Kia ora
It was decided collectively at the beginning of the term that the leadership should be shared and Saffron Toms will shortly be taking over as chair of Waitākere Ranges Local Board. I will become the deputy chair.
To my successor Saffron Toms I wish you all the best and will continue to work with you.
It has been my pleasure to have been the chair for the past four and a half years. The job is exhilarating and rewarding. Every morning I wake up and think about what could be done to improve our local area and the job requirements are such that I get to mix with many well-intentioned and dedicated Westies.
Our local board numbers are not big, there are only six of us, and I think that sharing power is an important feature in ensuring that we continue to work collaboratively.
I do not expect things to change too much. I am happy to continue to engage with our different local communities and I intend to continue to do this.
I enjoy writing and policy analysis am happy to help Saffron with this. I have also enjoyed engagement with Te Whanau au Hoani Waititi Marae and I am keen that their aspirations are supported.
I am also deeply interested in the implications of change for local areas and will continue to make suggestions and provide feedback.
Most importantly I believe that it is our jobs as local board members to make Auckland Super City work in the interests of all local people. This requires us to communicate effectively with locals and then make sure their views and preferences are communicated to all areas of the council.
This is part of the job that I will continue to focus on.
Greg
