Press Release – announcing the People’s Choice Burwood Pegasus Council and Community Board Candidates

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

The People’s Choice is pleased to announce that selections for candidates to contest the Council and Community Board seats in the Burwood Pegasus ward have been finalised, with Robyn Nuthall joining incumbent Councillor Glenn Livingstone as his running mate.

“Robyn brings an exciting and incisive approach to the campaign and will be invaluable on the Christchurch City Council if she is elected”, says Cr. Livingstone. “Robyn’s depth of experience in reforming and improving local authority performance is hugely valuable right now.”

Robyn says “Christchurch householders deserve better than they're getting now, and the City Council can has been trying to manage and budget as if there is no major change facing the city.

“Unless the City focuses its budgets, structures and performance management on recovery, then the people of Christchurch will continue to see service failures, like the one we are seeing now in building consents.”

"CERA has a five year life span, and should be handing control back to the three territorial authorities within this coming electoral cycle. When that happens the Christchurch City Council should be ready, from councillors down.

“Going on current performance and obfuscation we will not be ready, and that would be a tragedy for Christchurch.”

Robyn, who has worked at The Press, TVNZ, ECAN, and CPIT, had a successful career in the UK from 2002 to 2012 as a management consultant specialising in improving the performance and services of English and Welsh local authorities. Robyn attended South New Brighton Primary School, Linwood Intermediate, Christchurch Girl's High School and Burnside High School. She graduated from Canterbury University with a BSc (Hons) in biochemistry and an MBA, and she trained as a secondary teacher at the then Christchurch Teacher’s College.

The People's Choice is a Christchurch local body political grouping that allows independents, members of the Labour Party and other political parties, who share similar values to work together for a common vision. That vision stresses the importance of social justice, the environment, community development and democratic participation.

The group has selected a strong group of community board candidates, led by the experienced community board member, Tim Baker.

Tim Baker

Tim is a local activist and diligent community board member. In the past 3 years he has helped set up and run the Aranui Welfare Centre, helped with EQC, insurance, Red Zone, and TC3 issues along with community facilities.

As a Community Board member, Tim has been involved in residents meetings, Eastside Recreation Centre Committee, traffic issues, CERA updates, flooding issues, housing, Disaster Preparedness Plan Committee, and much more. He has also been involved in Aranui Primary Board of Trustees and attended over 50 school merger meetings.

Tim supports the council process on the issue of an aquatics and recreation centre to replace QE11 and will push for the continuation of Council housing. He supports progression of the New Brighton Master Plan and the Avon/Otakaro River Park. These must be practical, addressing flood foundation levels.

Mary McCammon

Mary McCammon is very well known as a children’s theatre performer. She has performed with her husband, Kerry, as Natural Magic for the last 30 years. For 10 years, she co-ordinated the New Brighton Project, helping to develop the New Brighton Community Gardens, Museum, Art Gallery, Community Markets and Movie Club. She is currently the community worker at Te Waka Aroha.

“I want to represent Burwood Pegasus to the Council, as a listener and an advocate: hearing what constituents have to say and learning ways to help with the problems and to support the community initiatives that this time of crisis has stimulated,” says Mary.

Mary aims to promote warm, affordable houses for everyone; enhance community safety, connectedness and well-being by working with Police, community and council; and to make our streets safe, our centres vibrant. “I will support all those working to build a caring, sustainable, innovative and prosperous community we can all be proud of,” says Mary.

Andrea Cummings

Andrea Cummings has been recognised by the city with a Civic Award for her work in the North New Brighton community in the immediate aftermath of the February earthquake.

Six days after the February Earthquake she stood outside her business in North New Brighton and watched a man wash his dishes in the gutter.

“In that moment I decided to do something to help, so started and ran a welfare centre feeding up to 8,000 people a day,” said Andrea.

Andrea is self-employed in the accounting field and has a Geology Degree and Diploma in Ministry. “This broad skill set has enabled me to help with recovery issues like housing, flood zones, and school changes,” she says.

Currently Andrea serves on the Boards of Rebuild Christchurch, Avondale School and the 100-Day Housing Group.

Marty Leith

A Burwood resident since 1981, married to AnneMarie for 38yrs, with three adult children and three grandchildren, Marty has chosen to spend his working life focusing on the welfare of people in social work, management and advisory roles. He recently worked at Christchurch Supergrans co-ordinating volunteers and since the earthquakes he has worked as community social worker with the elderly .

Local community involvement is a long standing passion. Marty has been on the Burwood Kindergarten Committee and was Club Captain of Burwood Soccer Club. Currently he is on the Board of PEEEPS, a community based initiative to maintain walkways and beaches throughout the Ward.

Marty says, “I offer a balanced viewpoint, based on honesty and sound consultation, and a commitment to ensuring the Pegasus Burwood Ward has strong advocacy in the redevelopment, and the mix of services and facilities that meet the needs of everyone in the community.”

Alistair Knewstubb

Alistair Knewstubb was born in the Burwood Pegasus ward and has lived here ever since. Alistair attended South New Brighton School and then Linwood College. He is now studying Philosophy, Political Science and Psychology at the University of Canterbury.

“This community has given much to me personally and has so much to offer our future generations, says Alistair “Promoting and cultivating values that support the growth of local communities’ ability to participate in democratic decision-making should be a priority for local government.”

Alistair has Samoan, European and British heritage and has great enthusiasm for supporting multicultural activities and events.

ENDS

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