Aucklanders Need Information On Super City

Manukau Mayor Len Brown is calling on the Auckland Transition Authority to put much more effort into informing and educating Aucklanders about the upcoming super-city elections.

“We are less than 80 days from voters getting their ballot papers, but there is poor understanding of the new Auckland structure. There is general awareness of the amalgamation but little understanding beyond that. I challenge the ATA to do something more comprehensive and much more innovative than we have ever seen before.

“Given the significance of the changes in Auckland and the challenges facing us, an education campaign needs to reach all our communities - this will mean use of mainstream media as well as radio, public meetings and so forth. It means reaching out in languages other than English and sending material to workplaces and homes.

“The ATA have access to the budgets all Councils had for this purpose. Central government should also go beyond its usual effort to encourage voter registration and match the ATA’s spending on an Auckland-specific awareness raising effort.

“An education drive will help to overcome this while also serve as a reminder to people to make sure they’re on the electoral roll.

“If people want to have a say on the future of their communities – their swimming pools, libraries, and public assets like the airport shares and the port – then they need to be informed and they need to vote.

“We’ve got to make sure young people are involved in the process this year. The decisions that are made today around delivering better public transport, economic development, how we create an exciting city and how we protect the environment will affect them for years to come.

“I’ll be doing everything I can to make sure people are enrolled to vote this year and understand the issues facing our region.”

Mr Brown said people can check their enrolment by calling 0800 ENROL NOW (0800 36 76 56), or free texting your name and address to 3676, from any PostShop or by visiting www.elections.org.nz

ENDS

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