I am a passionate Aucklander and have been championing positive outcomes for Auckland for many years. I am currently CEO of Auckland’s Heart of the City business association, and over the past 13 years I have developed a huge knowledge of council projects, council people, and how council works. During that time I have introduced security cameras and ambassadors into the CBD, making it a safer a friendly place. I have been instrumental in introducing new, major events to Auckland - Fahsion Week, the Auckland Art Fair, the Seafood Festival, the Comedy Festival. All these events bring economic benefits to Auckland and showcase our city as being a vibrant, exciting place to l iive.

I have championed the free hybrid electric City Circuit buses, to help make the city easier to get around and to help lift public transport standards. More recently we ran the “we only get one chance” campaign to promote more open space for the Auckland public on the waterfront, and with over 90% support from the Auckland public we were able to achieve fewer shops, offices and apartments and more open space on the Tank Farm.

I am campaigning for modern public transport, heritage protection, strong local representation and better funding for local boards to complete projects. I know the ropes, I've been successful in business and shown that I'm strong enough to handle the politics and open enough to work with local boards, councillors, the mayor and across all strands of our communities.

 

 

 

Top 5 Issues

1. WATERFRONT
   The refusal of the Ports to release land for public access on our waterfront is legendary. Nowhere more so than in the Waitemata and Gulf Ward is the choice so stark. You have a choice between the guardian of the current Port’s expansionist plans for more port’s reclamation and containers, or elect me – a long standing champion for a new, high value tourism economy based on our waterfront.
2. SUPER CITY
   There will be nothing super about this city if it is not based around super communities. Empowering local boards through increased responsibility and substantial funding moves local government closer to you, so that you can more easily play a part in the direction of our community and our city. I call it ‘glocal’ - global solutions delivered locally. When we believe in our community and the direction of our city we all become engaged and develop a pride and a sense of belief in where we live. This is the modern governance model I am committed to.
3. TRANSPORT
   Roading will always be a vital component in our transport mix but it is past time that we started to even up the transport ledger by building transport infrastructure such as the central city rail loop and accelerating the ease of public transport use by advancing integrated public transport ticketing. At the same time let’s remember that transport is a servant of place. We need to turn up the dial on building great places too. If we fail to make these changes, we will be left behind by those modern cities that have made these choices.
4. HERITAGE
   This is where our city started but we have been poor guardians of our heritage. There is no place better to tell Auckland's story than by celebrating our heritage. Today I am drawing a line in the sand and standing up for our natural and built heritage by championing a suite of reforms that substantially recognises the value of our heritage in the way that we plan our city.
5. WATER
   As far as this supercity transition goes, it will be neither practical nor fair to have large sudden changes in rates and water charges, especially if it involves a sudden shift in burden from the wealthy to the poor. Those sorts of issues have to be carefully considered at any time, but with things being tight for households this year and over the next few years there should be no big changes for the majority of Aucklanders during the first term on the new Auckland Council.

Personal Profile

I live in Herne Bay with my wife Ange and two daughters. We are all proud and passionate jafas! Ange owns Briarwood which is a shoe and handbag retailer with shops in Newmarket and High Street, so we also understand what it means to do business in Auckland. I haven't come lately to politics as I have personally been championing for more positive outcomes for Auckland for many years in my role as CEO of Heart of the City.