Ajay Bal – a well-known business and community leader and candidate for Howick local board elections, is campaigning on three key issues - lack of a community centre, a library and road safety issues in the Botany-Howick area to inspire voters to cast their votes for him in the local elections 2022.
Ajay was speaking with the Indian Weekender and responding to the question of the main issues that he was standing for, and he thinks would make a genuine difference if elected to the position of local community board member.
Responding to the question, Bal emphatically said, “We do not have a community centre which could fit 100 or 150 people together. If we have to organise a community event, then either we have to go Howick or we have to go to the other side of the motorway – Papatoetoe.”
“The second thing is that we do not have a leisure centre in the area.”
When pointed if this lack of two key public amenities in the neighbourhood challenged the generally held perception that the Botany and Flatbush suburbs were a bit flashy, Bal was quick to say that those were relatively new developments and there were plans in place for eventually building community and leisure centres.
“However, as of now, the plan to build such public amenities is relatively delayed, and I am campaigning to advocate for bringing forward those plans and expedite the construction of much-needed community and leisure centres,” Bal said.
Explaining further the role of local community boards in spending the ratepayer’s money on public amenities based on priorities and identified gaps, Bal said, “I feel confident that once elected, I will be able to advocate for expediting investment towards these two immediate priorities of building a community and leisure centre.”
Sharing one of the biggest challenges in his election campaign so far, which is probably shared mutually by many other fellow Kiwi-Indian and ethnic candidates, Bal said, “Getting voters, particularly within our Kiwi-Indian community inspired enough to cast their votes was the biggest challenge.”
“There is much palpable support when you meet people individually while door knocking or at community events, yet there is always an element of uncertainty if it will eventually translate into votes, which is what actually matters,” Bal emphasised.
Currently, voting is open for Auckland's local council, including the Mayor, with postal ballots having arrived in letterboxes of Auckland residents and votes being accepted till mid-day, October 8.
Reiterating his key message to prospective voters in the community, Bal concluded by saying, “It is high time for the community to vote in local elections and ensure there is enough representation and diversity on decision tables.”