Supercity mayoral candidate Andrew Williams wants an Auckland the South Island can be proud of.
The North Shore Mayor, speaking at a supercity debate hosted by Unitec, outlined a vision for an educated city the rest of New Zealand is not ashamed of.
“I want people in the South Island to be proud of Auckland.
He said to become a great city, the currently “fragmented” transport system needs more work and there needs to be strong local boards.
“I want to see Auckland as an educated city,” said Mr Williams.
The third supercity debate took place in front of an audience of about 100, as Aucklanders gear up to cast their postal vote between September 17 and October 9.
The candidates were all asked to talk about their vision for Auckland.
Auckland mayor John Banks saw a city with strong leadership.
“I have a vision for the city based on consistent leadership from day one.
“One voice, one song sheet and one tune will work.”
An open-minded city with a strong focus on the environment was the vision of Manukau mayor Len Brown.
“I want Auckland to be the most liberal city in the world,” said Mr Brown.
He said he wanted to see the end to "proliferation of liquor outlets that are sending our communities to hell" and carbon discharge reduced by 20 percent in 20 years.
The lesser known candidates also had strong viewpoints.
Former Waitakere City councillor and comedian Ewan Gilmour saw a challenging time ahead for New Zealand’s largest city.
“My vision for the city is pretty bleak because the city doesn’t have any money. The previous council has spent all the money.
“I find this very, very difficult to deal with,” said Mr Gilmour.
He wants more focus from the candidates on the outer areas and less on central Auckland.
Activist Penny Bright questioned the validity of the supercity concept.
Ms Bright said residents should have the chance to vote on the relevance of a supercity. She suggested the public boycott rates to show support.
“No say, no pay,” says Ms Bright.
Actor and theatre director Simon Prast saw a city of "colour, culture, commerce and content".
He said Auckland should be the cosmopolitan capital and tourism mecca of New Zealand which will be achieved with great leadership.
“We are about to embark on the adventure of our lives and we need pick the best captain.”
Anti-smacking protester Colin Craig vision is for more community involvement on what happens in Auckland.
“It is about empowering people and their community.”
Nominations for the Auckland City Council open on July 23 and close on August 20. Postal voting will commence on September 17.
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