Mayor of Western Bay of Plenty

Continually work to engage with the people of our communities. Council is essentially a co-operative – owned by the people for the people.

Support everybody to be informed about council activities. From that will come wider diversity of representation.

Ensure that central government's plans for reform of local government do not disadvantage the people of the Western Bay of Plenty.

Work and invest in human centred community led processes to the decision making platform across the Western Bay of Plenty.

Increase efforts to ensure communities understand the roles and responsibilities of local government and how to have their say.

Start localised community reporting across key areas WBOP, increase visualisation of actions and outcomes being driven in Western Bay of Plenty decisions.

End the holding of secret meetings. All workshops/meetings must be notified and subject to official information act (LGOIA) access.

Ensure council is truly open to ideas from the public and end the perception that council has already made up its mind before it consults.

End high-cost marketing and hard sell tactics. Work with iwi, rangatahi and other communities in an open, more respectful fashion.

Work through the upcoming Representation Review to understand how our communities wish to be represented.

Improve training for community boards so they can be more effective.

Engage with and inform our communities better on key decisions.

Canvass community groups to see what needs or concerns the council has not addressed.

Make sure that the new council is cohesive to ensure good decision making while respecting peoples right to their opinions.

As some of you know, I live just outside of the boundary so I don't have any particular bias to any one area in this somewhat unique council.

Increase wage parities for our emergency services.

Bring a level of integrity to our internal operations.

Engage with ethnic communities groups, so they have the experience of being included.