Make your vote count!
Find out which Auckland Local Body mayoral, council and local board candidates support saving the trees on the maunga (volcanic cones)
By way of background, the ratepayer-funded co-governance body Tūpuna Maunga Authority wants to rid Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s volcanic cones (maunga) of all exotic and some native trees. They had already felled hundreds on three maunga and were about to destroy Ōwairaka Mt Albert’s 345 non-native trees when locals intervened and formed Honour the Maunga. See here for an explanatory article if this issue is new to you, and also this article.
Another community group - Respect Mt Richmond Ōtāhuhu - has formed to protect Ōtāhuhu Mt Richmond’s 443 exotic trees from Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s chainsaws.
Over the past 3 years we have been shocked at some of the elected representatives’ obstructive and anti-democratic behaviour in relation to this issue. Those elected “representatives” refused to engage with community members who are concerned about the environmental impact of felling so many healthy mature trees. Worse still, some actively worked to undermine us and silence our voices. Fortunately, some elected representatives have been very supportive of saving the trees so we are hoping they and more others like them will be elected this time round.
So, we asked the following question to all mayoral and council candidates, and candidates for some local boards: “If you are elected, would you support Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s decision to fell the maunga trees - yes or no?”
However, we didn’t waste time contacting anybody standing on either a Labour or Labour-aligned ticket such as City Vision because they all vote as a block on most issues, including the maunga tree one. This means a vote for anybody on one of those tickets is a vote for destroying the maunga trees.
And speaking of voting, it’s tempting to think “why bother?” when it comes to local body elections. Please do vote because past records show that a few hundred votes often makes the difference between a candidate succeeding and failing - so your vote will definitely count!
So, if the maunga tree issue is important to your voting decision making, then see below for a list of who supports felling the maunga trees and who wants to save them:
- 16-21 September: Voting opens 16 September - papers sent to enrolled voters
- 8 October: Voting closes at 12 noon > progress results published
- 9 October: Preliminary results published
- 13 October: Final results published
Click on these links to ‘jump’ to candidates in your area. We will add to this list as we find out what their views are in relation to felling / saving the maunga trees:
Auckland Council candidates by ward
Local Board candidates by ward / subdivision
Auckland Council local body election candidate answers as of 3 October
Important note - it is now too late to post your vote. See here for voting box drop-off locations.
Mayoral candidates (in alphabetical order)
STOP PRESS! Mayoral poll result 22 September showed it’s going to be a very close race. The results for the top three candidates were: Wayne Brown 28%, Efeso Collins 26%, Craig Lord 8%. However, 44% are still undecided so please make your vote count in support of saving the maunga trees! Subsequent polls also suggest similar results.
Efeso COLLINS (Labour)
John ALCOCK
Wayne BROWN
Ted JOHNSTON
John LEHMANN
Craig LORD
Michael MORRIS
Further details to be added once candidates views are known
Click on the image to watch the video interviews conducted on 19 and 20 September
Auckland Council candidates by ward
Tūpuna Maunga Authority’s Auckland Council representatives are drawn from wards that have maunga in them, so - for logistical reasons - we have prioritised asking candidates from those particular wards. Where we can, we have also found out where candidates from other wards stand on the issue.
If we couldn’t get hold of the candidate / they didn’t respond / or they told us they had not decided then we did not enter their names below.
In any case, no matter which ward you are voting in, if saving the maunga trees matters then please do not vote for either City Vison or Labour candidates because a vote for them equals a vote for cutting down the trees.
* = Wards with maunga in them
Albany
Details to be added once candidates' views are known
John DAVIES (Communities First)
Wayne WALKER (Independent)
John WATSON (Independent)
Further details to be added once candidates views are known
Albert-Eden-Puketāpapa
- Auckland Council Candidates*
Maunga in this ward are:
* Maungawhau Mt Eden
* Ōwairaka Mt Albert
* Puketāpapa Mt Roskill
* Te Tātua a Riukiuta Big King
* Te Kōpuke Mt St John
Julie FAIREY (City Vision)
Red TSOUNGA (City Vision)
Stewart BROWN (Independent)
Chris FLETCHER (C&R Communities and Residents)
Will McKENZIE (C&R Communities and Residents)
Franklin
Details to be added once candidates' views are known
Details to be added once candidates' views are known
Howick*
Maunga in this ward are:
* Ōhuiarangi / Pigeon Mountain
Details to be added once candidates' views are known
Sharon STEWART (Independent)
Morgan XIAO
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Manukau*
Maunga in this ward are:
* Te Pane o-Mataoho Mangere
* Matukutūruru Wiri Mountain
Alf FILIPAINA (Labour) - Is a current Tupuna Maunga Authority member, and actively supports the tree felling
Lotu FULI (Labour)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Malcolm TURNER (C&R Communities and Ratepayers)
Details to be added once candidates' views are known
Manurewa-Papakura
Angela DALTON
Sago FEAGAIGA (Labour
Illango KRISHNAMOORTHY (Labour)
Daniel NEWMAN (Manurewa-Papakura Action Team)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki*
- Auckland Council candidates
Maunga in this ward are:
* Maungakiekie One Tree Hill
* Maungarei Mt Wellington
* Ōtāhuhu Mt Richmond
* Rarotonga Mt Smart
Josephine BARTLEY (Labour) - Is a current Tupuna Maunga Authority member and actively supports the tree felling
Troy ELLIOTT (Communities and Residents)
John PEEBLES (Independent)
North Shore*
Maunga in this ward are:
* Takarunga Mt Victoria
* Maungauika North Head
Chris DARBY (For the Shore)
Richard HILLS (A Positive Voice for the Shore)
Further details to be added once candidate' views are confirmed
Danielle GRANT (Citizens and Residents)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are confirmed
Ōrākei*
Maunga in this ward are:
* Ōhinerau Mt Hobson
-
Faith AARON (Independent)
Desley SIMPSON (Communities and Residents)
Rodney
Details to be added once candidates views confirmed
Anne PERRATT (Independent)
Greg SAYERS (Independent)
Further details to be added once candidates' views confirmed
Waitākere
Linda COOPER (Independent)
Shane HENDERSON (Labour)
Further details to be added once candidates' views confirmed
Ken TURNER (WestWards)
Further details to be added once candidates' views confirmed
Waitematā and Gulf
Pippa COOM (City Vision)
Mike BURTON (Rock the Vote)
Mike LEE (Independent)
Whau
Kerrin LEONI (Labour)
Tracy MULHOLLAND (C&R) Communities and Residents)
Local board candidates by ward / subdivision
Researching local board candidates’ views is a massive job, so we will only be researching candidates for some boards (particularly those with maunga in them) and will add others as time permits. If saving the maunga trees matters then please do not vote for either City Vison or Labour candidates because a vote for them equals a vote for cutting down the trees.
Albert-Eden Local Board
- Maungawhau Subdivision*
Benji FRASER (City Vision)
Luke JOHNSON (City Vision)
Suveen SANIS WALGAMPOLA (City Vision)
Chrystal THOMPSON (City Vision)
Further details to be added once other candidates' views are known
Shayne LA ROSA (Rock the Vote)
Kendyl SMITH (C&R Communities and Residents)
Rex SMITH (C&R Communities and Residents)
Jack TAN (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added as candidates' views are known
Albert-Eden Local Board
- Ōwairaka Subdivision*
Julia MASKILL (City Vision)
Liv ROE (City Vision)
Christina ROBERTSON (City Vision)
Margi WATSON (City Vision)
Further details to be added once other candidates' views are known
Jake CURRAN (C&R Communities and Residents)
Will McKENZIE (C&R Communities and Residents)
Thomas SAYERS (C&R Communities and Residents)
Olivia WITNEY (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Devonport Takapuna Local Board*
Toni VAN TONDER (A Fresh Approach) - Is a current Tupuna Maunga Authority member who actively supports the tree felling
Further details to be added once other candidates' views are known
Cherie KEILLER (SOS - Save Our Shore)
Mike SINGLE (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added as candidates' views become known
Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board*
Tauanu'u Nick BAKULICH (Labour)
Harry FATU TOLEAFOA (Labour)
Joe GLASSIE-RASMUSSEN (Labour)
Makalita KOLO (Labour)
Christine Frances O'BRIEN (Labour)
Papaliitele Lafulafu PEO (Labour) Togiatolu Walter TOGIAMUA (Labour)
Further details will be added as candidates' views become known.
Moana HEREWINI (Independent)
Michelle HOHEPA
Malcolm TURNER (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added as candidates' views become known
Manurewa Local Board
Gadiel ASIATA (Labour)
Sago FEAGAIGA (Labour)
Jonaan MCLEOD (Labour)
Raniera PENE (Labour)
Kharag SINGH (Labour)
Namulau'ulu Anne SINGH (Labour)
Kirimangu TAUTOGIA (Labour)
Further details to be added once other candidates' views are known
Ani ARMSTRONG (Independent)
Further details to be added as candidates' views become known
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board
- Maungakiekie subdivision*
Dianna FUKA (City Vision)
Chhaya RANA (City Vision)
Danika REVELL (City Vision)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Don ALLAN (C&R Communities and Residents)
Debbie BURROWS (C&R Communities and Residents)
Details to be added once candidate' views are known
Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board
- Tāmaki subdivision*
Nerissa HENRY (Labour)
Chris MAKOARE (Labour) - Is a current Tupuna Maunga Authority member and actively supports the tree felling
Peter MCGLASHAN (Labour)
Maria MEREDITH (Labour)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Details to be added once candidate' views are known
Ōrakei Local Board*
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Faith AARON (Independent)
Scott MILNE (C&R Communities and Ratepayers)
Mary NELSON
Further details to be added as candidates' views become known
Papakura Local Board
Warren NEWCOMBE (Independent)
Pania WILSON (Labour)
Further details to be added once other candidates' views are known
Karin KERR
Mel BROWNE (Independent)
Further details to be added once candidates views confirmed
Puketāpapa Local Board*
ALL Roskill Community Voice candidates (Roskill Community Voice = City Vision):
Roseanne HAY (C&R Communities and Residents)
Ella KUMAR (C&R Communities and Residents)
Fiona LAI (C&R Communities and Residents)
Tili LEILUA (C&R Communities and Residents)
Mark PERVAN (C&R Communities and Residents)
Neil PUNJA (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added once candidates’ views confirmed
Waitematā Local Board
Alexandra BONHAM (City Vision)
Glenda FRYER (City Vision)
Stephen MAY (City Vision)
Richard NORTHEY (City Vision)
Rosemary PEPPERMINT (City Vision)
Antony PHILLIPS (City Vision)
Anahera RAWIRI (City Vision)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known
Gael BALDOCK (Independent)
Shayne LA ROSA (Rock the Vote)
Pete MARSHALL (Rock the Vote)
Alan MATSON (C&R Communities and Residents)
Grant MOUNTJOY (Rock the Vote)
Genevieve SAGE (C&R Communities and Residents)
Sarah TROTMAN (C&R Communities and Residents)
Further details to be added once candidates' views are known