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Local Body Elections 2007
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By PJ TAYLOR Monday, 27 August 2007 Local Body Elections 2007 Headlines
He knows it can take frustrating and often excessive time for the council to make decisions on delivering on projects. He’s also seen first-hand how differences of opinion between elected members behind the scenes can be heated and counter-productive to the council’s unity. With Manukau’s mayor of eight terms Sir Barry Curtis, 68, moving aside in mid-October, Mr Collings sees the upcoming vacancy as “a wind of opportunity” to step up and run for the city’s top political job. “Now that Sir Barry Curtis has decided to go, there’s going to be a new mayor. It’s likely that whoever is voted in that they’re going to be a minority mayor,” says Mr Collings, explaining how he sees the city’s political makeup could be post-election. “To get anything done, you’ve got to be mayor. If I’m elected mayor, I’ll work hard at repairing the division to work together. I don’t want to be a dictator. It’s about finding the middle ground and working for the people of Manukau. “I’m A-political. I don’t come with any of that political baggage.” The incumbent Pakuranga city councillor and Counties Manukau District Health Board member is also standing again for those elected positions. He’s also served as the chairman of the steering group for the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative (AMETI), at $2.2 billion, the region’s largest public project to be undertaken over the next two decades. If elected mayor, Mr Collings’ top priority is to scrutinise closely the council’s spending, as he believes there are plenty of opportunities to make savings across the annual plan. He wants the city to be placing greater importance on improving its delivery of core services, including footpath repairs and renewal. Mr Collings says the government must continue to invest in the city, but the level of funding poured into Manukau must increase to sufficient levels. He believes too much responsibility for social issues and development has fallen on the council in recent times and he wants to see the government step up to assist it in those areas. Mr Collings other main campaign platform is in the area of regional governance. He favours the creation of one council for Auckland that manages and administers regional issues, with the formation of local community councils that would have greater powers and resources than the present community board structure. He supports the government’s move to order a Royal Commission to investigate the future of Auckland’s local government and says Manukau has a key role to play in making submissions to it over the next year. | |||||||||
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© Times Newspapers 2008
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