Comment from Margaret Stevenson-Wright: candidate for the Waikanae Community Board.
A huge thank to Aldous MacIvor, MC Mike Smith – their assisting team and sponsor New World Waikanae for facilitating yesterday’s meeting.
The high number of residents present signalled to me a real community intention to determine the degree to which any candidate really understood the challenges facing Waikanae and the skills that they would bring to address these.
It bodes well for Kāpiti and specifically for Waikanae that there are a number of experienced, skilled people who can translate strategy into relevant action standing for the role of Mayor, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Councillors and Community Board.
The degree to which those elected are committed to partnering with local expertise will be a crucial factor in the survival of Waikanae.
Our next Waikanae Community Board cannot assume that it singularly holds all of the answers or the skills to identify emergent issues.
It will need the capability to manage strong community centred consultation that enables local expertise to lead both planning and decision making. To enable less invites risk and unintended consequences.
It will need to ably represent and advocate for Waikanae in the area of Council and Government agencies.
I have proven experience in the effective management of both community centred consultation and meaningful collaboration across local authorities, Government agencies and other groups vital to economic development and the protection of our natural and cultural resources.
I invite you to invest in the contribution that I can make.
Margaret Stevenson-Wright
