Burns keen to bring energy and vision to local board
Bo Burns, Howick Local Board candidate, Howick subdivision
Bo Burns is a current member of the Howick Local Board and is campaigning for re-election to the board as well as for a seat on Auckland Council in the Howick ward.
She was born and raised in Howick and lives in this fantastic community with her husband and their two busy daughters.
Burns is seeking re-election to the board to continue to serve as your local voice and to push for much-need action and improvements in the community.
She’s been a business owner in this area for two decades and has got a proven track record of achievement on the local board, by serving as an APPA board member, and as the organiser of the annual Howick Santa Parade.
Over the past three years on the local board she’s proven she actively listens to people’s concerns and takes action to get results.
She’s known as ‘Bo on the Go’ because she gives 100 per cent to every activity she gets involved with.
Burns has got the energy, vision, and the strategic skills to action change.
She promises to continue to speak forcefully and confidently on your behalf around the local board table to ensure your concerns are heard and that important future investment in the Howick ward is delivered.
Her priorities as an elected representative are to enhance our public green spaces, ensure local funding is spent wisely, and improve the relationship between the board and council’s governing body.
Burns will fight to maintain Howick’s historic beauty and culture while advocating for fresh and innovative concepts for a growing community.
She won’t just listen, she will get results. It’s time for a fresh approach and new voices with energy and ideas.
The Howick ward has to go confidently into the future and tackle the big challenges we face.
We cannot go backward or stay focused on the past. That will never get the results we need and deserve.
By voting for Burns you’ll get someone you can trust and who has integrity, drive and passion. She has proven she can deliver.
#voteboburns
Racist attacks on campaign billboards of candidates of Chinese descen
Several election candidates of Chinese descent in Auckland were shocked to see their faces erased with white paint or cut out of their election campaign boards, next to Pākehā candidates whose faces were spared.
Howick Ward councillor Paul Young, who is again running for the seat this year, said his face had been cut out or painted over on more than 20 billboards.
This was Young's eighth local body election, and it was not the first time his billboards had been defaced - but he said this year's damage had been the worst yet.
He was more concerned that the racist acts could discourage newer ethnic candidates, he said.
"It's very bad for young East Asian or ethnic candidates who want to stand up to make a contribution for our community and Tāmaki Makaurau ... Such racism, it's not acceptable."
Young told Morning Report education was the best way to combat the issue, but he also urged anyone who witnessed vandalism of campaign billboards to inform the police.
He said the vandalism could prevent new candidates from standing if they feared "those people or those groups can do whatever they want".
"This is not the first time and [it's] getting worse in this area."
Young said New Zealand was his home and the targeting of the billboards was unacceptable.
"I have been living here for the last 33 years ... Aotearoa New Zealand is our home - is my home - so it should not happen like this."
First-time election candidate, Vinson Yu, said he felt disheartened and angry after seeing his face cut out of his campaign boards in Bucklands Beach.
Yu is running for a seat in the Howick Local Board, which has an Asian population of 46 per cent.
"I wanted to run for the elections because I want to represent and better serve the Asian community; this deserves respect.
"We are fairly participating in the elections," said Yu, who is a Justice of the Peace and deputy chair of the Botany & Flat Bush Ethnic Association.
Auckland mayoral candidate and barrister Robert Hu was one among three East Asian candidates whose faces on campaign boards on Somerville Road had been erased with white paint.
"Are they saying our faces are not white enough? Are they saying that we must be white in order to qualify for the elections?"
Hu said he had reported it to the police and the Human Rights Commission.
He also intended to report the incident to international groups as racism targeted at Asians had been on the rise globally, he said.
Human Rights Commissioner Meng Foon said these were "despicable" acts of racism and that the commission was investigating.
Foon was concerned about the cases of racism and physical attacks on Asians recently, and wanted the Government to act faster on legislating against hate crimes in Aotearoa.
Hate crimes are not yet standalone offences in New Zealand, but police are flagging offences where prejudice forms part of the motivation in efforts to improve their response to hate crimes.
Official information from the police shows 8246 hate-motivated offences have been recorded over the past three years.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/racist-attacks-on-campaign-billboards-of-candidates-of-chinese-descent\/S7LKFA55WOK2KWUFY7S7V7Q734/
Candidates seeking to move community forward
There’s a new local-body political ticket in east Auckland and it’s standing a swath of fresh faces at this year’s Auckland Council elections.
Howick Local Board member Bo Burns is campaigning for re-election to the board as well as for a seat on the council’s governing body at the elections to be held in October.
Burns is also the organiser of the popular annual Howick Santa Parade.
She’s standing on a ticket alongside current Howick ward councillor Paul Young with the slogan “Moving forwards, not backwards”.
Their platform includes improving community safety, keeping rates realistic, delivering reliable public transport, and supporting business recovery and tourism.
They also plan to challenge the effects of intensification, increase funding to address coastal erosion, reserves and community facilities; increase initiatives for climate change and sustainability; and urgent rectification of the city’s aging services and infrastructure.
“We won’t just listen, we’ll take action for the community,” Burns says.
“We’ll build strong relationships with other councillors, council organisations, stakeholders and the local board.
“Paul and I are community-driven people and we do a lot for our respective communities.
“We aren’t career politicians and we’re coming in with a fresh approach. We are the team people can trust.”
Burns says her and Young’s business experience give them strengths around planning, strategy, execution and accountability.
As well as serving as one of the Howick ward’s two councillors, Young was until recently a member of the Counties Manukau District Health Board.
He’s pushed for projects such as the Eastern Busway to be built on time and opposed the council’s proposed sale of local public reserves.
Young says it’s important the community moves forward in a positive way.
“The relationship between our local councillors and the board needs to improve.
“When we focus on our community we can make a difference.”
Young says major infrastructure projects in other parts of the city have been completed on time while in east Auckland “for the last 30 years nothing has really changed”.
“Bo and I as councillors will not oppose something without offering a solution.
“East Auckland needs changing and it needs new blood.”
Burns and Young are working with a group of candidates contesting seats on the board in the three subdivisions of Howick, Pakuranga and Botany and she says all of them are focused on properly representing east Auckland.
Standing alongside Burns for a board seat in the Howick subdivision are its current chairperson Adele White and deputy chair John Spiller.
Campaigning in the Botany subdivision are board member Peter Young and newcomers Judith Grant and Ajay Bal.
Grant is a long-time Botany local with 30 years’ experience in business, while Bal is a manufacturing and retail owner and a licensed immigration advisor.
Contesting board seats in the Pakuranga subdivision are new candidates Nichola Painter and Vinson Yu.
Painter is a former Howick Local Board advisor with 13 years of local government experience.
Yu is a Justice of the Peace, a community engagement and recreation co-ordinator, and a Howick and Districts Historical Society board member.
The council elections are being held on October 8.
For more information or to enrol to vote go online to www.voteauckland.co.nz.
https://www.times.co.nz/uncategorized/candidates-seeking-to-move-community-forward/
Candidates vow to tackle crime
Two local Auckland Council candidates have created an action plan to tackle rising crime rates and improve community safety across the city.
Howick Local Board member Bo Burns and incumbent Howick ward councillor Paul Young are campaigning together for seats on the council’s governing body.
They’ve created a crime-reduction plan they’re revealing just a week after five adjacent businesses in Howick’s Moore Street were targeted by a group of offenders.
That incident is part of an ongoing crime wave across Auckland that’s included numerous ram-raid and smash-and-grab burglaries and robberies of businesses.
Burns and Young say they’ll push to implement their crime and safety plan should they be elected to the council at the local-body elections in October.
“We personally know businesspeople who have been impacted by recent ram-raids and burglaries.
“We’ll advocate for a safer community and city through a strategic and achievable five-point plan to reduce crime in our area and regionally.
“Our plan is robust, effective and it will make our community feel and be safer.
“This community and our local businesses need confidence back and to not be fearful any longer.
“Our plan will be a step forward in improving people’s quality of life.”
The duo say the first plank of their plan is to accurately recognise key issues around crime and safety in east Auckland.
“We’ll talk to police, the local board and local and regional community stakeholders to gather crime data to identify what’s driving the current spike in crime.
“Secondly, we’ll push council departments for emergency regional funding to be available to support practical crime and safety measures that businesses can access.
“We’ll pursue realistic ideas that support our police to connect with groups such as ratepayers and residents’ associations, Neighbourhood Watch, and others to share information quicker around the latest crime hotspots.
“We will also work with Auckland Transport to identify areas where security cameras are needed.”
Burns and Young say the third step in their plan involves seeking regular feedback on crime and safety issues from the community as they arise.
They’ll provide solutions in line with the local board’s plan so locals feel safe, engaged and connected.
“This plan will have timeframes and will be accountable to ensure steps are followed through in a timely manner,” they say.
“Fourthly, we’ll push for council funding and grant programmes to be developed and accessible to businesses and community groups to implement cameras, bollards and other effective safety measures.
“As well as having new security cameras installed in key areas, we must ensure all public spaces are sufficiently illuminated at night.”
Burns and Young say the final step in their plan involves a yearly review of how it’s working.
“It’s vital we as councillors hear what people are saying so we have all relevant information in this joint effort to tackle crime and make our community safer.
“Our local police do an outstanding job but they cannot be everywhere at all times.
“The Howick ward needs two councillors who will work every day to make our community safer. We will do that.”
https://www.times.co.nz/news/candidates-vow-to-tackle-crime/
Pump track installed for riders
East Auckland’s skateboarders and scooter riders have a new piece of equipment on which to practise their moves.
A long, curving “pump track” has been temporarily installed at Nixon Centennial Park in Howick to give youngsters, and the young at heart, the chance to have fun over the summer season.
It can be used by people riding skateboards, scooters, and bicycles and is funded by the Howick Local Board.
Board chairperson Adele White says the response to the pump track’s installation has been “amazing”.
“It’s pleasing for the board to have been able to provide something for the community to enjoy after the 2020 Covid lockdowns,” White told the Times.
“Our board members have been flooded with messages of thanks from local residents grateful for this activity.
“It’s good to see a large number of people of all ages having fun together and enjoying the outdoors.”
White jokes that she imagines any effort to move the track to another location may be met with protests, judging by how popular it’s been with locals.
The pump track is located in the rear car park on the lower end of Nixon Centennial Park in Sale Street, Howick. It’s free to use.
Among the people making the most of the “pump track” at Howick’s Nixon Centennial Park are, from left, Howick Local Board members Bruce Kendall and Bo Burns and board chair Adele White.
Howick Santa Parade 2020 another wonderful winner
Thousands turned out to welcome Santa to town at the annual Howick Santa Parade. Times photos Wayne Martin
It was pretty windy but it was warm and fine – except for the tiniest of sprinkles late in the afternoon – which is all the Howick Santa Parade organiser Bo Burns and her helpers could have asked for.
Thousands of families turned out for the parade with many turning up early for the pre-parade entertainment on Picton Street.
The winning float was Howick Pakuranga & Bucklands Beach Playcentre’s wonderful underwater-themed entry.
Second was Cockle Bay Primary featuring a gorgeous Christmas tree and third was Dance First centred around a lotus flower.
Skaters thrilled with revamped facility
The refurbished skate park at Lloyd Elsmore Park in Pakuranga is being hailed a success.
A large crowd including Howick Local Board members, Howick ward councillor Paul Young and Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown turned out to celebrate the facility’s official reopening with a barbecue on April 30.
Work has been carried out in recent months to transform the skate park’s concrete surface into a more useable condition.
As part of these efforts “local skater dad” Aaron Martin lobbied the local board and Auckland Council to upgrade the facility and make it safer and more accessible for users.
He’s also formed the East Skate Club and encourages people of all ages to get along and have a go.
From left, Howick Local Board members Mike Turinsky, deputy chairman John Spiller, Bruce Kendall and Bo Burns with organiser Aaron Martin.
Howick local board inauguration- New Chairperson installed
The inauguration of the recently elected Howick Local board was held on Tuesday 4 November at Uxbridge in Howick.
Incumbents, Katrina Bungard& David Collings, have been joined on the board by newcomer Bruce Kendall, a former Olympic gold medallist in boardsailing, and local business owner Bo Burns.
Returning members from Botany and Pakuranga subdivision’s included John Spiller, Mike Turinsky, Adele White, Bob Wichman and Peter Young.
Bungard was notable by her absence on the night, having chosen to spend her evening pressing her claims for selection for the vacant National party nomination for Botany. This proved to be in vain as ex-Air New Zealand CEO, Christopher Luxon was chosen to contest the seat, across the suburb at the National party’s new office in Chapel road.
After An introduction of Maori protocol by a local Kaumatua, the ceremony was officially opened and board members were called up one by one to be inaugurated.
Adele White was elected the chair of the Local Board. Photo Wayne Martin
None of the candidates, with the exception of Adele White, chose to start their acceptance of oath without attempting to speak a few words in Te Reo.
A crowd of around 70, mainly made up of family and supporters of the elected, shunned the evening sun and were given a surprise when David Collings was not retained in the chair role installing former Police officer Adele White into the position, after a unanimous vote.
The vote to delay the election of a vice-chair was raised, and ultimately upheld, and the matter was adjourned to the next meeting of the board.
What's in a name?
In a recent local board workshop, naming’s of streets/roads was being discussed.
Someone was questioning the origin of the street name Mirrabooka.
Just this week, we have been emailed the article and reasoning behind this street, and the subdivision of the botany/howick area.
The article dated 4th August 1971 in the South Auckland Courier.
Baillie’s company is responsible for the unusual sight of Australian aboriginal names at its Botany Downs subdivision at Pakuranga/Howick. Botany Downs suggested Sydney’s Botany Bays so we obtained a series of aboriginal names from which to choose, Mr Baillie said. The results include Binda Place, Barinca Place, Maroubra Street and Mirrabooka Avenue.
Often known as Bo-On-The-Go - Times newspapers caught up with me
https://eastlife.co.nz/qa/10mins-with-bo-on-the-go
“She juggles more hats than she can count. Always on the run, Bo Burns is her energetic, driven and passionate self even if she is a little out of breath as she chats with FARIDA MASTER whilst on her evening run.”
Different roles you play…
I wear a few hats, my mother and wife hat, business owner hat of Fundraise Factory, Promo Factory and Cleave House, Howick Local Board Member hat, community events hat running the Howick Santa Parade, business networking hat, running Howick Click business owners forum, and finally my leisure friend hat where I get to exercise and see friends. (I seem to have a big wardrobe for all my hats).
The role you love most…
Being a mum and wife is my first and foremost love – creating magical memories and raising confident, logical and down-to- earth girls, but over and above that I love being a business owner.
However, the key to my heart is helping people, whether it’s in the community or helping locals grow or start-up businesses, that’s what really floats my boat – sometimes it’s been to the detriment of my own goals and business but it’s engrained in my bloodline to help others. I love that. You can’t help being born an entreprenual community-minded person!
Crazy about…
Promoting East Auckland and Howick as a destination to visit, live, work and play!
I’m a big fan of…
Treating others how you like to be treated, and also mind over matter. I set my mind to something and strive to achieve it!
Strategy for maintaining sanity whilst working from home…
Teamwork, communication and family exercise! We found what worked best for our family was sticking to a strict routine and having separate areas for us to work from. The very first lockdown was challenging, but we had to stop, take a breath and get back into a routine. Then from there on we just reverted each time into that plan and it worked well. I am extremely proud of how my daughters coped and maintained their school work, full credit to them both.
Things I did differently during lockdown to make my business work…
We had to pivot hard and fast to PPE gear initially, this enabled us to keep the team of nine employed the last two years, even though it’s not our core business, it was about staying afloat and looking for any and every opportunity.
What came from this drive were contacts, thousands of new businesses all over New Zealand that our team are now working towards building strong relationships with. I’m incredibly proud of my team, and how they coped. I also have loved moving to connecting with people on Teams/Zoom/Skype. I find it saves a lot of time not having to drive in Auckland traffic to meetings.
Advice to my 10-year-old-self…
You don’t have to please everyone, you can say ‘No’ once in a while. It’s okay to focus on just you every now and then, it’s good for you. When you meet those people in your college years that tell you won’t amount to be anything, don’t sweat it baby girl, you got this – the world’s your oyster and you can do anything you set your mind to! One day they will need you, that’s when your internal self can sit back and smile.
Feel strongly about…
Sharing knowledge, helping businesses grow and connecting people, also a big one for me is keeping a positive mindset
Pet peeve…
Firstly, bad customer service drives me crazy. Secondly, people not answering or replying to emails. Thirdly, people constantly saying ‘I’m too busy’ – you are never too busy to grow yourself or business. Oh wait, maybe I have a fourth … people chewing loudly really grinds my gears!
A sure-fire way to get my mojo back… I love re-zapping my energy with Debbie Buddle’s juices, they get the energy flowing and then joining the Energize team in Wellington street for Bootcamp, if that can’t get your mind reset and blood pumping, nothing can!
Had a ball…
As I take things quite literally, this would mean last night, playing netball with my daughter in the driveway! If this means ‘having a ball’ – this would be with my husband and friends who we surprised two years ago with our renewing of vows on our 10-year-wedding anniversary in Palm Beach/Waiheke.
My bucket list…
To record a song, retrain myself to play the piano, to meet Oprah, to travel for 12 months with no work and to travel overseas to weird and wonderful places again with my amazing mum and family.
Song that sums me up… ‘Rainbow Connections’ by Kermit Frog. For me it’s about looking for that bright side of life, that rainbow after the dark cloudy times and remembering to connect with people. Maybe this will be the song that I record for my bucket list in honour of my sister who passed away four years ago on March 22. This was also her favourite song.
Best day of my life…
There are honestly too many great days in my life. I think the ‘the best day of my life’ recently, was the day my mother didn’t die in hospital. The relief and gratefulness that refilled my heart of how amazing, kind, passionate and driven she is was overwhelming.
That has to be the highlight of the last few months and best day to remember her getting through that. She is outright my best friend on earth.
Three top fundraising tips…
Fast Profit: fundraise smarter, not harder. Everyone is time poor now and needs fast, easy and profitable solutions.
Never Forget: to contact your local MPS, councillors, board members, real estate agents and business owners/retailers to support, promote and onsell your products Sponsorships: always look for a local sponsor, it offers the sponsor excellent exposure, and on the flip side you make more profit for your fundraising campaign.
If you want free tools for your next fundraiser check out www.fundraisefactory.com