COMMUNITY VOICES: South

Meet the eyes and ears of your neighbourhood in the first Auckland-wide election campaign.
Kim Dennis is of Maori and European descent, in "the 50-plus age group" and has been a proud Clendon resident for 24 years. The Mother of Clendon, as she's known in many circles, is a youth development programme coordinator and board member of three schools (high, intermediate and primary) as well as chairperson of a primary school in Clendon.
She is a member of the Nga Wahine Atawhai o Matukutureia (Maori Women's Welfare League) and supports a number of sports groups in the area.
"I have always taken an interest in the elections but this year is totally different.  We are about to move into the uncharted area of one big city. It will bring  a multitude of issues and concerns from all walks of life. They need to be heard before and after the election and possibly through to the next election in 2013."
The election is important to everyone because a decision to have one city was made, regardless of whether all wanted it or not. "We must embrace the concept and build it. Consultation and participation is important now."
Wilson Hawes, 47, chairs Fencibles United, one of the largest football clubs in the region. The Pakuranga-based club has more than 1700 players aged from 8 to 64. He lives in East Tamaki with his wife and two children.
A player and coach of many years, Mr Hawes is interested in hearing what candidates plan for sports. "Candidates need to quickly address the most important issue facing Fencibles, and other local clubs - the lack of suitable council-owned grounds and facilities to adequately meet the needs of our members. Following the success of New Zealand in the Football World Cup, we are experiencing a boom in interest in our sport and are struggling to meet their needs -  grounds that we have are inadequate and, in some cases, dangerous for our members to play or train on.
"Because of the impending change of the super-city, very little strategic planning seems to have been been undertaken on the part of the current councils while structure and strategy of the new body has been undecided. I am personally
concerned that the transition period will be managed well and that those involved have a clear direction and vision to get the disparate and separate arms of the city up and running quickly."
Dan McClean grew up in Howick and has put down strong roots in the area. The 25-year-old owns and manages Boardertown, a surf, skate and snow shop in Botany town centre. When  not working  he's studying for a Bachelor of Business Management.  In his final semester, Mr McClean plans to continue building his business which is in its sixth year.
He welcomes the amalgamation of Auckland. "It think it's a good idea because it will create uniformity. Even though I live in Manukau, I say I'm an Aucklander." He hopes to see candidates emerge who have integrity and transparency and are passionate about being involved.
Stuart Myers, 57, has been the principal of Pakuranga Intermediate  for 10 years. He's a father of three  and lives in Central Auckland. He believes candidates should focus on environmental sustainability.
"I have grave concerns whether the new structure will continue to assist Auckland to be as environmentally conscious as at present and deliver as high a quality of service as we have had under the present administration.
"As a school principal, to effectively run our schools, we aim to meet the needs of the community. With the wider structure, community identity of the distinct regions of Auckland could be lost. How do we ensure that each region continues to have its separate needs met?"
Daljit Singh is an active  leader from the Sikh community. He has lived in New Zealand for 21 years; home is Papatoetoe with his wife and two children. A Justice of the Peace, marriage celebrant and chairperson of the Supreme Sikh Council of NZ, he is a strong advocate for Papatoetoe.
"Election is important to me because we always blame others once it is over. Instead of blaming those who are already in position, those who think they can do better should come forward. Now is the time. We need people who listen to the community and can take their concerns back to the authority.
"We want to hear from the candidates  what more they can do. But only promise what they can deliver and can do to the best of their knowledge and abilities. Some people are making too many promises that are impossible to achieve. They should have a better understanding of their community."
Frank Walton, 59, married with three adult children, has lived in Manurewa for 25 years. An education lecturer  at Auckland University, two of his children are teachers. Mr Walton and his family are long-time members of Manurewa Baptist Church where he serves as a church elder.
His concerns as Auckland reshapes are that everyone has continued access to libraries and community facilities such as swimming pools and that an emphasis is put on continuing education.
"Here there's a need for second-chance education. In a low socio-economic area, education is one way people can change their life position. There are a lot of immigrants, people for whom English is a second language and who need assistance in getting started."
What it's all about
October's local body elections represent a historic moment for our region. For the first time voters from Te Arai Pt to Pukekohe, from Piha to the Pohutukawa Coast will choose one Mayor and council. They will also choose the members of 21 local boards.
The Aucklander's readers will know we have not been impressed with the way Prime Minister John Key and his handpicked Local Government Minister, Rodney Hide, have gone about this process.
However, we have drawn a line under that argument. It's time to make the best of a very badly botched job. We urge every qualified Aucklander to vote in the polls. And here's how we will put the "local" into these local body elections:
Each of our four editions - North, West, Central, South - has mustered a panel of six "Voices of the Community".
They comprise grassroots leaders like school principals or board chairs; perhaps a community board member who is not standing for re-election; officials of major sports clubs, elderly and social support groups, and everyday Aucklanders.
Each edition's panel reflects the residents of the wards in its area.
Each participant has affirmed they are not aligned to, or supporting a predetermined candidate or bloc.
Their role will be to watch the election issues in their local area and in the regional council and mayoral election.
We will go to them several times during the campaign for a snapshot of what's happening in their area, and how they perceive the trends in the regional campaign - as observers, not as political pundits or forecasters.
We will return to them for their reactions after the vote. You'll read their thoughts in coming issues of The Aucklander and on this website.