Manukau City Needs Len Brown for Mayor

“He’s hardworking, dedicated, well qualified and the perfect candidate to be the next Mayor of Manukau City.” That is Manurewa Community Board member Daniel Newman’s opinion of mayoral candidate Len Brown, whom he today endorsed.

“In my view Manukau City stands at the frontier of change. Only Len Brown is sufficiently qualified to lead the city through that change.

“As the past chairperson of the Council’s Strategic Directions Committee, Len’s ability to provide governance and advocate on behalf of ratepayers was unsurpassed. The Council has suffered since he stood down in 2004 and unsuccessfully challenged for the mayoralty that year,” Daniel Newman said.

In endorsing Len Brown’s candidacy, Daniel Newman said the list of problems confronting Manukau City was growing, and urgent action is required.

“The list of problems facing our City are numerous. Current problems include:

“Manukau City ratepayers across the entire city are facing compounding rate increases. Concurrent to pushing up rates beyond the level of what many working ratepayer’s can afford to pay, the Council has also set up Manukau Water, a council-controlled organisation that is driving up the cost of water and wastewater;

“Millions of dollars in rates are being sucked out of communities such as Manurewa, Mangere, Otara and Papatoetoe and are instead being directed into new residential areas such as Flat Bush;

“Existing transport infrastructure that needs replacing is being overlooked. A good example of this is the Council’s continued delay in replacing Beaumonts Bridge, despite the best efforts of the Manurewa Community Board to lobby for its replacement; and

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“The Manukau City Council has failed to introduce changes to the District Plan to control the establishment of pubs, bars, bottle shops and gambling dens in town centres and suburban neighbourhoods, despite the relentless calls for plan changes from ratepayers and community groups alike."

“Manukau City Council is lacking the will and the strategic direction necessary to provide good policy outcomes that benefit thousands of residential and business ratepayers. To address the lack of leadership, a new candidate, who is not currently serving as a member of the Manukau City Council, should be elected mayor at the 2007 Local Government Election. In my view that candidate should be Len Brown,” Daniel Newman said.

Over the next 12 months, leading up to the 2007 Local Government Election, Daniel Newman will invite residential and business ratepayers in the Manurewa Ward to consider supporting Len Brown’s mayoral candidacy.

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