Housing, business and environmental experts selected to contest Shore electorates for Green Party

Auckland, 23 March 2017: Yesterday, the Green Party selected its 2017 candidates for three electorates on Auckland's North Shore ¬– their expertise ranging from housing development to business and economic management, advocacy for youth and families, foreign affairs, and climate and environmental protection.

The East Coast Bays electorate – from which Murray McCully is stepping down as MP after 30 years – will be contested by Teresa Moore, General Manager of a local charity that provides services for families with children with autism and former CEO of the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre (MERC). Moore trained as a marine scientist and has been actively campaigning with the Long Bay-Okura Great Park Society for several years to save the local marine reserve from the effects of extensive land development beyond the city boundary.

“I’m a proud mother of two teenage girls and have lived in the East Coast Bays for most of my life,” says Moore. “It is important to me to keep our streams, beaches and waterways free of pollution and to look after the many scenic parks and walkways in the Bays.”

Moore is also founder of a tourism company, has a Masters in Management and has worked as a consultant for small-to-medium sized businesses. “We need to build an economically and environmentally sound future for New Zealand. I believe that responsible economic management and supporting local businesses is vital for our families, young people and communities to thrive.”

Green MP Kennedy Graham will represent the North Shore electorate, which includes Devonport, Takapuna and north to Mairangi Bay. He is a former New Zealand diplomat, NGO leader, UN official and university teacher, and entered Parliament in 2008.

“I have made a life-long commitment to work towards reducing the impacts of climate change for future generations,” says Graham. “If we don’t take urgent action, our communities will be increasingly vulnerable to sea level rise and resource stress from the greater frequency and severity of extreme weather events, such as the flooding experienced in Auckland recently.

“Securing Government funding and support for local initiatives, such as the proposed rail network for the Shore, is crucial – not only to minimize climate pollution, but also to reduce congestion on our roads.”

Housing development manager James Goodhue has been selected by the Green Party to stand for the Upper Harbour electorate, which stretches from Wairau Park and parts of Glenfield, through Greenhithe, Hobsonville, West Harbour and Massey East. His knowledge and expertise is in creating buildings and urban spaces that are safe, convenient, vibrant, sustainable, attractive and affordable.

“Decent housing is a basic human right,” says Goodhue. “Having delivered multiple housing projects for both private and third sector clients, I deeply understand the influence a safe, warm, dry, secure housing tenure has on the well-being and prosperity of people and their local communities.

“Affordable housing is fundamental for an equitable society and home ownership is an important ingredient for well-functioning families, communities and neighbourhoods.”

–ENDS–

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