Keeping a finger on Auckland’s pulse

Five months of door knocking during the campaign has given me literally hundreds of issues to get on with over the next three years. Having worked on the other side of the council fence, this has helped immensely, and I feel like a “kid in a candy store”. Over the next month I will start prioritising issues and championing them through council.

In my first week in office, even before being officially sworn in, I was campaigning the Mayor’s Office to include a project in Len’s 100 Projects in 100 Days. I’m glad to say the paper on the provision for a public access bicycle network went successfully through committee.

To date I’ve tried to say yes to every invitation. This has provided some amazing opportunities, from welcoming people in my official capacity at the New Zealand Citizen’s Ceremony too talking to residents in Western Springs about the elephant enclosure expansion into Western Springs Park.

In this short space of time I have released that I might define myself by the invitations I need to decline.

Waitemata Local Board open for business

The first official meeting of the Waitemata Local Board took place on Wednesday 3 November. Around one hundred people witnessed our official oath.

The first local board workshop in November gave us visibility of our $43 million budget. This will provide council services within our ward for libraries, parks, pools, halls, events and for community initiatives. The budget will be realised at the end of the Council’s financial year in July this year.

The Waitemata Local Board Office opened its doors in late November. The office is located on the second floor of Council’s Graham Street Service Centre in the inner-city, click here for the google map.

You are warmly invited to attend one of our meetings (please double check before attending):

 8 Feb  ~ Grey Lynn Community Centre
 8 Mar  ~ Waitemata LB office
12 Apr  ~ Jubilee Hall Parnell
10 May ~ Grey Lynn Community Centre
14 Jun  ~ Waitemata LB Office
12 Jul   ~ Jubilee Hall Parnell
 9 Aug  ~ Grey Lynn Community Centre
13 Sep  ~ Waitemata LB Office
11 Oct  ~ Jubilee Hall Parnell
 8 Nov  ~ Grey Lynn Community Centre
13 Dec ~ Waitemata LB Office

To find out what’s on our agenda visit the Auckland Council website. Or, if you would like to place an item on our agenda, please email me rob@robthomas.co.nz

Successfully elected

If you haven’t already herd, I was successfully elected onto the Local Board for Waitemata.

The campaign was a huge success; being the only independent voted onto the local board with just over 7,000 votes.

I take on the position with great humility and great confidence. I was gunning for the Council seat but I see this as the first step to a long political career in Auckland.

Thanks to everyone that helped out, from the sign waving along Ponsonby Road to the generous donations. Your dedication and belief in the campaign made it all possible.

Plans are already underway for the 2013 campaign.

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