Beachhaven, Birkenhead, Glenfield and Northcote have strong communities and great bush and coastal assets.  Keith will work to foster quality of life and natural assets across the new Kaipatiki ward to complement core services and amenities.  He believes that planning and decisions should be based on fair and honest consultation, vision and leadership that rise above petty politics.

With the new city structure, he sees a need for a closer, grass-roots working relationship between Kaipatiki Local Board and the communities it represents.  He is keen to develop local forums where people can put their own ideas forward and be pro-active in working towards a shared vision for a better community.

He stands for:

1. Affordable rates and good value for money
2. Promoting volunteer groups to build community linkages and to save unnecessary costs
3. A safe, healthy environment to provide better life-styles
4. Grass roots democracy through community forums
5. Rights balanced by Responsibility and by Respect for other people and for the place we live in - especially to protect people from unscrupulous development practices
6. Economic and ecological sustainability - eg ecotourism helping local businesses by attracting visitors to our views, bush, coastline, cafes and culture
7. The harbour - to preserve it for the people who love to go swimming, boating and fishing
8. Better urban design and better protection for our heritage
9. Better transport solutions - including buses and ferries, walking and cycling
10. Consultation and commonsense in solving community problems - such as win-win solutions for the Easton Park Parade and Onewa Road issues 
11. Protecting and enhancing our bush reserves and streams
12. Support for arts, culture, sports and other recreational pursuits

He has lived in Birkenhead since 1971; his community involvement has included roles in the Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club  (Commodore and Treasurer), Residents Association (President and Secretary),  and the Northcote College Board of Governors (chair of Finance Committee).  He is voluntary project manager for the Le Roys Bush and Little Shoal Bay Management Committee and is a member of various other environment and community groups and secretary of the group reviving the IA - one of NZ heritage yacht classes.

He has worked in systems and business analysis, project management and had management and consulting roles at Unitec, Ernst & Young, a district health board and The University of Auckland. 

Top 5 Issues

1. Maintaining our great lifestyle and fine-tuning our community's resources to make a better, safer, healthier community and environment for all ages.
2. Ecological and economic sustainability.
   Affordable rates and good value for money.
   Ensuring that the residents of Kaipatiki get their fair share of the pie in the restructured city.
   We have been the "poor relations" for too long in North Shore City. Why have the eastern suburbs got sandy beaches when Northcote-Birkenhead was denied its chance to re-sand its beaches?
3. Making the most of Kaipatiki's coast, bush and other natural and cultural assets.
   Protecting the harbour for the people who love to go swimming, boating and fishing.
   Protecting our magnificent bush and streams.
   Fostering whitebait and other habitats to improve fishlife in our streams, estuary and harbour.
4. Better urban design.
   Strong support for our heritage, culture, libraries and arts.
   Improved facilities for sports, children and youth activities and other recreational pursuits.
   Fostering town centre improvements to encourage community vitality.
   Working towards a more attractive interface between malls and the community.
5. Adopting governance structures and processes that favour consultation, planning, collaboration and constructive outcomes in preference to adversarial factionalism.
   Encouraging community forums to provide grass roots vision-led planning.
   Consultation and commonsense in solving community problems - working for win-win solutions to the Easton Park Parade and Onewa Road issues.
   

Personal Profile

What can I bring to the role?

• Long term resident in Birkenhead (since 1971) means I am committed to the area

• Current community involvement: bush reserve restoration group (voluntary project manager), community forum (convenor)

• Previous roles in: a sports club (life member), residents association (past president), a school board of governors (finance committee chair),  Auckland Bicycle Association (past president), Civic Trust (board member)

• 30 years management experience in work and community roles - including project management, change management, business process management and innovation.

I am enthusiastic about using my wide experience and interests to work for the Kaipatiki community.

• www.KeithSalmon.org.nz