Tuesday 7 September
WAKE UP WAITAKERE- AGAIN
Community Waitakere has issued another call to action for Waitakere
residents, this time to vote in the upcoming local elections, a postal vote
that opens September 17 and closes October 9.
Community Waitakere co-led a major campaign against the government's 'Super
City' reforms, under the banner of the Community Coalition for Auckland:
Voices of Tamaki Makaurau (CC4A) supported by about 70 other community
organisations.
"We had over 1000 people in the streets of Henderson within days of the
government's hijack of the Royal Commission's report on Regional
Governance," said Tony Mayow, Community Waitakere Chair and Coalition
spokesperson.
"Our catch cry was Wake up Waitakere," said Mr Mayow, "and we ran a
vociferous campaign to defend the gains we've made here against the
horrendous model put forward under the influence of the Act Party."
"We didn't succeed in stopping it, that was never possible, but the enormous
upsurge of community outrage did make a huge difference to the ultimate
model, and the opportunity now exists to strengthen and consolidate the Eco
City in the larger region, rather than lose it all."
'Now we say it again: Wake up Waitakere! Don't leave it to chance and let
somebody else make the decisions for us. Get out there and exercise your
vote for the candidates you really want, those who will preserve the
Waitakere Way, and make sure it becomes the way the new city works."
"Only our own apathy will let us down now, there are plenty of quality
positive candidates standing. Think through what they stand for, and
regardless of who you vote for, exercise your civic right and your pride in
Waitakere. Stand up and be counted by voting."
Community Waitakere has already held a meeting with one of the two leading
mayoral candidates, Manukau Mayor Len Brown, and will be meeting separately
with Auckland Mayor John Banks in the near future, to discuss the issues of
Waitakere's communities in depth.
Community Waitakere will release assessments of those discussions to help
inform voters both publicly and on their website
www.communitywaitakere.org.nz <http://www.communitywaitakere.org.nz/> .
"We will do our best to keep voters informed, but then it's entirely over to
the community, in this make or break election,' says Mr Mayow, "As they say,
use it or lose it!"
Ends
For further information: Tony Mayow Chair, Community Waitakere
<email obscured> <email obscured>> 09 8373456 021 130 9794
