Phone Kit on 027 2749688

Questions and Answers that explain where I stand:

What are the three biggest issues facing Auckland? 

• Managing the transition to a single authority in a cost efficient and innovative manner ensuring core services are provided, efficiently and effectively.
• Keeping the pressure on the new Council to keep rates affordable
• Delivering on the promise of better, more effective local government for Auckland. Electing a strong team with people experienced in local government, community and business will greatly help .

What are the three main issues in your local board/ward boundary that you would like the new council to prioritise? 

• Keep rates affordable, and increase the amount of the Orakei rates take being invested in our ward
• Make it easier to get around Orakei. Address the bus lane issues and cycle/bus/car issues on Tamaki Drive
• Maintain and enhance our beaches, parks, playgrounds, basin and sports fields

What are your thoughts on Maori and ethnic representation on the council?  

• C&R believes in representing the multicultural diversity of Auckland but not through separatism. We have a wide ethnic mix among our 120 candidates across the Auckland region. Within Orakei there is a significant growing number of residents born outside of New Zealand. The C&R Local Board team will work to represent all of them.

Why do you think the public should vote for you? 

• The C&R Local Board team are all local people with complementary skills. With backgrounds in local government, small and corporate business and the not-for-profit sector, the C&R team represents the diversity of the ward by way of gender, experience and age.
• We will work together from the start to deliver value and effectiveness for the Orakei ward. It will be much harder for independents, working by themselves to achieve this.

What is your policy on rates?  

• Whereas others talk about keeping rates lower, the Citizens & Ratepayers led Council has actually walked the talk and held rates below the rate of inflation. Although the initial costs of creating the new Auckland Council will make this challenging, we are committed to working towards maintaining this objective.

What is your policy on water and wastewater? 

• Water should be charged by how much we use. Wastewater should be charged in a way that gives the consumer a choice around fixed charging or volume.

What do you think are the biggest transport issues facing Auckland? 

• Around Auckland, the biggest issue is making public transport work better for those who want to use it.
• The biggest issue in Orakei is the time it takes to get in and out of the city and to move around the Ward. Tamaki drive, Kepa/Ngapipi  Rds,  Remuera and Shore Rds amongst others are too regularly log-jammed.
• A related issue is getting the fairest, shared use of our roads between cars, buses and cyclists.

 How do you think Auckland’s transport issues should be addressed? 

• The Auckland Transport Authority has to take ownership of this and we are determined to work with them to make it easier to get around the Orakei ward
• We will prepare a transport plan for Orakei, based on community feedback, to get Auckland Transport focussed on our issues,
• As a team we will work to ensure there is strong consultation with the Orakei Local Board to achieve results in our ward.

How would you ensure the new council’s actions would be held accountable and be transparent? 

• We will work closely with Orakei’s councillor, meet with them regularly  and hold them accountable around advancing our ward’s interests at Council
• As a Local Board,. we will publish a regular report to residents on Council’s progress, and produce an annual performance review of both ours and the Council’s activity.

How often do you think CCOs should hold public meetings?  

• Every meeting should be open to the public, with at least 2x public meetings per year . They should report to Local Boards at least once per year.

What will be the greatest difference you can make if elected to council or the local board?  

• A promise to listen, to communicate, consult, collaborate and to deliver the best possible  outcome for all in the  Orakei Ward.
• As a team, the C&R Local Board candidates are able to make commitments that they can stand behind – unlike independents who have limited ability to get things done.
• As local residents with strong links to all areas within the ward we will focus on delivering value and effectiveness.

 

What are the three main environmental issues facing Auckland and how would you address them if elected?  

• Air----continuing work on reductions in vehicle pollution
• Water----Cleaning up wastewater spillage into waterways and improving the quality and concentration of stormwater
• Climate Change---favour a monitoring and progressive adaptive approach with open dialogue 

Top 5 Issues

1. Keep rates affordable and maximise ratepayer benefit for our ward.
2. Improve transport around the Ward and into the city.
3. Keep our beaches well maintained and continue to develop our parks and playgrounds
4. Work with our local businesses to enhance our town centres
5. Enhance the Orakei basin, and our community sports fields.

Personal Profile

Kit is passionate about Auckland.  He will bring to the Orakei Board a fresh perspective on local concerns.  He believes local ratepayers should have the right to a fair share of funding for local community improvements.  He will focus on maintaining and improving safety and security for Orakei ward residents.

 Kit has lived in the Orakei ward for 41 years, and is married with three young children. He is a company director with corporate business experience and has a degree in Politics.

Kit has been on the Metrowater Community Trust since 2004. He is on Kohimarama school Board of Trustees, and previously on the Mission Bay Kindergarten Committee.

He is a member of the Institute of Directors and brings strong governance skills; offering you change with energy and enthusiasm.

Please vote for Doug Armstrong for Council and all our local Citizens and Ratepayers Orakei Board candidates.