DATE: 17 September 2007
PRESS RELEASE

Mayor Hopefuls Keen But Are They Green?

Manukau City's environmental voters have issued a challenge to their Mayoral candidates. South Auckland's Royal Forest and Bird Protection Society is forwarding on a challenge to all 11 Mayor hopefuls in the upcoming local body election. The society, on behalf of its many members and the voters, wants the candidates to come clean on whether they're green or just keen.

"There are so many crucial environmental issues facing our city right now, and our voters want to hear where our next mayor stands. We've got increasing air pollution and degraded streams, loss of native habitats and native wildlife, stalled sustainable transport options, deaths from vehicle emissions, rural land destruction (eg Beachlands-Maraetai area and Clevedon Village) just to name a few," said Society Chairperson Mr Dene Andre.

"Not one of these candidates has taken the time or trouble to approach Forest & Bird to discuss the environmental needs of the city so we don't know whether they're committed to improving our environment and protecting biodiversity or whether they'll continue with the unconstrained development that's been the policy of the current administration."

"The present Council's recent decision to favour the Wairoa River Maritime Village is an example of the city fostering development at the expense of the environment. We need better than that. It's important that Manukau gets a new Mayor with a clear environmental vision," said Mr Andre.

At the behest of the Executive Committee of Forest & Bird, Mr Andre is in the process of issuing a list of questions he thinks the Mayoral hopefuls should answer publicly so that voters can tell whether they're truly green or merely keen.

Some of the key questions will be:
1. What, in your view, are the three main environmental challenges for Manukau City?
2. What measures do you support to protect Murphy's Bush from the effects of encroaching development?
3. How are you going to protect the Beachlands-Maraetai area and Clevedon Village from loss of rural land and the loss of village character?
4. How are you going to fund environmental improvements such as removing concrete channels and returning streams to a natural state?

The Society will be collating the answers and reporting back to the City before the close of the election. "The answers we get back will be a good indicator of how Manukau and its environment is likely to fare in the next 3 years under a new Mayor," said Mr Andre.

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