Current chairman, Eastern Bays Community Board. Extensive local government experience, skills and practical knowledge to deal with major “supercity” challenges affecting our suburbs.  Active local and wider community organisations.

Former Auckland City Councillor, Ngati Whatua o Orakei Reserves Board member. Previously Auckland City’s Valuer, Secretary, Electoral Officer. Auckland University Diplomas: Valuation, Planning, Local Government Administration.

JP, Chairman Stonefields School Establishment Board, Auckland Library Heritage Trustee. Past President St. Heliers Bowling Club and St Heliers Kiwanis. Former Chairman Catholic Archives Board, St. Ignatius Parish Council, Waitemata Harbour Protection Society. Was Secretary Old Peoples Welfare Council. Life Member RSA. 

38 years’ resident Eastern Bays. Family man.

Effective local representative. Proven track record. Successful Ward advocate, working in the public interest, solving local problems, helping people. 

Committed to preserving special character of suburbs; balanced approach to planning; fair share of resources; upgraded core services; efficient Council operations; prudent expenditure; open government, approachable representation. 

Top 5 Issues

1. Traffic management to mitigate the result of increasing development affecting our residential streets and main roads. Specific parking projects to support and strengthen local shopping areas.
2. Committed to preserving the special character of our suburbs.
3. Negotiating with the Council to ensure the Ward receives a fair share of resources including financial; and delegations appropriate for the Board to work successfully in the interests of the community.
4. Completing or starting projects which enhance our recreation opportunities and the environment such as Churchill Park, Waiatarua Wetlands, Orakei Basin and Hobson Bay.
5. Vigilance on planning issues such as the Orakei development.

Personal Profile

Colin's commitments:

Colin is strongly committed to open government and has no time for decisions being made out of the public eye. He strongly opposes decisions by caucus and endorses the words of the late Keith Hay: “There’s no room for politics in local body affairs.” This is particularly so in the affairs of local boards. Unfortunately, decision by caucus has become the norm in some community boards and the current Auckland City Council. He does not allow that in the Eastern Bays Community Board and will not tolerate that in the new Orakei Local Board.        

Colin is committed to:

• preserving the special character of existing suburbs, and has the track record to show that he has done so;
• a balanced approach to planning issues, such as the large scale Orakei development, to achieve a good outcome for the local residents as well as the developer and other interests;
• a fair share of resources for the Ward, and delegated authority to the Board, which will require firm negotiations with the Auckland Council; and the financial resources to keep improving the Ward; adequate funds to assist local community organizations, as community boards currently do;
• upgraded core services; keeping rates affordable with efficient Council operations and prudent expenditure.

To be effective, Colin believes that a local representative must be approachable and be willing to listen and work with people and advocate for them and the Ward.

As an independent, Colin Davis is committed and able to represent people not a party, and is able to work positively with others.

To meet the huge challenges of the Super City administration, it is critical that its local board members, who share in the decision-making between the region’s Council and local boards, have significant local knowledge, have the background experience and understand the needs of their suburbs and communities.

Coming to grips with a new Council and its systems, its subsidiary organizations and fresh administrative people demands local board members who also have practical local government experience, and time to commit.

Colin Davis, as the current chairman of the Eastern Bays Community Board with a long involvement in local government, has this extensive experience, skills and in-depth practical knowledge to deal with major “supercity” challenges affecting our suburbs and to provide a seamless transition, and who can work to complete projects presently under way or in the planning stage. Colin has the time and energy to commit to what could become a very busy position.    

Colin was a tertiary qualified public sector manager and administrator, particularly in the local government sector notably at Auckland City and Waitakere City Councils. He was Auckland City’s Valuer (putting together the rating base following the 1989 amalgamation of eleven local authorities into one), City Secretary responsible for the provision of secretarial services and governance advice to the Council, and for eight years was Electoral Officer responsible for elections in Auckland.

He has extensive experience in public sector governance and community leadership, holding elective office. Colin’s experience includes: former Auckland City Councillor for the Eastern Bays Ward; member, and Chairman, of the Eastern Bays Community Board (top polling community board candidate in the Ward and across Auckland City in the 2007 elections); planning commissioner; member of the Ngati Whatua o Orakei Reserves Board.

Colin is active in local and wider community organizations: a Justice of the Peace, he is an elected member of the Auckland JP Association Council, Chairman of its Judicial Committee, and a member of the Auckland District Courts Judicial Panel; He was appointed by the Minister of Education to, and is the Chairman of the Stonefields School Establishment Board. He is Chairman of the Auckland Library Heritage Trust.

Colin is Past President of St. Heliers Bowling Club and of St Heliers Kiwanis. Former Chairman of the Catholic Archives Board and of St. Ignatius Parish Council. In 1999 he was President of the Waitemata Harbour Protection Society. He was Secretary of the Old Peoples Welfare Council (and later Auckland Board member of Age Concern), and Secretary of the Aotea Centre Board of Trustees. In 1989 he was awarded Life Member of the Auckland RSA. Received an appreciation award by the Expo ’89 Association of New Zealand for personal contribution made in support of New Zealand’s participation at the Asia Pacific Expo, Fukuoka, Japan. He has represented Auckland overseas such as at the Cities of the Pacific Rim conference held at Brisbane.

Colin has presented written and oral submissions to the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance, to Parliament’s Auckland Governance Legislation Committee, and to the Local Government Commission on ward boundaries advocating the inclusion of Hobson Bay and the whole of the Stonefields suburb in the Orakei Ward.

He also has relevant Auckland University Diplomas in: Valuation, Planning, and Local Government Administration, as well as a Certificate (University of Auckland and Ministry for the Environment) for Resource Management Act decision-makers.

Colin is married to Alison and has a daughter and a grandson. An Aucklander by birth, he has been resident in St Heliers for 38 years. He knows the eastern suburbs well. With his family he shops at all local villages including Ellerslie, and Remuera. He plays bowls in the Ward at St Heliers, Remuera, Glendowie, Mission Bay, and other parts of the City.

 COLIN DAVIS WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE