Candidates Fighting For A UnitedFuture For Auckland - UnitedFuture

UnitedFuture President, Damian Light, has declared that UnitedFuture is campaigning on three big issues in the Auckland Local Body Elections at the UnitedFuture Annual General Meeting held this weekend in Auckland.

"Auckland needs a new vision for the future and these three key issues that we are campaigning on start us on the track for securing a better future for Auckland," Mr Light said.

The announced issues are:

1) Developing a Proper Plan for Auckland Housing

The Auckland Council needs to be driving the discussion on housing in Auckland.

"UnitedFuture stands behind initiating a national housing summit to develop a long term plan and Auckland will need to be a driving force in that plan," said Mr Light.

"We also need to be looking at innovative Council-led initiatives for dealing with housing in our own back-yard.

"Council-led schemes such as shared-ownership initiatives that use the power of the Council to help get first-home buyers onto the property ladder.

"There is also land in Auckland just waiting to be freed up and the Council must be exploring every avenue to free up as much land as possible.

"For example, instead of allowing land to be blighted and rendered useless for housing by electricity pylons, the Council can work towards putting those cables underground.

"It is simple and easy ideas like this that Council needs to be exploring more often," Mr Light said.

2) Investigate Comprehensive Rates Reform

The current rating system is broken and unfair according to UnitedFuture candidates standing in Auckland.

"Auckland Council needs to take a serious look at how we equitably raise funds for a Council, it is not good enough to live in a city where continuous rates rises eat into the incomes of our home owners and tenants.

"The system itself needs to be reviewed and a more equitable option constructed," said Mr Light.

3) Local Infrastructure

The final issue UnitedFuture is campaigning on is re-setting infrastructure priorities for Auckland. UnitedFuture wants to see a complete overhaul of the traffic management system to ensure that the city can effectively manage its large population.

"The current system is a disaster, we need a complete overhaul of how it operates," said Mr Light.

"From the number of traffic lights , traffic calming schemes is residential areas, and public transport, we need to ensure that all of Auckland can move efficiently.

"The current speed of Auckland is slowing down and it will not be long before it will be faster to take a horse and cart to work than to take a bus or car.

"The system cost Aucklanders and it costs our city, it needs to change," said Mr Light.

UnitedFuture has candidates standing in the North Shore (Damian Light), Waitakere (Jason Woolston), Whau Ward in New Lynn (John Hubscher), and Bryan Mockridge is contesting the Tamaki subdivision of the Mangakikie-Tamaki Local Board.

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