Gisborne East Coast Council of Social Services sent a questionnaire to all GDC candidates – these are my responses to their questions:

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1. Do you think Gisborne District Council should continue to facilitate the process for desired community-wide social, economic, environmental and cultural outcomes even if it was not a requirement in legislation?

(a) YES – it’s a no-brainer… GDC is the only district-wide, public institution that can coordinate these aspirations, if GDC does not do this then no other organisation is going to and we will have a much more fragmented community as a result.

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2. Which community organisations have you had active involvement with in the past five years?

• Waikirikiri School, Board of Trustees (Chairperson)
• Gisborne Cycling Advisory Group (Chairperson)
• Tairawhiti Housing Advisory Group (Convenor)
• Presbyterian Support East Coast (Board Member)
• Whanau Ora (Tairawhiti Regional Advisory Group Member)
• Te Ora Hou Te Tairawhiti Trust (Trustee)
• Gisborne Council of Social Services (Executive Member)
• Tairawhiti Men Against Violence (Foundation Member)
• Gisborne Chamber of Commerce (Executive Member)
• Rongo-i-te-Kai Marae (Treasurer)
• Te Puna Reo o Puhi Kaiti (Whanau Committee Member)
• Te Toka o Te Kokonga Te Kohanga Reo (Whanau Committee Member)
• Council for International Development (National Board Member)
• Tairawhiti Youth Workers Collective (Chairperson)
• National Youth Workers Network Aotearoa (National Working Party Member)

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3. Do you support the idea of a bylaw requiring a Warrant of Fitness (to ensure basic health and safety requirements are met) before any property is rented in the District?

(a) YES – I have been promoting the idea through the Tairawhiti Housing Advisory Group

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4. Would you support a proposal to require a permit to consume alcohol consumption in public places?

(a) YES – especially around parks, reserves and beaches

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5. Do you support the proposal for Tairawhiti Youth Voice to have a non-voting seat on Gisborne District Council?

(a) YES – this is an excellent proposal and would require some ongoing support from GDC staff and local youth workers.

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6. Overall do you think GDC is effective in involving people affected in decisions that affect them?

(b) NO – but there have been some real improvements since the new CEO has been in the job and new managers for Engineering & Works and Community Planning & Development.

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7. How confident are you that GDC has effectively implemented the Disability Strategy?

(b) CONFIDENT – there have been a number of practical actions taken over the past few years such as installing ramps and fixing the crossings near roundabouts, kneeling buses, larger more obvious mobility parking spaces in the CBD, etc. but much more work needs to be done including a pedestrian crossing on Childers Rd near the CBD, responding to the needs of residents with disabilities in rural areas and an audit of Council facilities in relation to the needs of children and young people with disabilities.

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