Juliana is a longstanding committed, community worker who is standing up for her beliefs –  community consultation, transparent government, looking to a future of sustainable environmental responsibility.

She holds a Master’s with Honours History degree and is a trained teacher.Her undergraduate degree was around Te Tiriti and Land/Whenau issues. She was employed in research subsequently by Canterbury around those and other social policy and race relations issues.

Juliana, (in her work as a social worker in the addiction and Mental Health fields) has worked with NGOs in South Canterbury and Canterbury, including representing the local groups for a  time (Mental health groups)  on the Council of Social Services.

Since the 1970s, when she was first on the National Council of Women, Juliana has advocated to improve society for all families.Since she grew up with time spent fishing near Arowhenua Marae on the Opihi for inanga, sh has also ahd a longstanding awareness of water conservation issues.

Involved with the Values Party in South Canterbury, she instituted a meeting that was to be the impetus for setting up Claremont addiction centre. Her reasons for being involved were her pupils who had parents who had alcohol and addiction issues.

In Canterbury, since the 1980s, she has involved herself with schools,(including setting up an OSCAR programme with two other mothers, for St Mary's School), she has been on the EEO Committee at CPIT., worked for Disabled Students at University and writtena dn submitted on initiatives in public health and set up a local Neighbourhood Support group in Ilam Riccarton.  A committed Conservationist, she writes about these issues and donates annually to wildlife preservation.

Juliana has been elected to and has served on committees, including: RSNZ Canterbury, the University Historical Association, Canterbury University Staff Club committe (cooking the vegetarian option at BBQs) the Alumni Association of Canterbury University, also the Canterbury Council of Social Services and  several school boards.

As Juliana is an active member of Neighbourhood Support who weekly walks and talks with her neighbours and the local community she listens to issues. She works collaboratively to find solutions as the problems arise and already represents her community to Local Body elected representatives, in meetings. AS a person who lives with a disbaility and has overcome many barriers in her life she will actively represent you, with kaitiakitanga (conservation values).

Top 5 Issues

1. Community consultation on OUR WATER, conserving our rivers, our aquifers, our recreational lakes, such as Waihora and Wairewa. Having just a 40% 'clean bill of health' for the Avon/Okato is not good enough, nor is selling off our resources to CPW.
2. Effective controls on Alcohol especially the implementation of the FIVE PLUS solution as advocated by Alcohol Action New Zealand. Offering more addiction treatment and wider education is what is meant in the 'plus'.
3. Safe, accessible, affordable transport solutions, inclusive of/for our disabled community. Also recognising the need for altering bus stops for ease of access,more CCS parking in the areas where peple need to get to and access to schools, via better signage and money continuing for school patrols to operate safely.
4. No closed sessions in Community Board (or Council) meetings.
   An agreement on confidentiality for sensitive issues should suffice. All local body deliberations should be open to any interested member of the public who gives their time to attend.
5. Timely and informed responses to questions, from the community of ratepayers, back from their elected representatives. Action on issues taken by people (i.e. able to be scrutinisied) who work on/for the Council and Boards who need to realise they are employees of the ratepayers and answerable to the ratepaying community.

Personal Profile

Juliana Mauri Venning, M.A. (Hons)., B.A. Canterbury, Diploma in Teaching, Christchurch Teachers' College, Certificate in Counselling, CPIT., Media Cert.,

Social Work qualification South Canterbury. Post graduate studies in Art, Special education and Te Reo Maori.

Juliana is of 'mature' years, with three adult children (that's an oxymoron)!

She has exhibited artworks with conservation themes in shows around New Zealand in the 198os, with Canterbury Artists' Network. She has also writtten on art

and drama for nationally-circulated magazines and lectured on Drama at CPIT and Art at Canterbury University Continuing Eduation programme. She had Focus on Art a broadcast about Local Art on Plains FM.

Juliana has published poetry and short stories internationally in anthologies and articles on politics and conservation themes on-line for scoop Independent Media on Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, amongst others. She ahs been quoted on Maori in the media in a Canterbury Master's paper.

Ilam/Riccarton has been her home for the last decade and she's got to know her neighbours rather well.

You may contact Juliana on JulesVenning@gmail.com or text her on 0274866713 or find her on facebook.