Roskill Community Voice Media Release

22 August 2013

Time to stop the neglect of Mt Roskill - 26% funding gap a shocker

“Mt Roskill continues to be neglected by Auckland Council, and our election campaign is about winning a fair share for our community”, says Roskill Community Voice candidate for the Puketapapa Local Board Michael Wood.

“Local residents will be shocked to learn that Council systemically under-funds our community. In the Auckland Council Long-term Plan, average funding per capita across all Local Board areas (excluding obvious outliers) is $2.42 per head. In Puketapapa/Mt Roskill, the figure is $1.78 per head – 26% less funding per person*. Looking ahead, the planned capital expenditure for Puketapapa/Mt Roskill is even worse”, says Roskill Community Voice candidate Julie Fairey.

“These are not abstract figures, they mean that people in our community have access to fewer facilities and services, receive lower service standards, and that there is less funding to advance local initiatives. For every dollar spent on these items elsewhere, 74 cents is spent in Mt Roskill. This woeful state of affairs is a result of decades of neglect when there was little energy put into advancing Roskill’s interests within the broader Council structure”, says Michael Wood.

“Our campaign is about turning that around. During our time on the Board since 2010, Roskill Community Voice has spoken up strongly on a range of issues to ensure that Roskill gets heard. Within Council we have pushed for a review of Local Board funding, which is now underway. In our current campaign we are fighting for Roskill to be heard on a range of fronts:

· - Willing a fair share for our community

· - Burying the Pylons

· - Protecting our environment and restoring our neglected maunga

· - Taking action to stop more pokies and liquor stores in our community

“Fundamentally, our community needs a team of active and energetic Board members if we want to be heard”, says Julie Fairey.

“Local voters can expect to receive their voting papers one month from today. In that month we will be vigorously taking our campaign for a fair share for Roskill to the people of our community. We encourage all local people to consider the issues and speak up for Roskill at the election so that our community gets its fair share”, says Michael Wood.

ENDS

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