Media statement

Paul Bruce stands to continue as Greater Wellington Regional Councillor

Paul Bruce, a Meteorologist and a MetService lead forecaster, will seek a further term as Greater Wellington Regional Councillor.

As Vice Chair of the Regional Sustainability Committee, member of the Regulatory and Transport & Access Committees, and Hearing Commissioner, Mr Bruce has raised issues that otherwise wouldn't be on the agenda, helped the public become involved, and spotted and fought the proposals that would take us backwards. He believes that Wellington is a great place to be, but that it can do a lot better.

"Regional councils are almost invisible but in fact they are really important. We decide many of the things that are key to a clean green economy - the management of coasts, rivers and lakes; control of major transport decisions; provision of regional parks and other services; and overseeing regional development.

"Over the last year Greater Wellington has made progress on some fronts. I can't take all the credit for that, but I'm confident that my voice and my vote helped us get there. The most exciting would have to be the purchase of Baring Head and the arrival of the first of the new Matangi trains, but many of the lower profile gains are equally valuable. We are about to get real time information, a new regional policy statement that provides better policies on climate change and related issues, and a rescue plan for Porirua Harbour.

Mr Bruce says that we are also going backwards, particularly on transport, where the council is likely to give in and support the Government's expensive, disastrous, unwanted new roads.

"Strong green voices in the council are essential if we are to get out of the "business as usual" mentality. Personal efforts, through things like transition towns, matter. But they will achieve much less if the big government decisions on things like roads are wrong.

“It's my job as councillor to stop those wrong decisions, and push forward policies that will help individuals to make the transition to the green future."

Cr Paul Bruce worked together with Transition Towns on Pathways to Resilient Communities, a forum in May 2009 which linked councils with community, and he believes helped inform aspects of the Greater Wellington's new Regional Policy Statement and Climate Change strategy.

He also acted as a Judge for the Sustainable Business Network awards in 2009.

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