I have lodged my nomination forms.  I am seeking election to Auckland Council and also seeking re-election to the Waitakere Ranges Local Board.  If I am elected to both then the next highest polling candidate gets elected to the Local Board and no by election is necessary.

I will not be seeking election to Portage Trust.  I have served one term on the trust and I really enjoyed the work.  It involves processing and considering applications for grants.  This gives a really good insight into what is happening in the voluntary sector locally.

The work also involves some oversight in how the organisation is performing commercially.  I am pleased to say that it is performing very well and its profitability is greatly enhanced from five years ago.  The only matter I would like the organisation to consider is becoming a living wage employer.  I proposed this previously and the commercial board declined to do so although it left the option open for further consideration in the future.

My wife and I are going to live in Piha in the foreseeable future.  We are suffering from empty nest syndrome with our last child being very likely to leave home at the end of this year.  We own some land out there and our plan is to move.

If we did then I would have to resign my position and the cost of a by election to the organisation is considerable.  Under the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act trustees have to live in the area they represent and a trustee is disqualified from continuing to be a member of the trust of they no longer qualify to vote in the ward.

Sandra Coney wishes to stand in my place and she would be a great replacement.  From the preliminary list of nominees it looks like Ross Clow and Sandra Coney will be elected unopposed.

I hope to stand again in the future depending on what happens.  Steve Tollestrup is a very good representative for the ward that includes Piha but if he decided not to stand I would be happy to replace him.