I am currently a member of Glenfield Community Board, serving my third term. For the last 20 years my wife Paddy and I have lived in Hillcrest Ave, and before then in Birkenhead.

As an executive member of a variety of local groups and organisations I have a strong feeling for the communities  which now constitute the Kaipatiki Local Board, and I ask for your vote so that I can work within the new local government system to ensure our residents do not lose out in the giant shake-up of councils across Auckland.

I have never been afraid to speak out and act on behalf of local residents - despite personal abuse and opposition from some elected members.

The new Kaipatiki Local Board is a great opportunity for a fresh partnership between our various local communities, and an opportunity to control costs and keep rates down until we have a new and fairer system of paying for local government.

I am also standing for election to the Waitemata District Health Board because I believe that health issues affect many of our residents, of all ages, and there are significant relationships between council services and health related operations and issues.

For more information visit www.davidthornton.co.nz 

 

Top 5 Issues

1. Rates. North Shore City Council has failed to apply spending restraints and consequently we have all ended up paying higher rates for fewer services. The new Kaipatiki Local Board should ensure, as its top priority, that costs are controlled - and work with Council Controlled Organisations in making this happen
2. Transport. The endless war between roading lobbyists and public transport lobbyists must stop. The community needs a mix of transport modes - but the biggest task is to develop traffic management plans which allow all forms of transport to work together.
3. Community facilities. North Shore has developed a whole range of excellent facilities which meet a variety of social and sporting needs. The new Board must quickly assess the cost of maintaining and improving those facilities without needless expenditure on duplicating such facilities without sufficient demand.

Personal Profile

I have spent much of the last seven years in various battles over rates - as a leader of the 2003/4 Regional Ratepayers Rebellion against ARC rates, and more recently in founding the NoMoreRates nationwide campaign lobbying for a new system which does not depemd on the value of one's home.  Changes are coming and there will be more about this on www.nomorerates.com. in the days ahead.

One of my toughest battles, which still goes on, is fighting for justice for some residents of Mulberry Place whose homes were affected by a landslip in July 2008. The City Council has been extremely secretive about its liability, but I have just disovered that the council has bought some homeowners land, but not others. There will be more about this shortly on my website www.davidthornton.co.nz

As chairman of the Glenfield Community Centre I am fortunate to wiitness at first hand the significant voluntary effort that goes into the many groups and organisations within in our community - in fact such organistions play a major part in our commumity lefestyle and wellbeing.