Vote Gary Holmes - Making the 'Bays count!

While in his 30’s, Gary enthusiastically represented the people of East Coast Bays at both community board and council level. Now a recognised business leader with strong community links, Gary offers experience and know-how to the role of a local board member. 

Married with 3 children, Gary is General Manager of North Shore’s largest business association. A 2010 recipient of a Winston Churchill Fellowship, Gary believes that supporting the Bays’ villages & town centres is key to retaining our identity. Other vital issues are ensuring that the high standards we enjoy today are not lost in the new Super City, protecting our special environment and continuing to plan for a third harbour crossing. 

Gary has established good relationships with the two leading Mayoral candidates and has the connections and experience to ensure that the voice of East Coast Bays residents is heard. Gary will make sure the Bays count.

 

Top 5 Issues

1. The arguments for a second harbour crossing have centred largely on the need to relieve our commuter woes. That is the everyday issue affecting North Shore residents, but a far more threatening and compelling concern is the strategic vulnerability of relying on one aging, and already inadequate, north-south transport route to our ports, railways and vital social services.
   
   The truth is North Shore City is far too reliant on a single harbour crossing. Don’t think disaster can’t happen – it can and, in other parts of the world, has. I strongly support the need to get a second harbour crossing under way immediately. It will take a decade of careful planning and construction -- but will not avert the transport crisis already at hand. In the short-term we need to continue to provide more effective public transport solutions such as the bus-way.
   
   I freely admit the problems associated with financing the project, and the potential social dislocation, are daunting, but the prospects of failing to act now, are more disturbing. We must find the political will to see it through.
2. We have a unique opportunity to greatly enhance the Browns Bay commercial area and beachfront, and perhaps more importantly, to construct something of social significance for future generations.
   
   The Browns Bay Centre Plan, which was adopted by Council last term, is a vision for the revitalisation of the Browns Bay commercial and beachfront area -- in a way that will be compatible with the public beach reserve. The work on developing the Boardwalk along the beachfront is complete but some key directions still need to be determined.
   
   I firmly believe that we need to bring together landowners, residents and Council, in partnership, to once and for all find consensus over the future form of what is effectively the “jewel in the Bays’ crown”.
3. While I was in the United States recently, I spent a pleasant northern summer evening listening to live music under the stars at Louisville (about halfway between Boulder and Denver, Colorado).
   
   Historic downtown Louisville is the location of a street faire that will runs Fridays, June through August. Local and national bands are featured, along with a great selection of food vendors, artisans and children’s activities. Tents are provided for inclement weather, making this a rain or shine event. The faire runs from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with music beginning at 6:00 p.m.
   
   What a great way to get the whole community involved - and what a great opportunity for some of our Bays to follow, particularly Browns Bay. One of the things I would like to encourage as a member of the Hibiscus Bays Local Board.
4. Another interesting debate is about where a new Community Swimming pool should be located - North Harbour Stadium or Massey University.
   
   This was an issue back during my previous term on Council and at that time I did consider the option of using the Massey site as one worthy of further investigation.
   
   However once again we have a council that gets too tied up in process instead of getting on with the job. The three (or is it more) reports costing close to $1,000,000 that have been considered by this council appear to indicate that the Stadium site is the best for any pool complex.
   
   I accept that and our councillors should now get on with the job of planning and building this much needed facility that has been talked about in East Coast Bays for some 20 years now.
   
   The Stadium has many advantages as a site for such a facility and I for one will be putting my support behind delivering this project.

Personal Profile

Get to know Gary

• Local resident since 1987
• Age 43, married to Meegan, with three children Dylan, Bayden and Tori-May
• 2010 Recipient of Winston Churchill Trust Fellowship
• Second youngest survivor of Wahine Disaster
• Tertiary qualification in public relations from AUT
• East Coast Bays Community Board member 1995 - 2007
• Elected North Shore City Councillor 1998 – 2007 (Chaired Council’s Strategic Management and Regulatory Committees); Council’s representative on Watercare SRG & appointee on East Coast Bays Community Board
• Attends Windsor Park Baptist Church
• Previous Toastmasters national speech finalist
• Member of the Westminster Christian School Board of Trustees
• Coach of 6th Grade Soccer team

A personal message from Gary

My interest in community politics was originally nurtured by my parents, who instilled in me the need, in a democracy, for people to actively participate.

Without participation, the democratic process, with all that it offers in freedom and choice, becomes dysfunctional. Consequently from a young age, I have been very active in our community.

Having now served as a councillor for three terms, I appreciate more than ever the importance of experience, continuity and enthusiastic representation of our ward at Council level.

Casting a vote over the next couple of weeks in the upcoming Super City elections is your opportunity to be involved.

Having previously represented the people of East Coast Bays for more than a decade, I appreciate more than ever the importance of experience, continuity and enthusiastic representation of our area as we enter this new and untested political environment and the need to actively speak-out and stand up for East Coast Bays community issues.

I believe I have a good feel for the local issues and will continue to be instrumental in promoting the continued re-vitalisation of our villages and town centres, most notably Torbay, Browns Bay and Mairangi Bay, advocating for an additional harbour crossing and ensuring that we preserve the qualities that make the Bays’ special.

I ask for your vote so that I can provide leadership, accountability and achieve positive action for the people of East Coast Bays and ensure forceful advocacy of the local community - competent, able and willing to voice the concerns and viewpoints of the community, without fear or favour, and regardless of the views or pressures from any other quarter.

Gary Holmes

Democracy requires wide participation from people,. Without which it fails us.