Rodney: Rural battleground awaits clash of the Amazons

Warkworth will make up part of the Rodney Ward in the upcoming Auckland Super City Council election. Photo / Paul Estcourt

It could be billed as the clash of the Amazons. Two women warriors, bold, wily, experienced and dedicated, competing for the prize - to represent the mainly rural Rodney Ward on the Auckland Council.

Rodney Mayor Penny Webster and Rodney's representative on the Auckland Regional Council, Christine Rose, have clashed before. They traded verbal blows over beach resort high-rises and moves to cut loose from the ARC, to become a unitary authority, and from the Super City itself.

Mrs Webster, a former farmer and Act MP, projects a practical approach to problems, while the academic Mrs Rose is guided by her principles as an ardent environmentalist.

Both know people, byways and public halls up and down the ward after more than a decade of political life.

Their Rodney is a playground for urban Auckland, with its beaches, regional parks and tourist spots.

It is, too, home and workplace for a growing number of people seeking a relaxed rural lifestyle.

From Kumeu, at one end of the ward, to Wellsford at the other, the number of residents grew by 1.8 per cent last year, on the back of a decade of positive growth.

This will ease because of ward boundary changes. The urban and commercial hotspots of Orewa, Silverdale and the Hibiscus Coast Peninsula have merged with the East Coast Bays of North Shore to form the Albany ward of the Auckland Council.

But Mrs Webster believes some traditional Rodney tensions will stay and need managing.

West and north Rodney will strongly compete for whatever money is available for coping with more houses and updating roads and facilities.

Mrs Rose's home district, Waimauku in the west of the ward, has a population of 930 but faces a developer's proposal which could add 3000 people. Down the road at rural Huapai is a proposal for 1100 homes.

To get to the ARC office, Mrs Rose uses bus and bicycle and, last year, the failed rail commuter service between Helensville and Waitakere.

Mrs Webster lives in Snells Beach in the ward's northeast, which is expected to grow from 3500 to 9200 by 2018.

During her mayoral term, the Crown appointed her to the Resource Management Act technical advisory board, but she had plenty of bushfires at home to fight.

Rural townships opposed a user-charges bid which would have doubled water and sewerage charges in just a decade.

Council debt at June 30 was $300 million, of which $118 million was for water supply and $111 million for roading. Rates rises across rural areas and townships averaged 9.8 per cent in 2008-09, 4.9 per cent in 2009-10 and 3.9 per cent this year.

"Yes, we could have got the rates rise down lower ... and not deliver the service that people require," said Mrs Webster.

"It remains to be seen whether the Super City can capture economies of scale and bring those costs down."

Rodney gets one seat at the Auckland Council table and Mrs Webster said her leadership of the Mayoral Forum and Auckland Federated Farmers showed her ability to work with town and country people.

"I am the right person, with understanding of all the issues and who has the credibility to get Rodney's profile amongst the councillors.

"I think people outside of Rodney don't know us very well and I'm going to be the one who says 'this is what we need up here'."

Her rival, Mrs Rose, said a city focus would dominate the new council.

She had regional leadership experience, with the ARC transport and urban development committee and parks and heritage committee, and as chairwoman of the Regional Land Transport Committee.

Strong relationships must be built between the council, the local board and the community.

"I'm supporting local communities in determining their own future and helping manage the challenges of growth.

"I have a lot of things in common with Rodney people. Being a member of the community for a long time, you get a sense of what affects others, affects yourself and your quality of life."

Some projects she has pressed for won Rodney District Council co-operation.

They include the Mahurangi Action Plan, which is reducing sediment runoff into that harbour by fencing and planting waterways, and management of dangerous driving on Muriwai Beach and dunes.

Protection for Maui's dolphin and Hector's dolphin "started in Rodney and extended to the rest of the country".

ARC planning and legal resources were brought to bear on development proposals for Te Arai, near Pakiri Beach, Omaha, and Rainbow's End on the Mahurangi River.

As an individual, she opposed planning consents for the planned gas-fired power station in rural South Kaipara.

Future aims include extending the Northern Busway to at least Silverdale to cater for Rodney's commuters, and tailor-made public transport solutions for the needs of local communities.

The other candidates for the seat are Tom Ashton, a Warkworth businessman, and Vince Pereira of Dairy Flat, who has an IT solutions business.

Although Mr Ashton has not served on any council, he has plenty of experience of them from the customer end.

He said the Super City should create huge efficiencies and lower rates set on level of services rather than property value.

Mr Pereira sees potential for the Auckland Council if its framework is based on a quality of life standard. He aims to ensure the smooth delivery of the council's core services.

RODNEY WARD OF AUCKLAND COUNCIL

Ethnicity: European 80.7 per cent, Maori 10 per cent.
Median income: $26,974.
Voter turnout 2007: 45 per cent, 29,330 votes.

- Source: Auckland Council

CANDIDATES

Christine Rose, sitting ARC councillor, independent.
Penny Webster, Rodney Mayor, independent.
Thomas Ashton, businessman, independent.
Vince Pereira, businessman, independent.

The series

* Yesterday: Orakei.
* Today: Rodney.
* Tomorrow: Howick.
* Thursday: Albert-Eden-Roskill.
* Friday: Manurewa-Papakura.