Candidates face the big local issues
All election candidates standing for Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Maketu¯ -Te Puke ward were asked: Traffic levels and housing supply are two of the issues affecting the eastern part of the district and the ratepayers often criticise how much
Traffic levels and housing are two big issues in our district that need short and long term planning. My belief is that it is too big of a problem just for council alone to resolve but needs collaboration by all stake holders to work towards solutions and strategic planning . When working in local government environment to get anything across the line it needs to be strategically brought into the long term plans .
Colab housing group are working on housing issues also the community board has been advocating to council for a bypass in Te Puke.
My roll on council would to be working hard to get good solutions into the long term plan and help enable other stake holders to progress actionable plans to actually accomplish more housing where needed and better roading outcomes in the next three years.
I come from a building back ground and have served last three years as chair of Te Puke Community Board so offer experience both in knowing construction and local government governance
Traffic through Te Puke has now surpassed pre-tel levels.
I pushed for traffic flow improvement studies which Council budgeted for in the LTP. Smart signalised intersections and pedestrian crossings, changes in the road network to allow traffic dispersal through side streets rather than funnelling through the main street, are being considered. Additional internal connections/possibilities must be urgently progressed. A direct link from the Pa¯pa¯moa East Interchange is essential. NZTA assistance must be sought.
There’ll be 1000 new houses in southwest Te Puke within 10-15 years. Council must ensure infrastructure can handle this. The main issue is stormwater, also roading/intersection upgrades. Council has budgeted projects to address this. Developer Financial Contributions will help fund this, the ratepayer should not fund growth;1000 sections equal about $50m Finco income.
I participate in Council-led Te Puke housing focus groups. Initiatives are being progressed, including collaboration with developers, community housing providers, and tangata whenua. Government funds are available for housing, by providing strong business cases these become accessible. I will keep fighting for Te Puke.
Traffic Levels
No more surveys or feasibility studies, put someone in front of me that knows what they are talking about. Speed up community consultation this is valuable feedback. I have a technique that it is unique for people having the experience of being appreciated and heard even the ones that disagree. Revitalise off the table community concerns, light rail links for the 30 year plan
Housing
Discourage building in low coastal areas. Land stays Maori owned. Subdivisions away from viable growing areas head higher and closer to main highway access.
Rate increases
Wasted spending that the Council call “Oh well, that is how things go” a bloody poor excuse. Bring accountability to every penny spent. It’s time the ratepayers voices were truly heard. I encourage ratepayers to speak up, contact the council on any
Friday, July 15
Nominations opened
Friday, August 12
Nominations closed, enrolment closed for the printed electoral roll
If you enroll after this, you can request special voting papers Friday, September 16 — Wednesday, September 21 Voting papers delivered
Friday, September 16 — Saturday, October 8
Special voting processing
Saturday, October 8
Voting closes (noon), preliminary results available
October 13-19
Official declaration of results
period,
early
issues you have along with solutions you’ve thought of, make service requests, be a squeaky wheel, it’s your right as a ratepayer/resident of the
Traffic is a major issue for Te Puke. Prior to the TEL traffic flows from Pa¯pa¯moa to Te Puke were massive. Now the heaviest flows are generally from the east into Te Puke, largely as a result of growth in the kiwifruit industry. I believe we need to have more roading connections within Te Puke so that people can get around and across Te Puke without always having to go to the main street. Personally I would like to see some work to enable heavy traffic to travel north via Queen St and south via Station Rd.
As in much of New Zealand a shortage of housing is also an issue. The current projects in Dunlop Rdno 3 Rd are a great help but we need a lot more houses and more variety, particularly house for one and two person households.
It is imperative that rate increases are kept to a minimum which will be challenging in an inflationary period. Prioritisation of projects and expenditure, in consultation with the community will be essential.
The current traffic congestion is at an annoying level, but not critical… yet. The looming growth in residential developments, the Rangiuru business park and the kiwifruit industry will change that.
How long do we wait before we get a long-term solution underway?
I would like to see a diverse team approach for a solution. A broad base canvassing to get an understanding of the problem and the impacts, input from diverse thinking road users, with oversight from roading engineering/town planners to make sense of the ideas. Then careful consideration of cost benefit and the weighing up of priorities with the goal of producing a long-term plan, with short term mitigations decided on then implemented.
Decisions about rating increases, debt levels and priorities will need to be weighed up and navigated.
I am not sure how we balance these tensions, but I know that wide consulting and good communication will be very important.
The 10 year long term plan is up for review, time to get traction on this issue.
As a WBOP Maketu¯ Te Puke council candidate I would be a “newbie” to Council should I be elected. Therefore, my thoughts and ideas will be my own and not those of current elected members. This is not entirely a bad thing in the scheme of it all. Fresh ideas are what is needed going forward.
Traffic and housing supply in the area is a hot topic. I am of the opinion that when there are issues raised you must engage with and hear from those who are affected most, taking their views into account. Meaningful discussion can then take place and goals set to address the issues towards a successful outcome.
I believe as a previous social worker, counsellor and mediator I have the perfect amount of balance, experience and solid skill set to facilitate the process with other elected members and prepare for outcomes which will benefit all concerned. Those affected must also be those who benefit from the work which will be done.
■ Also standing are Attiya Andrew, Rewi Boy Corbett, Kassie Ellis, Kris Murray and Anish Paudel.
John Scrimgeour and Paul Haimona are also standing for the Western Bay of Plenty mayoralty.