Whau Council

Sitting Waitakere Councillor; Chairman, Finance Committee. Portage Trust President 11 years. Keep Auckland Beautiful/Olympic Park trustee. Past Chairman Titirangi Primary/Bay Olympic Football. New Lynn business 18 years. Titirangi resident 40 years; father of "Pearl clan". Experienced, socially responsible businessman who expects sound financial management and city planning that delivers sustainable management of our economic, environmental and social resources. I seek your support to ensure that Auckland's strategic assets are kept in public ownership, public transport projects are completed, local jobs created and our precious green environment enhanced. I pledge to fight for an Avondale "recreation quarter": that is, save Avondale Racecourse/ Sunday Market/sports fields; clean up Whau waterways; and link to Olympic Park. Important values for me are honesty, integrity and trust. I respect everyone's right to have a say in the wellbeing of their local community. A strong clear−minded independent candidate with a proven track record. Go the Whau.

 

Portage Trust

Portage Trust President 11 years.  Waitakere Councillor; Chairman, Finance Committee.  Keep Auckland Beautiful/Olympic Park trustee.  Past Chairman Titirangi Primary/Bay Olympic Football. Titirangi resident over 40 years; father of “Pearl clan”. Experienced, socially responsible businessman who expects sound financial management and city planning that delivers sustainable management of our economic and social resources.  Strong supporter of “Trusts model” of community ownership and management of some local liquor and gaming activities.  Unlike the rest of Auckland, we as a community can control the proliferation of liquor and gaming outlets in our suburbs and gain direct local benefit from the profits of these problematic industries – donations $45 million last 9 years.  I have huge respect for the voluntary sector and those who build a better society.  I respect everyone’s right to have a say in the well being of their local community.  A strong, clear-minded independent candidate with a proven track record.

Top 5 Issues

1. 1. Auckland Transport
   The most important immediate goal for the new council is to complete the already approved Auckland (e.g. Waterview connection) public transport projects - both rail and motorway projects. Then the priorities should be modern electric trains and integrated ticketing, followed by the downtown underground train loop. We don’t urgently need a rail line to the Auckland airport because airport visitor numbers are not anywhere near sufficient to justify the massive investment, but we do need a second harbour bridge/tunnel (with rail capacity) within a decade. Needless to say it is imperative we convert Aucklanders once and for all to mass public transport. People also want to exercise more today and it is our public duty to provide high quality footpaths and cycle ways across all wards of Auckland so everyone can be more mobile if we want.
   
2. 2. Auckland Strategic Assets
   Auckland’s strategic assets are our family jewels and must be kept in public ownership - to be treasured and retained so future generations can benefit from them also. Aucklanders should always own 100% of our water infrastructure assets, and the cornerstone investments in Ports of Auckland, Auckland Airport and other public infrastructure assets should be enhanced. The council-controlled organisations (CCOs) are powerful beasts that will require very careful monitoring and strict control. It is crucial that the Council sets tightly defined strategies for each CCO and then ensures they deliver on that agreed strategy.
   
3. 3. Avondale Racecourse
   The number one local issue! This irreplaceable, historic (Avondale Racing Club formed 1890), large green space must become Avondale’s new public park. The rugby, soccer and cricket fields would form the core of the park in which the long promised ward swimming complex would also be located. Needless to say the successful, colourful, vibrant Avondale Sunday Market must be retained. This Avondale park would then be one end of a new “Whau recreational quarter” with a restored Whau river linking it to New Lynn’s Olympic Park. Saving the sports fields and Sunday Market and getting the long promised swimming complex in a new Avondale public park is what we want. We definitely don’t want another uninspiring housing development eating up this irreplaceable green space.
   
4. 4. Our Town Centres
   I have played an important role in Waitakere City and central Government transforming the New Lynn township and transport hub into a modern, prosperous thriving town centre. The $400 million investment in the rail trench, the ultra-modern train station, the road alterations, and Olympic Park’s redevelopment is delivering prosperity and a bright economic future for New Lynn. Increased apartment living is set to significantly increase the population and help drive the local New Lynn economy further. In contrast the Avondale township is tired and the Racecourse virtually abandoned. There is no town park, the swimming complex has yet again been shelved with the money being spent in the eastern suburbs and even the Racecourse sports fields are threatened with commercial and housing developments. It is fair enough to say Citizens and Ratepayers and successive Auckland councils have virtually ignored Avondale and New Windsor. We want to bring the same energy, excitement and vision that we have shown in New Lynn, to the Avondale town centre.
   
5. 5. Our Environment
   I am proud of being a key sponsor of the Waitakere Ranges Heritage Act thereby ensuring the Ranges are now protected forever. Ark in the Park is a brilliant project eliminating predators in the bush and bringing endangered birds back to their old home in the Ranges. Our main environmental challenge in our Whau ward is cleaning up the degraded Whau waterways. Adoption of Waitakere’s award winning Project Twin Streams system would restore the river and banks into beautiful places for people to access and enjoy. One of the Whau Local Board’s first tasks must be to list and protect all trees worthy of protection - all trees like the threatened Rosebank Road oak and pohutakawa must be saved for future generations.
   
   

Personal Profile

Local Community Involvement

 

• Respected Waitakere City councillor, 6 years
• Chairman Waitakere City Finance and Operations Committee, 3 years
• Director Waitakere City Holdings Ltd, 2 years
• President  Portage Trust, 11 years
• Trustee Olympic Park Trust, 7 years
• Past Chairman Titirangi Primary School Board of Trustees, 6 years
• Past President Bay Olympic and Green Bay-Titirangi  Football Clubs, 7 years; Bay Olympic Life Member
• Past Trustee Lopdell House Development Trust, 5 years
• Patron Waitakere Trusts Brass Band
• Successful New Lynn business, 18 years
• Contented Titirangi resident, 40 years
• Extensive local community involvement in education, sport, arts and the environment
• Independent with a proven track record for leading change in local community initiatives

 

Ross is a local –a New Lynn business and lives in Titirangi. Married to Lynn Pearl and father of Harry, Natasha, Ana and Nadia – all past Avondale College pupils. Ross shows is committed to the provision of quality public facilities and services that benefit all in our community. At both Titirangi Primary and as foundation president of Bay Olympic Football, he worked as part of united local community teams enhancing education and sport opportunities for our youth. Ross is also a strong advocate of arts and heritage projects and town centre revitalisation. An active trustee on both Olympic Park Trust and a foundation trustee of Lopdell House Development Trust, Ross brings considerable expertise and drive to these important local redevelopments. As a Waitakere councillor Ross is proud of his successful advocacy for the huge investment in the New Lynn over recent years. The ultra modern New Lynn public transport hub is almost finished, with the New Lynn town centre, modernised and ready for significant economic growth. Ross wants to bring the same energy, excitement and vision to revitaliaing the tired Avondale town centre, and rescuing the the abandoned Avondale Racecourse and the unloved Whau waterways.

 

 

Ross’s positions as the Chairman of  Waitakere City’s Finance and Operations Committee and as the long-serving Portage Trust President are testament to his ability to work collaboratively and successfully with all others of all  political persuasions and yet still be staunchly independent.

 

Ross is an experienced candidate with a long record of involvement with local community groups in education, sport, arts and community well-being matters. He is honest, realistic and prudent. Ross has a vision of a vibrant, ethnically and culturally diverse Whau community which mind the wellbeing of the least fortunate, protects the vulnerable and cares for all. A strong clear-minded Independent with a proven track record.