Who do you talk to if there’s a problem with public facilities or amenities?
Mt Roskill resident Qing Chao Wu called Puketāpapa Local Board, who showed they were all heart by coming up with extra seats for Mr Wu at the Mt Roskill War Memorial Park.
Some people are aware Auckland Council is responsible for maintaining parks and community services and facilities, consents, and collecting rubbish, among other things.
However, who’s in your corner when something isn’t working the way it should? How do you make a compelling case if English isn’t your first language?
A Mount Roskill resident of two decades, Mr Wu had met Puketāpapa Local Board’s deputy chair Fiona Lai through local community engagements, and reached out about an issue at Mount Roskill War Memorial Reserve.
“Mr Wu contacted me via phone to express his concerns for the lack of seating at the reserve,” says deputy chair Lai.
“His request sounded reasonable. and the best way for him to be heard was at our local board’s public business meeting, where elected members make decisions guided by advice from council’s subject matter experts.
“I advised Mr Wu how to submit his request to present to the board and an independent interpreter was arranged for the meeting,” says Fiona.
Through the interpreter, Mr Wu told the board how his wife’s recent recovery from a stroke prompted them to take regular walks around their local park as part of her rehabilitation.
However, the distance between seats at the reserve are too far apart for Mrs Wu to catch her breath.
“On one of these occasions, my wife had to resort to sitting down on the grass to take a rest and could not get back up. So, I had to go home to get my car to pick her up,” Mr Wu explained.
Puketāpapa Local Board chair Ella Kumar is delighted the board has been able to help.
“We’re absolutely thrilled Mr Wu has seized this opportunity – despite the barriers. This experience is the epitome of local government in action, why community should engage with us more, and how we can try to make the process as accessible as possible,” Ella says.
Mr Wu’s request was noted by staff and an investigation into the park’s amenities was undertaken to determine whether its seating plan required reconfiguration or additional seating.
Following the assessment, three additional seats have been installed at the reserve, and are being enjoyed by the wider community.
For Mr and Mrs Wu and others, the reserve is hopefully now a more practical space for rest and rehabilitation, too.
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