Candidate profile statement
My principal place of residence is in the Whau Local Board area.
A local for 34 years, I live and work here with my family.
As a practical local community leader, I am instrumental in leading engagement events alongside Auckland Council.
I am a founding member of the Ethnic Peoples Panel and serve on the Drowning Prevention Auckland Board, National Funding Agency and chair the Whau Ethnic Collective. I was awarded a Queens Service Medal for working with women and children.
Locals will be at the heart of my decision-making to ensure safer communities and crime prevention bring a strong sense of security. With your C&R team, I will put people before politics and ensure our neighbourhood amenities are of the same quality as other parts of Auckland. The Whau should not be left behind.
My community engagement abilities, together with my commercial acumen will be an asset to your Whau Local Board.
Please vote for all your C&R candidates. www.c-r.org.nz
About me
Greetings. I am Anne Degia-Pala and I am looking for your support to get me elected to the Whau Local Board. I am mum to Nikki, Nani to Alexander and Ayla and married to Kishor Pala. I am a local and love the Whau Ward with convenience of amenities and access to so many services.
Born in Suva, Fiji with heritage from Gujarat, India. I have lived and socialised in the Whau Ward for 34 years. I have a business in Kelston. I have fostered mutual respect for all with a level of cordiality that transcends human barriers and in so doing I have been successful in communicating with all levels and diversities. I enjoy the multi-cultural Whau where there is so much to learn from everyone. I believe people contribute valuable perspectives in a socially cohesive society. One of the reasons for running for Whau is to bring new perspective and represent the diversity of Whau when elected.
We all know and recognise the impact Covid-19 has had on our community and ongoing economic challenges will continue, including rising inflation and interest rates, supply chain difficulties and shortages in the labor market. I look to contribute with utmost urgency to issues that affect our area, such as safety and security to reduce harm to our communities and residents, well-planned transport networks for emissions reductions and great quality local roads and infrastructure for growth envisaged in Whau.
As a practical local community leader, I am instrumental in leading engagement events alongside Auckland Council and various community groups and stakeholders. In Whau we wish to live in a safe and inclusive society. We want to come together on issues that matter to us and our everyday livelihoods. We are all different but we want to get along, treat and respect everyone.
Locals will be at the heart of my decision-making. I will put people first, to balance operations and finances thus maximizing local ratepayer services working within the budget constraints.
Why I want to be elected
I am a local and I am committed to local. I am vested in Whau. I seek the best for Whau. I will bring fresh perspective to the conversation and decisions made. Whau needs representatives who look like the people we serve and people who live and work here. I will listen to all.
All communities and residents who live, work and socialise in the area need to be served. These are ratepayers, taxpayers, schools, businesses, communities and residents. People need income security to grow their families and contribute to society.
Whau has a fairly large population of diverse communities, including Māori, Pasifika, new comers. Elect members who reflect the diversity of Whau. As a cultural leader, I want to be included in decision making and in consultation with cultural leaders of various ethnicities, identify similarities that will achieve better outcomes for all.
I have much to offer with my governance, commercial and community sector experiences.
I know the needs of small business, the charities that volunteer for the groups they represent and I know the effects that Covid-19 has left on the people of Whau. I am grounded and I understand that Whau needs the drive to inspire all groups, personalising the services to values and cultures. I have also held senior management positions at the University of Auckland, Sofrana Unilines and the Pacific Island Chamber of Commerce.
Business success for 25 years in my own business with cultural leadership experience, the ability to engage at all levels are excellent skills to bring to the local board.
In a rapidly growing new comer population, I will add the cultural capability to the local board, so that we can appreciate what matters most to people and how we will share and adapt to living in Whau.
Local government has grown beyond roads, rates and rubbish and revenue generated needs to be directed to benefit all.
I will seek best amenities for Whau. Whau should not be left behind.
What I love most about the area I want to represent
I have lived in a lovely neighborhood for over three decades. I have done business here for over two decades. My children went to primary and high schools here. I have engaged with various communities and organized many local events. Obviously its the love for people that draws people together. We are multi-cultural and share so many values and cultures. Whau has great environments including beaches and walkways and reserves. We are close to the Waitakere's. We are close to public amenities. train stations, bus stations and access to motorways North and South. I love the proximities of each town centre, malls and supermarkets. We are blessed with parks and open sports fields. I would love for us to have a leisure centre with a pool, gym ,spa and sauna, a conference centre, indoor sports arena, dance studio and a place for the kids to just be kids. We can do this if we are all united for such an investment and undertaking.
Whau population is projected to increase to 105,000 by 2033.
What I think about key issues for Auckland
Choose a campaign topic to read the candidate's views on it.
City centre and local development
The Whau is growing due to its location, access to public transport and housing development
- We need sound infrastructure and storm water connections
- High quality housing design and construction
- Maintaining, upgrading town centre, community halls and libraries to prevent deterioration
- I will encourage these services are sought from local business rather than large external ones
- Community consultants in view to new development and investment in a recreation and leisure precinct
Economic and cultural development
- Support attractive ways of bringing cultures together at open events i.e.. peace market creating a belonging and trust building
- Support investment in a large multi use recreation centre through funding from private partnership and council
- Access to community hubs for capacity building, inclusion, strong communities
- Commitment to vulnerable communities and residents
- Support elderly initiatives for well-being
- Ensure our young are supported to learn and be active
- Vote Local
Environment management and regulation
- Easily accessible walking, cycling and affordable public transport use to work and schools
- Reduce transport emissions via way of close off days , i.e. Avondale town centre
- Inner streets footpaths maintenance that lead to walkways for pushchairs, mobility scooters
- Planting shelter trees for key pedestrian routes
- Encourage local employment for local people for best use of local links
- High priority to Whau River, protection of natural eco systems
Funding and financing
Funding is allocated through councils budget process. Much of this funding is required to keep services going, maintain local assets, parks, community halls and libraries. Transport funding is also available.
Local discretionary funding to be spent on locals
- Need flexibility and prudent spending to spend on behalf of ratepayers and user pays charges
- Seek to empower and enable communities by directing resources towards community aspirations
- Maximize Local governance aspirations
Outcomes for Māori
-Te Tirity o Waitangi - commitment to Māori at local level
-Develop ongoing relationships as I have done over the years and to reach consensus, partner on shared goals for programs, plans, designs and policies
- Support, explore and learn history as its role today
- Ensure Māori voices is supported in Whau
- Support Māori aspirations
Parks and community
- Provide a range of recreational opportunities catering for community needs on local parks, reserves and beaches
- Provide sports fields that are fit for purpose and cater for community needs including kids
- Provide programs and facilities to ensure more communities and residents are more active more often
- Provide safe, accessible library facilities for additional learning opportunities
- Enable communities to express their needs for well-being, cultural and social growth
- Ensure safety
Transport
- Commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through reduced vehicle use
- Ensure a sustainable transport framework
- Encourage use of affordable public transport or share rides for financial benefit
- Address local employment for locals with business
- Ensure safety for transport centre, rail and bus depots
- Easy accessible transport links to get people to work and schools is extremely important
Water, wastewater and stormwater
- Improve overall water quality, address encroachments into public areas and roads
- Whau has major issues with stormwater discharges to both Waitemata and Manukau Harbours
- Expand and upgrade water networks
- Climate change impacts threaten our significant trees and ecology
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What I will prioritise if I am elected
Safe Whau is my top priority. I will ensure to listen to communities of Whau and work closely with authorities to seek best services that councils offer as a public servant. Your vote is crucial for me. I am a practical individual and identify with the community I live in.
• ensure personal safety and injury prevention in homes, streets, trains and bus stations, parks, roads and businesses
• ensure well-planned affordable and convenient transport networks, frequent public transport and
• Good quality local roads with improvements to storm water discharges is extremely urgent due to climate change and intensification happening in and around Whau
• Tree cover through good planning and planting
• Supporting local arts, culture, sports and recreation
• Be a champion for Whau youth through conversations and opportunity with business, community groups and education institutions.
