I am seeking your support this election.

I can bring necessary skills to the Waitakere Ranges Local Board.  With much of the control of the city being handed over to corporate entities it is vital that elected representatives have the ability to monitor and review their activity.  I have considerable Corporate Board and Legal experience and if elected I intend to do my best to hold the corporates accountable.  I have previously served as a City Councilor, as chair of the Titirangi Ratepayers and I am involved in a number of local groups.

I believe that Waitakere is a wonderful place to live in, that the Waitakere Ranges are special and deserve protection and that our local communities need support.  I believe that the Waitakere Local Board has a vital role in preserving local democracy.  If elected I promise to provide principled competent representation of our area.

Please vote FUTURE WEST.

Top 5 Issues

1. Transport. We have a poorly designed transport system and are too reliant on cars. With the price of gas likely to spike in the next few years and availability becoming more and more difficult we need to redesign our transport system to one that is less reliant on oil. Public transport is a must and I wholeheartedly support the Queen Street tunnel. We also need to promote other alternatives such as telework and walking school busses.
2. Waitakere Ranges Protection. The ranges are our taonga and make Waitakere special. But as Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Morgan Williams said they will suffer death by a thousand cuts unless a baseline is established and protected. The metropolitan urban limit should stay where it is and I oppose Council's attempts to loosen up subdivision restrictions in the Henderson Valley.
3. Complexity. Council is just too complex to deal with. Admittedly some issues cannot be simplified but my experience is that documents and strategies are too long, too prolix and their meaning is unclear. If elected I will promote the use of plain english and emphasise the desirability of brevity.
4. Costs. Rates are high. Good planning and good infrastructure are expensive but rates have been increasing by more than the rate of inflation for many years. If elected to the Board I will not have any power over the setting of the city's budgets but I will advocate for the reduction of expenses which cannot be justified.
5. Support for the arts. Waitakere and in particular Titirangi is blessed with a vibrant arts sector. I will continue to fully support it. I support wholeheartedly the Lopdell House project, a project that I have been involved in since its inception.

Personal Profile

I am aged 48, I am married and have three children. I have lived in Waitakere for the past 22 years and I am proud to class myself as a westie.

I am a lawyer based in Glen Eden and have worked in my practice for the past 22 years.

I previously served as a Councillor on the Waitakere City Council from 2001 to 2004. I was then appointed as a Board Member on Land Transport New Zealand and held this post for four years and I have spent a great deal of time learning about and discussing Auckland's transport issues. I have served on various committees and I am currently the chairperson of the Titirangi Residents and Ratepayers Association as well as a trustee of the Lopdell House Development Trust, a trust charged with redeveloping Lopdell House.

I decided to stand for this election because I am deeply concerned about the threat to local democracy. With over 75% of the power of the Council being handed over to boards appointed by Rodney Hide the chance for the corporatisation of our democracy is high. The local boards will have an important task in reviewing the actions of these board and advocating the views of our local communities and I believe that I and my fellow Future West candidates are well placed to do this.

I believe that we live in a wonderful but fragile environment and that we owe it to future generations to preserve it. I believe that Waitakere is blessed with many strong communities and that these need support. Please consider supporting Future West so that we can work to preserve with what we have been blessed with.

 

Greg Presland phone 021998411