Candidate Andrea Beard standing for Papakura Local Board shares some of her experiences from the Campaign Trail. 

For me, standing for the local board isn’t just about campaigning, but proving what can be done. After serving as a local community organiser in Papakura, where I worked to bring neighbourhoods together on civil emergency planning and preparedness. I felt it was the right time to stand for public office so I can promote greater community engagement across the district. 

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to meet with local shopkeepers and listen to the issues they are facing on the main street. My ‘Walk the Talk’ exercise certainly proved rewarding, not only understanding the challenges, but also getting the opportunity to hear some great feedback and fresh ideas on how to improve things across the district. 

Many shop keepers expressed their appreciation for simply being asked, with some even noting it was the first time they had been approached. This reinforced my belief that the Councillors should spend more time engaging with our communities. 

During my visit with the main street retailers I carried out a brief survey on issues they are faced with. 

The three most concerning issues for retailers were: 

1. Cost-of-living pressures (at work and at home.) 

2. Homelessness and people struggling with mental health issues. 3. Crime, including reduced policing of shop lifting ($500 threshold for police attendance)

These serious issues highlight just how urgent the situation has become. They make it clear that the Council must step up and work far more closely with Police and other authorities to tackle these problems and bring real relief to the community. 

As a candidate, I recognise Councils’ responsibility to control expenditure, but also firmly believe there is more scope to achieve greater savings. Too often we see council-funded initiatives that deliver little real-benefit to residents, from underused projects and an overabundance of traffic control measures, to excessive spending for cocktail events in the suburbs. By keeping rates and expenses under control, this can ease the cost-of-living pressures, and better support the people and businesses who are keeping our communities thriving. 

I believe that councillors should engage more regularly with residents and that decisions should not be assumed or made in isolation, but should be guided by the views and feedback of the public. For example, some candidates were advocating for retaining weekly rather than fortnightly rubbish collections without considering public opinion. Council has a very robust process to trial this change. Previously, Council voted overwhelmingly to consult publicly on having a

six-month trial of the weekly rubbish collections, allowing residents to have their say rather than imposing a single approach. 

I am committed to ensure that community views are gathered through an informed process before decisions are made. 

“I stand for a council where peoples’ voices guide decisions, not assumptions and shortcuts.”

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