Wellsford Subdivision - Sally Usher

Sally is married with three children and has been a rural Rodney resident for 20 years. She has lived on a lifestyle block in Tomarata for the last six years and run a B&B. Her background is in journalism and tourism. She has been involved in a range of community and sporting groups throughout the district.

I’m standing because I like a challenge, and because the new council represents a new model of Local Government, and I’d like to be involved in this from the start. If elected my priorities will be to ensure that Wellsford’s new library goes ahead, to make sure the rural voice is heard and to listen to what the community wants.

In my first term, I want to see Wellsford’s new library open. I also want to see safety improvements on State Highway One, commencing with making it safer to make a right turn into Wayby Valley Road. Public transport options need to be examined and provided, and I would continue to support the campaign to stop any development of Te Arai Beach and its hinterland.

I feel positive about the role Local Boards will play in the new Auckland structure. I believe that a change was needed and that restructuring offers the opportunity to establish more accountable and responsive local government. I don’t think it will be an easy job though, and there are still uncertainties surrounding the local board’s role. Rodney will need a mix of fresh faces and the experience of historical decision-making which former RDC members can bring to the board.