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2-for-1 tickets<br />
Thursday <strong>October</strong> <strong>20</strong> <strong>20</strong>22 3<br />
Community board elect urges<br />
youth to get politically involved<br />
• By Natalie Pham<br />
NEW community board<br />
member Alex Hewison is hoping<br />
to get more young people into<br />
local politics.<br />
The North New Brighton resident<br />
was 18 when he got elected<br />
as the Waitai Coastal-Burwood-<br />
Linwood Community board<br />
member two weeks ago.<br />
Hewison received 3464 votes<br />
in total, 1<strong>20</strong>5 votes behind Jo<br />
Zervos (4079).<br />
“I grew up with the broken<br />
roads and flooded streets, so I’ve<br />
always wanted to be someone<br />
who people can talk to,” he said.<br />
That is why infrastructure is<br />
top of his priority list, along with<br />
improving community well-being<br />
and pushing for more safety<br />
measures to prevent crime.<br />
The former deputy head boy<br />
at Shirley Boys’ High School<br />
believed his background of<br />
growing up with the issues that<br />
the community is facing was his<br />
big drawcard.<br />
“They’ve gotten someone<br />
that they can relate to. And I’m<br />
young and energetic, so I have<br />
the drive to get things done.”<br />
Hewison was interested in<br />
politics at a young age after<br />
seeing a lack of communication<br />
when his primary school merged<br />
Kelly Barber<br />
Independent for Burwood<br />
with three others.<br />
So it was not a surprise for his<br />
family when he announced he<br />
was going to run for the community<br />
board.<br />
“I’m quite a loud person and I<br />
talk quite a bit, so I saw politics<br />
as something that I would go<br />
into. I also took lots of leadership<br />
roles in high school, so<br />
this seems like the next move,”<br />
Hewison said.<br />
The first-year university student<br />
had a “really hard think”<br />
about whether he could be a<br />
good representative for the community<br />
before deciding to run<br />
mid last year.<br />
Hewison said he had to weigh<br />
up a number of things as “a<br />
young person”, including juggling<br />
his online study and parttime<br />
job.<br />
“But it was important that I<br />
took a step forward.<br />
“Even if I didn’t win it, people<br />
could still understand that they<br />
could take the stand and get<br />
their voices heard.”<br />
He is urging more young<br />
people to get involved in local<br />
government.<br />
FRESH VOICE:<br />
Eighteen-year-old<br />
Waitai Coastal-<br />
Burwood-Linwood<br />
Community board<br />
member Alex<br />
Hewison says<br />
his top priorities<br />
are improving<br />
infrastructure and<br />
community wellbeing.<br />
<br />
Said Hewison: “The turn-out<br />
rate is getting up there again but<br />
it’s still very low, as well as the<br />
council’s approval rating. The<br />
reason is there’s a whole disconnection<br />
between our communities<br />
and the city council at the<br />
moment.<br />
“The whole idea of democracy<br />
is getting everyone from different<br />
races and life. It’s important<br />
to have a wide variety.”<br />
Hewison is now studying<br />
law, international relations,<br />
and economics at Victoria<br />
University.<br />
Fun run<br />
goes back<br />
to where it<br />
all began<br />
• From page 1<br />
Coastal Ward city councillor<br />
Celeste Donovan encouraged<br />
organisers of the event to connect<br />
with local businesses.<br />
“Some of the local businesses do<br />
have mobile caravans. So some of<br />
those food providers will have an<br />
opportunity to come in and cater<br />
for the events if that is something<br />
they want to be a part of.”<br />
Donovan was pleased to hear<br />
about the return of the event to<br />
the eastern suburbs.<br />
“There’s very few places in the<br />
world that have a nature environment<br />
that runs from one side of<br />
the city to the other.<br />
“This sort of event can really<br />
showcase what we have as a city<br />
and also in the east.”<br />
• Entries opened Saturday,<br />
<strong>October</strong> 15.<br />
Fees: Adults (12+), $35;<br />
children (five to 11), $<strong>20</strong>.<br />
Both include bus fare to<br />
the starting point and from<br />
the finishing point. Children<br />
under five enter free. Entries<br />
can be purchased online at<br />
the City2Surf website or from<br />
advertised outlets.<br />
To view the map of the route,<br />
visit: starnews.co.nz<br />
“I’d like to thank all the people<br />
of the Burwood Ward for your<br />
support and I look forward to<br />
serving you and being your<br />
voice at the council table.”<br />
Contact me at<br />
kelly4burwood@gmail.com<br />
or 021 086 76195<br />
Authorised by Kelly Barber, 02108676195, kelly4burwood@gmail.com<br />
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• Thin Lizzy Makeup Lounge • Smile Glow Lounge • Aspiring Beauty Lounge • Hair & Barber GHD Lounge<br />
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womenslifestyleexpo.co.nz
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