Letter to Manukau

From the Office of the Mayor of Manukau

Friday 23 May 2008

Issue 23

In this update

* Tagging/Graffiti

* Charity Ball

* Metro Mayors Meeting

* Meet the Mayor

TAGGING/GRAFFITI

Given the number of events, functions and occasions I attend each week throughout Manukau, I see a lot of our city as I travel. This lets me check on how well our anti-graffiti drive is going.

I suspect we are eradicating about 80 percent of tags very quickly. I rarely see graffiti now. I report any tags I see immediately and the Manukau Beautification Trust usually gets rid of them within a few hours.

There is a lot of support and energy in the community for making Manukau clean, tidy and proud. Efforts like the paint-outs in Manurewa two months ago demonstrate this.

We are still not at our goal of 95 percent eradication of tags. I'm looking forward to the day when I drive around our city and don't see graffiti. We must pursue this goal with vigour. We are close to being able to roll out the next stage of the council's graffiti strategy.

I am working closely with councillor Dick Quax and our council on a range of further measures. With community and business buy-in and the strong leadership of the beautification trust we will reach our goals.

I want all our people to get in behind our efforts. Community pride and tidy neighbourhoods and business areas are what we all want.

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CHARITY BALL

The Mayoress' Charity Gala Ball is being held on Saturday night. It has been an amazing organisational task so far. We have had a great team of people working with us led by Richard Jeffery from the TelstraClear Pacific Events Centre with tremendous support from local Rotary organisations.

The proceeds will go towards Kidz First children's beds at the new Intensive Care Unit at Middlemore Hospital. That's a fabulous cause.

The Manukau business community has been very supportive in buying many tables at the ball. Shan and I are very appreciative of that support.

It is going to be fabulous social evening. Manukau will show off our ability to stage a top class ball.

It has been a few years since I had my dancing shoes on, so I might be a bit out of practice. But I'm sure it will be alright on the night.

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METRO MAYORS MEETING

Shortly after being elected mayor of Manukau, I attended my first Local Government New Zealand Metropolitan Sector meeting. This is a body made up of the mayors of the 16 largest urban local authorities in New Zealand.

At my first meeting, I was honoured to be elected as the chair.

I see this body as having a significant input into the national debates on key issues like weather-tightness for housing, waste minimisation and many of the social and economic issues like housing affordability, graffiti/tagging, liquor licensing and policing.

I recently went to our third meeting in Christchurch. The mayors present were especially interested in how well Manukau is doing in fighting graffiti and how our new legislation will roll out in our city.

Each of the councils involved are facing challenges in today's economic climate.

The wider New Zealand community will probably hear a stronger and more united voice coming out of this body representing the major urban centres of our country.

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MEET THE MAYOR

Mayoral Town Hall Meeting, Thursday 29 May, 4pm - 6pm, Fencible Lounge, Howick Library, 25 Uxbridge Rd, Howick.

Len Brown

Mayor of Manukau

ENDS

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