One of east Auckland’s most well-known local government politicians is looking to the future after being unable to get back onto the Howick Local Board at this year’s local elections.
David Collings will be a familiar face to many east Aucklanders for his outspoken representation of the local community on the former Manukau City Council and the Howick Local Board for its Pakuranga subdivision.
Collings stood for election in the new Flat Bush subdivision this year, but was unsuccessful, finishing fifth behind Peter Young, Kai Zeng and Krish Naidu.
The Times spoke with him on election day, October 11, after the early progress results were showing he hadn’t got back in.
He was “feeling okay” and he’s pleased for his son Luke Collings, who looks set to join the local board with top-polling candidate Bo Burns not taking up her seat due to also being elected to Auckland Council for the Howick ward.
Collings says he was hoping to be re-elected to the board in Flat Bush due to his reputation for getting things done.
“It is hard when you go to a new area and people don’t know you. It’s a very new area.
“There’s new housing developments going up all the time so it’s always changing, and there was very low voter turnout.
“In some ways it’s disappointing. I think I lured myself into a false sense of security.
“People were saying ‘you’re well known’, but it’s a new community, and that’s the problem.
“I obviously should have stood in the area that’s been loyal to me and supported me nine times, for 27 years.
“I spent 21 years on the Reeves Road Flyover. Two decades trying to get the bloody thing done.”
Collings says people in Pakuranga have supported him for almost 30 years and he’s grateful for that.
“When people do support you it’s overwhelming. I walk away still proud of my achievement.
“I didn’t bomb out in the area. I’m pretty confident if I’d stood in Pakuranga I would have got re-elected.
“I’m very appreciative of the community that’s supported me all those years. I try to think I worked hard to return the favour, and I guess the Reeves Road Flyover is my parting gift.
“Something I started many years ago and I’m walking out the door … I’m still living in Pakuranga, so I’ll still be around.”
And on what the future holds, Collings has a trade, as an electrician and refrigeration engineer, to fall back on, and he’ll consider standing for the Howick Local Board again next time if he finds he misses the role.
“I don’t really know. It’s not front of mind, but I wouldn’t be surprised [if he did]. I’m still sort of processing it.
“After 27 years, things are going to be different. I’m a firm believer in ‘when one door closes, another door opens’.”
