I have spent nearly half my life in Wellington City and this year I have the opportunity to give something back to a community that I care about. I believe Wellington needs some fresh voices in the Council. That it needs to be more transparent about the decisions it makes, and spends its resources wisely for the benefit of the whole community. The usual suspects have been around for some time, and it seems to me that Wellington would benefit from a fresh perspective and new ideas.

Council are either over spending or funding the wrong things. When communities attempt to tell them this, they are ignored. At a high level, this election for me is about priorities and listening to our communities. Something we have not had. We need to revitalise our council with fresh ideas and new perspectives. The great news for voters is they can send a message to council that failing to listen has consequences – due to the high quality of new candidates that are standing. It’s time for change.

If you want change, join me at: http://greeningwellingtoncity.wordpress.com

Top 5 Issues

1. Listening: A council that listens to all the communities it’s suppose to represent - not just a few. 74% of 722 submissions opposed the Manners mall redevelopment and council ignored them. Johnsonville's medium density housing proposal is a more recent example. Do we need another example, after this election? It's time council heard you. Vote for change.
2. Water: Improving our water supply to avoid implementation of meters and charging. We can't afford any more inaction. Time is running out and water police is not the answer. We require investment in infrastructure to fix leakage and encourage grey water use. Once we have fixed our water supply, then we can invest in transport. Its about priorities.
3. Sensible spending: No more $11 million Manners Mall debacles. Our debt of $280 million has been wasted on unnecessary expenditure and its projected to climb substantially after the leaky homes bail out. We can't afford to continue to waste anymore. Lets spend our money where it is needed (like water, sports fields, libraries, and infrastructure). Selling assets, adopting new debt raising techniques, or increasing rates is not the answer to our debt problem, unless we want to burden our children with our excesses.
4. Our environment: We need to protect our waterfront and the Basin reserve. Lets repeal Variation 11 and start again with some collaborate dialogue. I do not believe council should allow the development of taller buildings on the waterfront edge without open consultation. The Basin reserve redevelopment has the potential to be a real scar on our landscape. We need to ensure any roading development around the basin is sympathetic to its environment and provides a higher level of safety for schools nearby, while improving traffic flow for public transport.
5. Youth engagement: We need council policies for youth that provide positive outcomes, not bans that will get them into trouble with the law. Our council needs to invest in our libraries and be pro-active in assisting local clubs to grow their memberships. Council need to be actively collaborating and supporting local clubs to enable them to be attractive options for our youth. We need to develop activity based social inclusion programs for our youth (and their families). Steering kids away from crime, graffiti,and alcohol misuse.

Personal Profile

I was the managing editor of tax publications at Thomson Reuters and was reponsible for publishing a number of trusted products that included: Staples Tax Guide, New Zealand Taxation, and SMART tax (a digital database of tax information). I am currently completing my Masters of Law.

I am passionate, positive, honest, fair, and a hard and tireless worker (with a good sense of humour). My former customers for over 16 years considered me someone they could trust to do the right thing, and deliver on my promises. I have always aimed to exceed expectations in what ever I set my mind too. This year you get the benefit of that experience and passion.

To find out more about my story visit: http://greeningwellingtoncity.wordpress.com/your-voice