We have 11 candidates for the 6 elected positions on the committee. The candidates’ names and bios are below. Voting is now open.
To vote you first need to be a member. Please register on the GLRA website (Membership) to join as a member if you are not already one (i.e if you have not registered on the site before or you did not sign up at the inaugural meeting).
An email will be sent shortly to all registered members with the SurveyMonkey link to the voting form.
Voting closes at 4:00 PM this Friday.
The link to the voting form can be accessed at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BPLHL85
Jennifer Burns
Jennifer has lived in Grey Lynn for over three decades. She has also worked in Grey Lynn first at Grey Lynn Primary and then later as a solicitor at the Grey Lynn Neighbourhood Law Office. Jennifer worked for the Brisbane Council on their Unitary Plan – Brisbane 2030. Jennifer has a long and deep connection with Grey Lynn and the people who live in the suburb. She is passionate both about the people and the place. She is currently working as a solicitor for the Ministry of Economic Development. Jennifer is pro the GLRA and believes she can make a positive contribution to our community as a committee member.
Simon Keely
Born in Devonport Auckland
Educated Kristin College, and Lincoln University Currently self-employed, Event Management
I have lived in Grey Lynn for a period of 3 years, Westmere and Point Chevalier, prior to that.
I feel a close connection to the area as I did growing up in Devonport. My family’s history in retaining and preserving Devonport’s Ngataringa Bay and its environment is a similar approach to what needs to be done here, in Grey Lynn.
I feel very passionately about Auckland’s development and the shape that this may take. Auckland is a growing city and has the potential to grow into one of the great cities worldwide. But, it must develop into a city that considers its inhabitants, and its community.
If indeed Auckland is to be re-zoned it must be done with due diligence, care, and consultation with each local community.
I would relish the opportunity to express views of the Grey Lynn community to ensure that council hear our voice and consider Grey Lynn as an iconic area that needs to be heard, protected and appreciated.
Katie Sutherland
I am a resident of Arch Hill and active in the Arch Hill community. I am one of the people instrumental in setting up the Arch Hill residents association and a proud promoter of the unique character of Arch Hill and Grey Lynn suburbs.
I am actively involved with my community, at present working on submissions to ensure that Arch Hill retains it’s character rather than become a commercial corridor for big business. I am part of a co-ordinating team and have excellent skills in communication and collaboration. I work in HR and believe I can represent Arch Hill as part of the Grey Lynn Residents Association competently
Dan Salmon
Dan Salmon is an award-winning screen director and producer who lives in Grey Lynn. His governance experience includes six years on the Richmond Road School Board of Trustees and over a decade on the Board of the Screen Director’s Guild of New Zealand, with three years as President. His time on the BOT has given him insight into many of the issues facing our area over the next decade: traffic and pedestrian issues, provision of local facilities, projected population growth and the neighbourhood’s changing demographic. Through his children he is involved in a number of local sports clubs, and three local schools. He is a partner in Octopus Pictures Ltd and lives in Grey Lynn with his wife Tash, three school-aged children, and a collection of old boats, books and bikes.
Dan supports the concept of a cohesive community that provides a safe and caring environment while respecting Grey Lynn’s wonderful diversity, and its social and architectural history. He believes in open and clear communication, fairness, consultative local government and a strong voice for the community. He sees some population growth as inevitable, but would advocate for a consensus on ways to manage intensification so that it doesn’t come at a cost to local community, infrastructure or heritage.
Jamie Hosking
Jamie Hosking has been a Grey Lynn resident since 2003, and lives in Dryden St with his wife and three sons. He is a medical doctor working at the University of Auckland, and is involved in research on the effects of urban design and transport on the health and wellbeing of communities. He wants to see Grey Lynn’s character and heritage more strongly protected, and wants to see intensification proceed in a way that maximises the benefits and minimises the risks for the local community.
Liz Hancock
I’m a freelance journalist/writer/editor who returned from the UK a couple of years ago, after 15-years working for the likes of The Sunday Times, Sunday Telegraph, British Vogue, i-D magazine and GQ. I write on lifestyle, the environment and trend forecasting, and for over a decade have compiled large research reports for the likes of City of Melbourne, American Express and Microsoft, working with influential strategy and trends agency, The Future Laboratory. I’m 40-years old, married, and have two kids – a 6-year old who’s at Grey Lynn Primary School, and a bonkers toddler. I helped to co- found the Grey Lynn Residents Association because I think we live in an amazing wee corner of Auckland with incredible culture and heritage, and I wanted to help protect that and give residents a voice.
Graham Dunster
Graham grew up in London and has an extensive background in the media having worked for various commercial television stations sales offices, all in London’s West End, and Gibson Group in Wellington.
He first arrived in New Zealand in 1977 finally settling here permanently in 1989 when he set up Auckland Actors. He has been fortunate to be involved with most of the successful NZ films and television dramas since then. Becoming an actors agent has given Graham the opportunity to work with innumerable talented individuals across the industry and to represent many actors and actresses, some of whom – Lucy Lawless, Karl Urban, Erik Thomson and Antony Starr – have been fortunate to go on to reap national and international acclaim. He was privileged to be working with Keisha Castle-Hughes at the start of her career and experienced the Oscar madness surrounding her nomination. He is a founding member of the Actors Agents Association of New Zealand and a board member of Film Auckland.
Graham has lived in Schofield Street, Grey Lynn since January 1990 and is a keen supporter of the suburb’s multifaceted existence which he is keen to see continue.
He is prepared to serve on the GLRA committee in either an elected or appointed position, if that is the Association’s wish.
Philip Walsh
I returned to NZ at the end of 2008 after 15 years living in London and chose to settle back in Grey Lynn. I am an optometrist with a Specsavers business based in Lynn Mall in New Lynn and my partner is a teacher at Kelston Boys. We have 2 cats, Rangi and Toto, who are more well known in the neighbourhood than either Malcolm or I.
We chose the area for its convenience to the city, its proximity to other facilities and its mix of beautiful heritage housing and more dense inner city living. In fact initially we lived in Summerfield Villas which, despite its build issues, was a great place to live and an example of how good more intensive housing can work well. My partner and I were keen to be able to walk to a supermarket, a bar or a café and have public transport available that meant we didn’t catch the Auckland disease of getting into the car every time we left the house. Grey Lynn has proven to be a good choice.
Having spent many years living in a city that fits 6x the population into the same area as Auckland I understand the need for some intensification but for me that needs to be done without destroying the heritage and character of the community we live in. Certainly big cities like London have conservation at the heart of all city development. I always abhorred the rampant market driven policies that allowed the unfettered development of poor quality buildings in Auckland in the 1990s and enjoy the prospect of helping to represent our neighbourhood in ensuring that experience is not repeated.
Jeanine Stanley
I have a degree with a politics minor and I used to work at the Auckland City Council and had a lot of successful creative input. I also worked for the Education Department at Auckland University along with the Ministry of Education – Once again with strong creative input. I am aware of the cultural diversity in the area as I also used to teach at St Pauls College – Once again with strong creative input.
Chris Patterson
I am a 40 years old father of two boys at Grey Lynn Primary. Pip and I have been married for 8 years. We moved into Grey Lynn at the beginning of 2010 after living in Westmere and spending over a year searching for a good family home in the Grey Lynn School zone. I am a social member of the Grey Lynn Bowling Club. I also manage a flippa ball team at Grey Lynn Primary. Outside of my family life I have been running a legal practice for over twelve years and I now have a team of eight. I have been a board member of Basketball New Zealand since 2011. Grey Lynn has undergone significant changes in the past twenty years. The next twenty will be challenging due to the ever increasing pressure of population growth and limited public money. The Grey Lynn Residents Association is a great asset and voice for Grey Lynn. I would like to help the Association during its first couple of years to represent the interests of the most vibrant suburb in the country.
Mark Maiden
I am 49 years old and have been Grey Lynn/ Westmere resident for only one year. Within that year however I have never felt more at home or a sense of belonging as much I do here. My background is in building and construction and I am currently the Managing Director of Koolfoam Industries ltd which is located in Manakau. My skills and knowledge, within the building industry, and owning and managing a successful manufacturing business I feel would be beneficial to the association.
The primary reason I wish to run for the position is to help try and protect what is so great about this community including in part the heritage the people and unique houses that exist within the area.
The Unitary plan seems to have taken a fairly splatter gun approach to areas that will be allocated for intensive development, in some cases on very narrow streets where existing infrastructure will potentially be overwhelmed . It also seems that due process will be circumvented in an effort to quickly alleviate what the Auckland City Council believes is a housing affordability crisis.
I am certainly not against development but what I do not think is necessary is a knee jerk reaction to housing in our area. What I am interested and passionate about is to see well thought out development occur with good architectural merit that enhances our great suburb for now and the future.
