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AUCKLAND
CITY COUNCIL MAYOR SUPPORTS PACIFIC BODY |
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By Asenati Lole-Taylor |
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Auckland City's new Mayor
Dick Hubbard, and Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker have given their
commitment towards the establishment of a Pacific Island advisory
council within the Auckland City.
The commitment is in response to a request from Samoa Auckland City
(SAC), the main group who recently came together and asked the
Auckland City Council’s indulgence in strengthening and promoting a
much closer relationship with Auckland’s local Pacific Island
community.
The "Samoa Auckland City (SAC)" is chaired (taitaifono) by Rev.
Asora Amosa, with Asenati Lole-Taylor as the executive secretariat (failutusi
aoao). Its main objective being to promote a much better and
sustainable economic growth and social development for Pacific
peoples living in the Auckland City area, the largest Polynesian
city in the world.
A number of ‘fono’ between the Mayor, Galumalemana Dick Hubbard and
the Samoa Auckland City have taken place to discuss the formation of
a Pacific governance body in the Auckland City Council. Fortunately,
there had been some work already done in 2001 in this area, but was
removed from council plans when John Bank was elected Mayor.
An assurance of a much improved communication and consultative
process was given by the Mayor Mr Dick Hubbard and his deputy Dr
Bruce Hucker as a start to implementing these initiatives.
In addition to the draft annual plan consultation ‘fono’ for Pacific
Island, more ‘fono’ between Council and key community leaders are
scheduled where Council will engage the Pacific Island communities
in discussing further actions required to be undertaken by council
for the Pacific Island Governance body to be formalized.
It was absolutely obvious from the public consultation ‘fono’ that
Pacific Island communities in the Auckland City area want to have a
voice in their local government "Auckland City", and the Deputy
Mayor Rev. Dr. Bruce Hucker acknowledged this favourably.
The main focus right now is to ensure that the governance body is
formed and formalized by 1st October 2005. Council has made
provision for appropriate funding to be allocated for the
establishment of this Pacific Island Governance body. The Samoa |
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Pacific Islands community leaders in the Auckland City Council
area following a meeting with Mayor Galumalemana Dick Hubbard to
establish a Pacific Advisory Council.
(Photo: Asenati Lole-Taylor) |
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Auckland Deputy Mayor Rev. Dr. Bruce Hucker and Councillor Penny
Sefuiva with Samoa Auckland City’s Rev. Asora Amosa, Asenati
Lole-Taylor and Masuisui JR Pereira.
(Photo: Asenati Lole-Taylor)
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Deputy Mayor Rev. Dr. Bruce Hucker and staff of Auckland City
taking part in the Auckland City Draft Annual Plan consultation
fono with Pacific people in the Auckland City.
(Photo: Asenati Lole-Taylor) |
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Auckland City group is
aware that this governance body will focus on all Pacific Islands
people, not just Samoan, and is pleased to see the positive progress
already been made.
Deputy Mayor Bruce Hucker continues to meet with members of the
Samoa Auckland City to discuss all aspects required to ensure the
establishment of the Pacific Island Governance body, whether it be a
"council" or a "board" is carried out successfully.
Because the Samoa Auckland City Executive Committee is a
non-for-profit organization, Mayor Dick Hubbard has shown his
support by providing it with office space from which to work from.
The Mayor of Auckland has confirmed that he would expect regular
consultations with the Samoa Auckland City committee every three
months with the view to encouraging the Pacific Island community to
take a more serious approach to better education for their people.
He also expressed the need for more Samoans and Pacific people to be
sitting on Auckland’s local City Councils in the future.
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Copyright Event Polynesia Ltd.
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