ (Not in My Back Yard).

It’s clear people are getting frustrated with some of the one-sided views and ongoing negative comments being made on things like apartments as a housing option – It’s definitely getting a lot of people active.

It seems the opinions of us younger Aucklanders aren’t often reported in traditional media, but they are definitely being seen online and council is hearing them loud and clear.

Change is needed. Too many young people face being priced out of their neighbourhoods because there isn’t the choice of different types and prices of homes available.

Auckland’s younger population is critical to our city’s future.  If they decide Auckland doesn’t work for them, there is nowhere suitable to live, and it doesn’t deliver the lifestyle they want to lead, they don’t stick around and hope things might change – they get on a plane and leave.

What they want is pretty simple, homes that suit their budget, age group and lifestyle, in places that make it easy for them to get to work or uni and not too far away from where the action is – restaurants, skate parks, bars, shops, the gym or whatever they are into.

Have your say!

Cheers,

Michael Goudie – Councillor

 

 

Well tonight is the night folks and to especially our youth. A large proportion of our city youth live down this way in Southern Auckland so any decisions on the Unitary Plan that might be derived from tonight’s meeting will have impact that will affect us 30 years and beyond.

 

So I do implore to our youth, head on down to the Events Centre tonight and take part in this community meeting. Okay the first 20 minutes will be a bit boring as Penny Pirrit rattles off her presentation on the Unitary Plan but, she needs to so to give context of The Clunker to the area and wider Auckland. After that we should move into questions and answers which you can either participate in or just sit back and observe (nothing wrong with the latter as even that is still a valuable learning experience). Once the meeting has concluded you have the chance to talk to the planners and your elected officials on you concerns, or go read the material around the room.

 

Again to our youth – let’s go. I do not want a Blue Rinse Brigade blue/grey/whitewash tonight. I want to see a blend and I want to see representation from across the board.

 

This Unitary Plan affects you and will affect you for decades to come. So come on down this evening and least observe the proceedings – if not fire the questions away.

 

YOUR CITY – YOUR CALL – YOUR INHERITANCE 

 

BEN ROSS : AUCKLAND

BR:AKL: Bring Well Managed Progress

The Unitary Plan: Bringing Change

Auckland: 2013 – OUR CITY, OUR CALL