An Alternative Reason on Voting (or rather not) these Local Elections Dr Bryce Edwards of the Politics Department at the University of Otago wrote a piece yesterday on why … Continue reading Dr Bryce Edwards – Why You Should Not Vote
Tag: local elections
Why You Should Vote
Please Vote – Please If there was ever a reason to vote this would be it: Rather than focus on The Unitary Plan which is complex and affects … Continue reading Why You Should Vote
Let’s Get This Straight About High Rise
This Myth Needs to Be Debunked Note: I sought clarification from the Unitary Plan Planners today in regards to the definition of high rise here in Auckland. An easy … Continue reading Let’s Get This Straight About High Rise
Taking a look at Three Mayoral Candidates
They are vying for your vote after all
With social media full of campaigning updates, and TEDx Talks currently being held in the CBD as I write this (well yesterday) I thought I might give another glance at three of our mayoral candidates vying for our vote: incumbent Mayor Len Brown, the Rev. Usefili Unasa, and John Palino.
After a quick search through the Main Stream Media I note things have gone rather silent since both Len and John launched their campaigns around mid July. I have noted the respect candidate’s websites and Palino dropping a bit into Scoop that the MSM have not picked up on…
Lets take a look a screen shot of Brown and Palino’s respective websites (note I run a 27″ widescreen)
Palino
You can visit the two’s respective sites by clicking on the links above for your viewing pleasure.
While I have not discovered a website for Rev Unasa yet but I had dug up this little nugget from All About Auckland that runs interviews and feeds on Auckland Council affairs. You Tube is where All About Auckland (run by Kane Glass) is uploading videos on Council affairs can be found here http://www.youtube.com/user/aboutakl/about
So the question I leave to readers, rather than have me frame the commentary or put words in people’s mouths is what do you think? More to the point what are your issues for the elections in October (by postal ballot).
Leave your comments below in the comment box. Note to first time commenters, your comments are held in moderation until I approve them. Once your first comment is approved then you are free to comment in real-time – until I revoke that privilege (usually because you broke a rule of the site).
While my mind is at it I also ask a tougher question. 2016 – the next round of Local Elections. It is known a campaign for a Council (or even Central Government) seat starts at the previous campaign and must be sustained for the term of the upcoming Council before we hit the polls again in three years time (from now). So what would you be not only looking for in the 2013-2016 term of Council, but for those vying in 2016.
It is a more cryptic or thought-provoking way into looking at the long-term towards the City as a whole.
The comment box is open below
Manukau Timeline
The #SuperManukau Work is Independent to the 2013 Elections
With the election campaign under way for the 2013 Local Elections, existing projects such as the Unitary Plan can get caught up in campaign politicking. Essentially it means projects can get kicked around like a football for political mileage and potentially damage the said project.
I am keeping a very close eye on the Auckland Local Elections not only for the commentary running but also business reasons as well.
When one is advocating on behalf of clients or themselves with a project involving Council – including the Councillors (who are facing elections), an election can throw a spanner in things if not managed properly.
The Manukau Super Metropolitan Centre is one project at the moment and one being watched with the elections now on.
I am aware a certain mayoral candidate is touting as a policy at “developing” Manukau to take pressure off the Isthmus area as the city grows an extra million.
In keeping a very close eye on developments I did see this in the Herald this morning: “Cities need mayoral contests.”
It does cover things I have mentioned before such as one horse races and some policy aspects being touted around.
I also caught this in the comments box which has me on “alert” at the moment for reasons explained in the opening paragraph:
I for one, prefer John Palino’s vision for Auckland. He is the first to publicly espouse the idea of shift the jobs to the people, not the people to the jobs. His vision, and New York experience, would create a more vibrant, livable place.
Build a major commercial complex in Wiri where there is space and suitable terrain. Do the same on the Shore and out west. Save people having to travel into the CBD.
Turn the CBD buildings into mixed use. Make the upper floors into nice apartments for those who do work in the CBD. Imagine commuting by elevator, or just a short walk down the road. It makes much more sense, but then Loopy Lenny and co have never been noted for that have they ??
Yeah I knew that was going to happen when either a project is happening behind the scenes or there is an actual information vacuum out there. Fortunately my reply did get through the Herald’s moderation department:
Westie Bryan
I for one, prefer John Palino’s vision for Auckland. He is the first to publicly espouse the idea of shift the jobs to the people, not the people to the jobs. His vision, and New York experience, would create a more vibrant, livable place. Build a major commercial complex in Wiri where there is space and suitable terrain. Do the same on the Shore and out west. Save people having to travel into the CBD. Turn the CBD buildings into mixed use. Make the upper floors into nice apartments for those who do work in the CBD. Imagine commuting by elevator, or just a short walk down the road. It makes much more sense, but then Loopy Lenny and co have never been noted for that have they ??
Quoting: “Build a major commercial complex in Wiri where there is space and suitable terrain. Do the same on the Shore and out west. Save people having to travel into the CBD.”If one reads the Unitary Plan and keeps an eye towards the Unitary Plan processes and social media those aspects you mention are already under way. There is already a major commercial complex out south – Manukau City Centre waiting to be unleashed in its development. Wiri (the industrial complex) is up for expansion in a plan change to its west.
The west will have the New Lynn and Westgate Metropolitan Centres which will become major mix-use hubs serving their areas. For the Shore we have Takapauna and Albany as Metropolitan Centres, one which could be pushed even further as a “third CBD” in 25 years.
These aspects are already under way independent of the election cycle and candidate whims 😉
Just a case of watch and patience
The above shows there is still information vacuums with the Unitary Plan at the moment. This can make worthwhile projects prone to electioneering currently out there. So a word of caution, just because a candidate has touted it as original policy does not mean it is already under way.
So in regards to #SuperManukau, that work carries out independently and regardless of the electioneering out there. For a #BetterAuckland
You can keep track of the Manukau project via this link: https://voakl.net/category/planning/urban-planning-and-design/manukau/
Talking Southern Auckland 