India Weekender 23 Sep

Read online www.iwk.co.nz Friday, 23 September, 2022
NEW ZEALAND 13
‘Lack of community centre,
library, road safety main
issues in Botany, Howick’
SANDEEP SINGH
Ajay Bal – a wellknown
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
Ajay Bal
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.”
• Continued from Page 3
Moving on, we got in touch
with New Zealand Customs,
which protects and promotes
NZ through border management,
about the need and future of
NZTD. A Customs spokesperson
said that NZTD is still needed for
contact tracing in case a new
variant is detected.
The spokesperson said,
“Air travellers to NZ still need
to provide information, through
their NZTD before departure for
NZ, for contact tracing purposes
in case of a new Covid-19 variant
of concern being detected. In the
event of a variant of concern,
this information may be used by
health agencies.
"In the longer term, the NZTD
system will provide a platform to
manage future risks such as other
pandemics or new biosecurity
threats.”
The spokesperson confirmed
that the travellers no longer need
to upload proof of vaccination as
part of their Traveller Declaration.
The spokesperson further
revealed that by June 2023,
digital NZTD would likely replace
the current paper arrival card.
“By June 2023, the NZTD
will enable travellers to
digitally complete their
full travel declaration including
customs, immigration, and
biosecurity declarations as well
as health risk assessments as
required. It is intended that
this will replace the current
paper arrival card”, said the
spokesperson.
Tanya Mehra