Super City: Odd couple challenges candidates

Free entry to pools such as the Manurewa Aquatic Centre at Mountfort Park has helped to get kids off the streets, according to Sir John Walker. Photo / Sarah Ivey

Combining Papakura and its larger neighbour, Manurewa, into a single ward is the challenge for the candidates contesting two seats on the Super City council.

The various tickets and independent candidates are focused on issues in their communities, saying little about the bigger picture in the Manurewa-Papakura ward and even less about their responsibilities to the region.

An exception is Olympian and Manukau City councillor Sir John Walker, who wants to introduce his Field of Dreams sports programme to young people throughout the region.

He has the backing of Super City mayoral candidate and Manukau Mayor Len Brown, who recognises this will require a regionwide policy of free swimming pools.

"In Manurewa we've proven that if pools are free, we can get the kids off the streets," Sir John says.

"We get 4000 kids into parks and pools to play sport every week, and these are kids that might otherwise be getting into trouble."

Sir John says as a councillor his main focus will be on regional issues.

"We've got to hold rates, and my first obligation will be to the council, and then to the local community board."

One of the biggest surprises of the local elections is the nomination of Sir Barry Curtis, who held Manukau's mayoral chains for 24 years before retiring in 2007.

He is bringing his regional knowledge of planning and transport matters to the table.

"I want it to be responsible for facilitating economic growth across the region, and that will promote social justice and social equity."

The 71-year-old wants to streamline the resource-management process to enable more growth.

"The way in which resource management applications are being handled by some local authorities is stifling the creation of new jobs and business," says Sir Barry.

"It's had an enormous impact and it's vital that we fix it."

He also wants to make sure all voices in Auckland's diverse community are represented.

This is crucial in his ward, where 46.7 per cent of people are European, 27.8 per cent are Maori and 22.3 per cent are from the Pacific.

Papakura Mayor Calum Penrose is the other frontrunner for a council seat, being the only strong contender from Papakura to enter the race.

It is an about-turn for the mayor, whose council and constituents fought being included in the Super City.

He went as far as trying to get Papakura District turned into a unitary authority, but its population of 46,000 was short of the 50,000 minimum.

"I still get people stopping me in the streets asking if we're still included in the Super City, but we put enough ratepayer money in to fight it," says Mr Penrose, who is standing on the Papakura First ticket.

"It happened, and now we have to focus on getting the best for both Papakura and Manurewa."

The ticket with the most candidates standing for a ward seat is Team South, which is closely tied to local board ticket Team Manurewa.

Papatoetoe Community Board member Toa Greening and Wiri Licensing Trust chairwoman Waina Emery both hope to give Manurewa a stronger voice in regional politics.

A big issue for the ticket is the proposed men's prison in Wiri.

It is a project with local concerns but the siting of new prisons is a regional issue the new council will have to address.

"It will make Manurewa the most imprisoned area in the country," says Mr Greening.

If construction goes ahead, the new prison will be built next to the Auckland Region Women's Corrections Facility.

Mr Greening worries a new prison will bring more problems to an already troubled suburb.

To round out the nominations, Timothy Toilolo is standing with the ABC-A Better Choice ticket, the first Pacific Island ticket to run for council in South Auckland.

Candidates are struggling to find ways of combining two areas that are considered distinctly separate.

Mr Greening does not think the areas are two that can be brought together easily.

"They really have to be treated as separate communities, they can't just be combined. The council just has to work on the behalf of both of them."

The 38-year-old says he sometimes goes swimming at Papakura's aquatic centre and he visits the district "to go to the Dutch shop", but he says he needs to learn more about that community's needs.

Mr Penrose takes a different position, saying many of the issues Papakura has overcome during his mayoralty, such as youth crime and graffiti, are similar to the problems facing Manurewa.

"It will take a lot of hard work, but I want to work closely with people in Manurewa and there are a lot of issues that can be dealt with."

Ultimately the priorities will be decided by voters. Manurewa, with about 70,000 people, traditionally votes Labour, and the more rural Papakura, with 46,000 residents, votes National.

CANDIDATES

2 SEATS

Barry Curtis, Residents and Ratepayers
Waina Emery, Team South
Toa Greening, Team South
Calum Penrose, Manurewa-Papakura First Action
Timothy Toilolo, ABC - A Better Choice
Vui Sapa'u Vitale, ABC - A Better Choice
Sir John Walker, Independent

PROFILE

Ethnicity: European 46.7 per cent,
Maori 27.8 per cent, Pacific 22.3 per cent, Asian 12.5 per cent
Median age: 30
Median income: $57,632

* From the New Zealand Herald feature, 'Super City - Election Guide'