Geoff Houtman is a writer, actor and Western Bays advocate.

“Our neighbourhood is the best place to live in all of New Zealand. It didn’t get this way by accident or inattention. Many people over the years have fought for our Hood. Elect me to do that.”

Already championing the Queens Wharf to MOTAT tram extension and solving the Williamson Ave So-Hole debacle, Geoff’s policies include heritage protection and improvement, maintaining cultural diversity, creating nature reserves and public allotments, heritage property owners incentives, a film studio, protecting the Ponsonby Ridge view to Rangitoto, upgrading the Grey Lynn park clubrooms, public beaches at Cox’s and St Mary’s Bays, a local cinema, a new Gluepot, Lemington Rd bridge to Meola Reef, saving Carlile House, reinstating an annual parade and becoming a sister city with New Orleans. Geoff will fight parking meters and inappropriate development.

Geoff represents an independent local association - www.ourhood.co.nz

Top 5 Issues

1. Heritage Protection.
   Our Neighbourhood contains the largest collection of villas in the world. They are always in danger from developers and special interest groups. Increasing the number of protected streets and ensuring new developments blend in and enhance our historic, low-rise area is of urgent and keen importance. Likewise the Victorian and Edwardian shops and other buildings. It only takes one or two inappropriate buildings to ruin a street. New buildings should be actively encouraged to match the current flavour, and owners of heritage buildings should be positively rewarded to maintain and beautify them. Google "Hanging Gardens of Grey Lynn" to see my idea for the Williamson Ave So-Hole.
2. Maintaining our Cultural Diversity.
   One of the main things that makes our 'Hood unique is the fact that it's not homogenised "White Bread". Pacific Islanders, artists, low income earners all live in this very wealthy area and make it special. It's tricky because many long time residents are being offered stacks of cash for their charming old houses and you can't prevent them from selling, but the loss of every family is a loss to the whole neighbourhood. I will be seeking good ideas from anyone who'd like to give them to help counter this.
3. Trams.
   My Dad told me a story about the day he stood up on Symonds St in 1956 or so and watched them rip the tram lines out. An old timer turned and said to him "They'll regret this". I think we already are. One tram can carry 100 passengers- that's two and a half buses worth, and all cleanly via the magic of electricity. As an area that longs to be "Green", shouldn't we make the the extension of the MOTAT line to Queens Wharf a top priority? See www.ourhood.co.nz for details, the planned route is on the "projects" page.
4. A full plan for the Western Springs- Meola Reef area at the western edge of our ward is long overdue.
   This whole semi-rural strip is an important "lung" for the city and parts of it, Jaggers Bush, for example are descending into chaos.
   Let's get those new elephants in too. We have a great chance to provide a poacher-free environment to up the numbers of Asian elephants. And like cows and sheep, they breed by themselves. One day the Zoo may make money by exporting elephants to other places.
   This is the sort of thing I see our city doing- our bit for the planet.
5. Split Waitemata Ward.
   Those who have been paying attention will see that most of my ideas and passions are west of SH 1. This is the area I live and work in and care about the most. If elected Waitemata Local Board member I will be bound to look after everyone in the area. Many residents east of SH 1 have informed me they are unhappy with the new ward and would like to have more self- governance, not locked to those west. By the 2013 election, I hope to have new boundaries drawn to split these radically different parts of the ward into two or even three depending on what CBD residents prefer, making both/all camps considerably happier.

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