Video: Systems in Hastings District Council that don't work for communities a focus for candidate
Systems in Hastings District Council that are not working for communities are the focus for a candidate in the Council’s upcoming Heretaunga by-election.
Sarah Greening Smith, who was born and bred in Whakatu, says her background in retail has made her realise the importance of having systems in place.
Greening-Smith is standing in the Hastings District Council Heretaunga Ward by-election. She is up against six other candidates - Brendan Grant, Hana Montaperto-Hendry, Shona Brewer, Tāwhana Chadwick, Melanie Petrowski and Geoff Downer.
Greening-Smith says that one thing that is not working is the industrial encroachment on our community.
“Industry is allowed to grow out here, but we are not allowed to build any more homes. They will not give us any more residential space. Industrial encroachment is not just on our community, but communities like Twyford, they'll begin to look at that.”
“Industrial encroachment and the lack of a robust risk management plan in the light of cyclone recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle. There really was no risk management plan for any of the outer suburbs other than Central Hastings itself. And all the outer suburbs, all of them from Omahu to Bridge Pa, to Pakowhai, out here to Whakatu, Te Awanga, Haumoana, all have large bodies of water.”
She questioned why there wasn't a risk management plan in place “because we had the foresight enough to measure the disaster that could happen”.
“We've got a 10-year disaster, a 20-year disaster, 50 years, 100 years, so we knew enough to quantify that these are the times where disaster would happen. Why did we not have plans in place that we could quantify those times when disasters happen? “
Greening-Smith said that if she is voted in she would begin looking at more robust plans.
“There are conversations around the environment, very real ones, climate change, very real conversations around that.”
“I raised five children on $23,000 a year for 10 years, so I'm grassroots. All we need to know is that there's a plan out there and what it is, what our part is in that plan.”
“The saddest thing I saw in cyclone recovery was that there were no plans, really, that were working all together, which is when you saw our marae, our communities, all split up and just try to do what they can to help each other through the crisis.”
Asked how she would cut through the bureaucracy of Council, Greening-Smith said that bureaucracy was necessary because “we work with legislation and we work with laws”.
“We always have to make sure what we're saying and what we're deciding on is in line with any laws that we need to uphold. However, I would cut through the bureaucracy with asking for continuous and robust community engagement. On whatever we decide, we must make sure that there is robust community engagement.”
“Has there been? I can only speak for my community, I would have to say it would be nice to have more. I would presume by the responses from Pakowhai that they might like a bit more community engagement. That's my short answer to bureaucracy.”
Asked why people should vote for her, Greening-Smith said it was because of her track record of hard work in her community.
“My name is known for hard work. I am not afraid to ask hard questions, and I'm also not afraid to take accountability. I have an interest in not only te ao Māori, but I'm also on a board that represents multicultural ethnic communities. I was part of organising the International Cultures Day recently. So I believe a vote for me is a vote for the collective in our district right now.”
The Hastings District Council says that with voting papers delivered to letterboxes of eligible voters (Heretaunga and Takitimu wards) around May 2. Voting papers must be returned by noon on the closing date: May 24.
More information on the process, including candidate information and nomination forms, will be made available before February 29 here: hastingsdc.govt.nz/our-council/elections
Watch the accompanying video to see the interview with Sarah Greening-Smith.
