1. Waiheke is not just another suburb of Auckland. Becoming a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve will help us protect its natural environment and way of life for future generations to enjoy.
2. Affordable housing: There is already a shortage of quality low-cost housing on Waiheke and very little is being built. In other countries, a proportion of any large subdivision has to be set aside for affordable housing. We need to do something on this issue now.
3. Transport: There is currently no consensus on the Island over transport policy. The Local Board must initiate such a debate so that our future transport decisions are sustainable and understood.
4. Planning: Despite the District Plan, things are allowed to happen that undermine Waiheke as a beautiful place to live and visit. They threaten the sustainability of the land and Waiheke's attractiveness to visitors.
5. Natural Environment: Strong support must to given to all those individuals and groups who work to regenerate Waiheke's eco-system. In particular, support must be given to weed and pest control activities that will enable bird and animal life to return to the regenerated areas.

1. No 1 is to ensure that all local boards gain as much control and say over the issues in their communities as possible as soon as possible.
2. No 2 is to act on issues raised by the community to ensure the best outcomes for the greater benefit of the whole community.

No issues on file for Jim Hannan.

1. Governance
   We need to continue to press our claim for as much local governance and delegated power and control of our own affairs as possible under the new Supercity structure. This will be a major issue during the first year of the new Local Board and an ongoing battle throughout the term.
   It's vital we engage with our new Council in a way that ensures Waiheke's unique character is understood and appreciated. This means we need strong leadership that can work co-operatively to gain maximum benefits for everyone. Effective communication and a levelheaded approach will gain more than a negative attitude.
2. Rates
   None of want to see large rate rises and waste of resources. Prudent budgeting of our limited resources for the benefit of all will go a long way to limit rises. In future we will have 'targeted' rates, so engaging in expensive posturing on issues that are unlikely to succeed will exact a heavy price on ratepayers. I want to get more bang for our bucks not less.
3. Matiatia
   Any measures that threaten to make it harder for commuters, tourists, islanders or businesses to have access to the city via the Matiatia transport hub should be vigorously opposed. Our economy and wellbeing require an efficient, affordable connection with the mainland.
4. Jobs
   "To have a job is to have dignity'. Businesses (whether for profit or not for profit) create jobs. They are the lifeblood of a healthy community. I will support measures that make it easier for businesses to grow and create employment opportunities. This will enable young people to have a future on the island and secure incomes for those who want and need to work.
   
   
5. Infrastructure
   It is imperative we improve all aspects of our infrastructure so the community and visitors alike can benefit from improved and safer, roads, pavements and walkways. We need to improve local amenities, particularly for the young and old. We need to foster sustainable practices that protect our unique environment.

No issues on file for Graham Hooper.

1. New City Structure.
   
   Ensure Waiheke Local Board has a voice.
   
2. Home Owners
   
   Your home is your future, improving your home has become so restrictive it’s time to take back your future.
   
   Why does a home owner have to listen to the objections to build from a person or group that will likely never set foot on their property?
   
   The Council needs to be more transparent and accountable regarding charging for services.
   
   Investigate contracting selected services to independent qualified providers to remove the current monopolistic environment.
   
3. Businesses
   
   Businesses should be encouraged not discouraged.
   
   Businesses on Waiheke could be given more support from Local Board and the City Council the benefits to our community are enormous.
   
   Local Boards need to foster growth of existing businesses on Waiheke.
   
   Assist with the promoting of Waiheke businesses creating more opportunities and jobs for residents on the island.
   
   A simple thing like putting up a sign on Waiheke to promote your business is difficult, why?
   
4. Our Community.
   
   Our Youth and Elderly are very important to me and I want to ensure their needs are met.
   
   The elderly built what we have today and our youth will build our tomorrow.
   
   I want to see our Local Board assisting with developing and funding activities for both our youth and elderly.
   

1. The new Board will need to caucus, unite and to put money into systems and processes that connect all strands of the community to the Board and its delegated powers. However, the detail of those powers will depend on the make-up of the new governing council. The strength of the waiheke lobby will rest with informed bottom-up planning and priority setting. Thriving communities are engaged communities. The Island will need a plan of how to plan. The key is to build cohesion on big issues to take advantage of the greater self-determination offered by supercity. With costs very much in mind, the aim will be to develop a coherent, locally driven, medium-term strategic plan. well resourced mechanisms will be needed to engage with the community on what the Island should look like in the foreseeable future.
2. Infrastructural integrity. The Island needs the security of knowing that services such as energy supply, waste management, drainage and flood protection, internal and external transport, recreational facilities, village halls and the arts, are catered for, and in line with community expectations and preferences. The basic services and amenities that bind a community have to be preserved and enhanced.
3. I support a vibrant economy and will work to minimise the barriers to enterprise. In the interests of sustainability, we need to grow employment and business opportunities, consistent with the Island's environment and culture. Barriers to appropriate employment must be unearthed by talking to the people involved - employees, employers, planners and investors.
4. I will Foster respect for, and pride in, our beautiful environment, ensuring its sustainability and accessibility. Key, will be creating pride in a place where folk want to live or visit; where the natural pleasures of sailing, fishing, kayaking, cycling, walking, flora and fauna can be enjoyed by all without the undue intrusion of the necessary car; where visitors can get away from suburbia and where residents can benefit from the amenities and services of a thriving community. A place where buildings are in sympathy with the environment; where there is pride in good people-friendly design; and where seniors and people with high needs can move about freely and live safely.
5. Building sound relationships with the new Council, council officers and council controlled organisations will be paramount. Respecting the differing roles of governance and management is never easy, especially when representing diverse community interests. Remaining in touch with the Island's varied communities such as the Tangata Whenua will aid good planning and contact with the new city's advisory panels. A strong "go forward" for Waiheke will depend on establishing solid working relationships and processes within the elected board that enable work to be done effectively and with transparency. Equally, progress will rest with "selling" to officials and governing councillors, the unique challenges faced by an island community. The supercity model gives Waiheke the chance to unite, grab the planning initiative and retain the island's distinct identity. This is not the time for old style, single issue politics. Right now we need local alliances and fresh constructive thinking.

1. New Governance Structure:
   
   The biggest issue Waiheke is facing is that we are entering a new governance structure for Auckland with untested decision making processes. Roles and responsibilities of the various tiers are still up for grabs and the final distribution of ‘power’ will depend upon how each level asserts itself.
   The first Waiheke Local Board will need to demonstrate that it is capable and willing to take full responsibility for local governance on Waiheke to have maximum influence in the new Auckland Council. This first elected Local Board will set the tone for future relations with Auckland Council and CCO’s. If we let ourselves be walked over in the first term it will be a lot harder for subsequent boards to assert itself.
   
   Individual board members will need to be assertive.
2. Community representation:
   
   Genuine community consultation will be critical to preparing a Waiheke Local Plan that establishes how and where to and prioritise Council expenditure. Besides a transparent Annual Plan process other methods for delivering and implementing community’s priorities should be identified.
   
   For example public/private partnerships, design panels and masterplans for key development sites. The Waiheke community needs to start setting the agenda for what it wants to see (and not see) on Waiheke.
   
   I have 10 years experience as a planner in local government. I will ensure a particular emphasis on delivery and implementation of the plan. There have been enough documents written for Waiheke that have sat around gathering dust.
   
   
3. Maximising value from Council spending on Waiheke. - Promoting transparency and accountability.
   
   Decisions of Council spending and how Council owned assets are managed on Waiheke are local issues and local people need to be consulted. This should come down to the level of detail that goes into preparing and selecting tenders for contracts.
   
   We should also insist on joined up creative thinking between Council departments. We have had enough of living with the results of poor decision making based on one hand of Council not knowing what the other hand is doing.
4. Embracing spatial planning.
   
   It is important that we insist on a spatial plan for Waiheke / Hauraki Gulf Islands. Arguments that we have progressed so far already with our Proposed District Plan Review should not wash. The emphasis of spatial planning on implementation and delivery and incorporating best planning practice from around the world could mean that if we don’t insist on having a spatial plan for Waiheke then we will get left with a lumbering dinosaur that is our Proposed District Plan. That is not good enough.
   
   The quality of the Local Plan prepared by the Local Board will be influential in setting the agenda.
5. Collaboration and effective working.
   
   In this new structure it is more important than ever that the Waiheke Local Board do their homework and set and demand high standards of working.
   
   It is not good enough for Waiheke people to be forced to live with poor decisions because the options and the arguements were not thought through well enough, researched well enough or the community not consulted well enough.
   
   Individuals on the board will need to be able to demonstrate an ability to work with others to develop the best solutions.

No issues on file for Denise Roche.

No issues on file for Herb Romaniuk.

1. Create sustainable communities that support and enhance each other.
   Promote opportunities for Waiheke to feed itself with locally produced organic vegetables, fruit, meat and fish.
   Adopt cradle-to-cradle and biomimicry practice in all stages of the cycle.
   I support Waiheke becoming an UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
2. Maintain our diversity within the community.
   Obtain an independent social impact assessment and strategically set aside areas within our community for affordable sustainable housing.
   Assess what is a good balance of urban and rural land.
   Encourage sustainable and innovative development for both residential and commercial building.
3. Protect our environment.
   Adopt 'Seven generation sustainability' an ecological concept that originated with the Iroquois, that urges us to live sustainably and work for the benefit of the seventh generation into the future.
   Ensure that our water quality is of the highest standard. Exercise guardianship for our water sources, the streams, the bores, the water springs and the sea. Test the water regularly and openly communicate with people the quality of the water.
   Restore our natural environment, and actively protect our ecological significant sites, marine reserve, Regional park and revegetation projects. Control pests and noxious weeds.
4. Encourage economic development and employment opportunities that align with community vision.
   Encourage low impact eco-tourism initiatives that celebrate the land and our heritage and simultaneously brings more job creation. Make it easier for organic horticultural and agricultural industries to get started and help them continue to flourish.
   Learn from Hawkes Bay and Martinborough and other communities and work towards strengthening our own unique character.
5. Align our transport decisions towards supporting our unique character and desire towards a sustainable future.
   Public transport - introduce smaller buses that run either on electricity or biofuel from our local waste. Investigate alternative fuel options for the ferries, such as LPG rather than marine diesel and slowly upgrade to new hull and propeller design to lower fuel consumption and reduce emissions,
   Create safe roads whilst maintaining the look and feel of the island.
   Limit car use by promoting better public transport.
   

1. LOCAL DEMOCRACY
   Firstly establishing a strong Board that can return control of the resolution of issues to Waihekians; then we can resolve our issues for ourselves. Failing this we'll end up being told what to do by people who don't live here. Like we are right now. In reality the issues are not the issue. We must work as a team right from day one with strength, resolve and with the able help and assistance of the community, to ensure the greatest benefits. For me, nothing is as important as the need for Waiheke to be in charge of its own future. I came here intending to spend the rest of my life on this island. So have eight thousand or so others. It is time to draw a line in the sand. To say 'This place is our home. We will run it to serve the needs of our community'. Short term gains do not compensate for the terrible long term consequences. We must be able to create bylaws for the sake of advancement of this island's character and protection from inappropriate developments. Waiheke is alive with great ideas and projects, driven by talented and motivated people. Too often in the past we have seen our suggestions sidelined and our local needs ignored when corporate solutions have been imposed which do not fit.
2. EMPOWERMENT
   Secondly, the community must gain confidence in its power to create change. I believe that one of the new Board’s most pressing concerns should be to involve the whole community. We are lucky that already so many islanders have a high level of involvement in this process. The Board must gain Waiheke's confidence that democracy is still alive. As people feel more empowered to contribute to the way our community is run we will all benefit.
3. AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND JOBS
   Thirdly, for this community to function in a healthy way, people from all walks of life must be able to afford to live here. The island must be able to support its citizens with dignity so that they are able to enjoy the outstanding quality of life this island can provide. This will involve low cost housing options, returning government and council contracts back to the island businesses and residents. Producing locally grown food and energy solutions is also part of this picture. Given current world resource shortage issues, as an island we are very vulnerable to import restrictions and higher petrol costs. We need to work to achieve much greater levels of self sufficiency.
   Tourism in the winter would add a great deal to Waiheke's employment possibilities and the Board needs to work with businesses to increase the winter tourist trade.
   Local employment can be increased by returning council contracts to island businesses as a priority and assisting business opportunities particularly where they support self reliance.
4. NO RETICULATION
   We must avoid reticulation of services on the island if we are to retain its character. Reticulation would open up the certainty of large scale developments that would be inappropriate to our infrastructure and natural resources. This does not preclude the use of small scale shared housing units to facilitate low cost housing options.
5. TRANSPORT
   Transport is a vital element in the functioning of any community. The public transport on the island serves the ferries but not the needs of the people to move around the island. There are many options available to make our public transport more user friendly. We spend many millions as individual householders every year on Waiheke alone on our private cars but a very small proportion on public transport.

1. Governance
   The single biggest issue facing the new Local Board will be to establish a good working relationship with the new Supercity Council and Mayor. This relationship needs to be based on mutual respect and a desire to make local communities and the wider region work for the benefit of all. This is the only way to get greater autonomy and real local decision-making for Waiheke and to retain it in the long term.
   
   
   
   
2. Affordable Rates:
   We need to ensure that the rates remain reasonable and affordable. In the new Supercity, local communities will be expected to pay for many of their own local projects and the new council will strike ‘targeted rates’ to achieve this. That means, that the priorities the Waiheke Local Board puts forward must be carefully scrutinised and be value-for-money. There is no room for waste.
   
3. Infrastructure and Public Facilities:
   Waiheke’s infrastructure and public facilities need constant attention and some amenities need upgrading so that Waiheke remains an attractive place to live and visit. The Waiheke Walkway Network is now well established and needs on-going maintenance and expansion in the long term. We must be careful not to fall behind other small communities (both here and overseas) that are already providing a high quality environment, facilities and attractions and have done so at a reasonable cost.
   
4. Environmental Protection:
   Waiheke’s environment needs help. The recent 'weather bombs', where a large volume of rain has fallen in a very short time, have put great pressure on Waiheke's infrastructure. With every heavy rain, gutters run brown with silt from unsealed roads and driveways and from slips. This silt pours into the Gulf, destroying the marine environment. This is not consistent with Waiheke's position in the middle of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.
   
   A lot of work has been done already on Waiheke by Council and by dedicated volunteers, but much land still needs weed control and re-afforesting. This is the only way to restore the eco-system and get some birdlife back on the Island.
   I’m a strong advocate for the environment and a sustainable future. Both are 'givens'.
   
   
5. Jobs:
   We need more jobs on the island. Because of the cost, in both time and money, commuting to work is not an option for some people. Young people, in particular, need to know they can stay on Waiheke and gain meaningful employment.
   Good public facilities and infrastructure and on-going investment in a stunning environment will stimulate the local economy and encourage people to visit Waiheke for all the right reasons.
   Good facilities for visitors also means better services for us locals.
   

No issues on file for Ewen Sutherland.

1. Local decisions made democratically at the local level.
2. Securing resources to ensure proper function and performance, and that Waiheke gets its fair share.
3. A District Plan that reflects the aspirations of Waiheke people; that recognises we live within the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, ensures that our landscape doesn't end up looking just like another burb of Auckland and that our sites of ecological and historical significance are properly protected
4. Fostering local business's and tourism.
5. 5.1 Maintaining and developing our community facilities.
   5.2 Promoting and encouraging the culture of Waiheke.
   5.3 Keeping Waiheke affordable.

1. Local Employment Initiatives- Community investment in local small businesses. Small and local is best for the long term viability of the island's economy.
2. Active Community Engagement- Regular meetings at Community Halls around the island to craft a vision for Waiheke that works for everyone, Utilizing online tools for ongoing feedback, referendums and surveys to allow greater input from the community. Updating the Essentially Waiheke Strategic Plan for the next decade.
3. Long term planning for strong sustainability- Development of policies that are ecologically sustainable, economically efficient and socially fair. Planning from the perspective of looking backward from 2050 to prioritize best practices for Waiheke Islanders' continued quality of life.
4. Local Food and Water Solutions- Supporting local food initiatives such as community gardens and establishing a Community Food Bank. Establishing a panel of community members to look at bore water usage and protection of water supply. Increasing water collection and harvesting around the island during the wet season.
5. Natural Environment- Ongoing non-toxic pest and weed control, reforestation, and rehabilitation of water catchments, rivers and beach outflows.
   

1. Governance
   The Auckland Council restructuring provides an opportunity for Waiheke to increase the power we as a community have over decisions that affect us.
   The new local board needs to be committed to working within the new structure by forming strong relationships to the council and CCO's, while also engaging with the island community effectively.
2. Planning and sustainable development
   Future planning needs to be based on a realistic assessment on what is best for our people and our environment. Our infrastructure needs to be affordable, of appropriate scale and sustainable, from the perspective of both the environment and the future ratepayers who will have to maintain it.
3. Community engagement and representation
4. Building an effective team
5. Transport
   Waiheke's transport needs to be planned thoroughly