Takapuna Residents Association On The Move

Takapuna Residents Association (TRA) held their annual business meeting (ABM) yesterday (August 28), at the Takapuna War memorial Hall, The Stand in North Shore City, Auckland the City of Ratepayers.

“The Takapuna Residents Association is one of the effective community links with the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board and the emergent Auckland Council” said Alton Shameem JP, the member and former committee member of TRA, Founder, Chairman, Leader of the Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ) and the Young Executive Club (YEC).

“The day was more spring like than winter with sun beaming over Takapunaians and that helped in a good turn-out at the ABM.

The dedicated and hardworking Ron Fairly was unanimously re-elected as the President together with the committee members” said Alton Shameem the Community Leader and President of Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ).

The lead speakers were His Worship Len Brown, Mayor of Manukau City, North Shore City Councilors Grant Gillon, Jan O’Connor, Ken McKay JP and Chris Derby. The Chair of Devonport Community Board Mike Cohen and the former mayor of North Shore City, George Wood.

All of the above gentlemen are standing for either the Auckland Council or the various Local Boards.

The speakers discussed the following issues:-

- $3 million funding to the Yacht Club for the bunker by the North Shore City Council

- $10 funding to North Shore Stadium project by the North Shore City Council

- Need for more consultation with the ratepayers regarding the above projects

- Governance of the Auckland Council and role of the Local Boards

- Consideration for the ethnic groups in the Auckland Council

- The Village Concept of the Local Boards that is taken from the Parish models of European traditions

- Needs and wants of different communities like parking, trees, reserves and transport

- Economic models for Auckland

- Target rates

Says, Len Brown the candidate for the Auckland Council Mayoralty that “ how community groups like Takapuna Residents Association, Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ) and Citizen Advise Bureau connects with the local boards is of importance in the village scheme model”.

Grant Gillon the candidate for North Shore Ward on the Auckland Council said that “village planning exercise needs sound consultation with user groups, communities, businesses and local boards at grassroots levels”.

Len Browns vision for generating Auckland revenue is as follows:-

- “Stand alone city tax based on income and not property

- Education and high tech industries

- Food and beverages

- Tourism. To having visitors stay on average in Auckland for or 4 or 5 nights instead of currently at 1.9 nights’.

“The lively and productive meeting concluded with afternoon tea and snacks and the attendees engaging and touching base with one another” said Alton Shameem the Chairman and President of Fiji Club of New Zealand (FCNZ), Young Executive Club (YEC) and a member of Takapuna Residents Association (TRA).

ENDS.

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