NZ’S forgotten areas seeking hope and help

Gangs, poverty and drugs are among the issues worrying New Zealand’s most vulnerable communities, a Salvation Army report has found.

In the report presented to the Government yesterday, residents of Porirua City, Papakura in Auckland and the Christchurch suburb of Linwood were surveyed to give a snapshot into what issues the communities faced.

In all three areas, school stand-downs, notifications to child welfare agencies and rates of adult conviction were higher than the country’s average.

Residents often described feeling they were forgotten by the Government and the rest of the country.

Crime and safety, poverty, outside perception and concern for their children were recurrent themes. Social progress in Porirua and Papakura was worse than the national average, the report found.

Described as a partner document to the annual State of the Nation report, the State of the Communities report used more than 300 face-toface interviews to analyse what was happening at the grassroots level in specific communities.

It also asked what ‘‘challenges’’ residents had for Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern: improving safety and helping the homeless was a common theme. Porirua

Gangs, drugs and antisocial behaviour were real concerns for residents of the city, the report found.

Vacant shops and buildings lead people to believe businesses were struggling and they wanted more help for local homeless people. Beggars were a concern to many respondents.

Over half those surveyed felt most of Wellington viewed their city in a negative light, something they believed was outdated and stemmed from the gang presence in the city.

A school principal said local families struggled with low and unreliable incomes which made it hard to pay bills and buy decent food.

Children often missed school because their family couldn’t provide lunch.

Among the challenges to Ardern were: ‘‘We’re better than what people say’’ and ‘‘our voice needs to be heard.’’ Papakura

Crime and safety were major concerns for Papakura residents, who highlighted the area’s gangs as a contributor to drugs and violence.

Many said gangs had a major impact on the community and they felt unsafe. People also felt there were too many bottlestores in the area, the report said.

Concern for the area’s children and young people was a major theme of those surveyed, with a lack of activities a real worry.

Like Porirua, vacant shops and buildings concerned locals, as did beggars, although, like Porirua, they wanted them helped, not just chased away.

Over half of those surveyed said the rest of Auckland saw Papakura in a negative light.

Challenges to Ardern included: ‘‘People here need hope’’ and ‘‘walk in our shoes for a day’’.

Linwood

Again, crime and safety were common themes with more than 50 per cent saying it was their major concern.

Many locals said gangs were a concern, as were people struggling with drugs and alcohol. Beggars were also a worry.

Like Papakura, the lack of activities for children and young people concerned locals, as did the size of the school rolls.

Too many fast food outlets and poverty in the community were big concerns and some locals were fearful of the environment being continually damaged, especially if more earthquakes occurred.

‘‘Come see how we live’’ and ‘‘remember we are here’’ were among the things people would say to Ardern.

Crime and safety, and poverty were recurrent themes.