Sign In / Register
Two Rodney Local Board stalwarts – and currently its only women members – were officially farewelled at the last monthly business meeting on Wednesday, September 17, before the current local government election.
Warkworth member Michelle Carmichael and Dairy Flat representative and board deputy chair Louise Johnston are both stepping down after three and nine years on the board respectively.
They were formally thanked for their service by Auckland Council’s general manager for governance and engagement, Lou-Ann Ballantyne, who presented each of them with two plants and a card.
She thanked them for their work on the board and in their communities generally, as well as for several specialist roles they had taken on, such as researching and putting together local board feedback on resource consents and planning.
“You have both sacrificed a lot to be here, and I have to acknowledge you as our female elected members,” Ballantyne said. “You face different challenges than some of your colleagues in the room, and you’ve done amazingly to navigate those challenges as well.”
During her three years on the local board, Carmichael consistently pushed for council transparency and was instrumental in getting meetings filmed and workshops open to the public. She also set up a regular discussion forum for local community groups and was a passionate environmental advocate.
She told members it had been incredible, memorable and a privilege to serve with board members, staff and the community on “a three year story of learning, frustration, success, exhaustion, motivation, hurt, healing, anger, joy, seriousness and laughter”.
Carmichael said she would value the times when members worked positively together and put personal and political differences aside.
“Being open to other people’s views is an essential attribute for this role,” she said.
“This term, we have blurred the lines between historic sides, with decisions discussed openly at the table. Members have proven their ability to consider each topic on its merits, and this has served our communities well.”
And she had some advice for new and returning members, saying there was much work needed to be done behind the scenes, for which they would get no recognition.
“Please share the load for those parts of the role,” she said. “Ego and power plays do not serve democracy well.
“Value your differences of opinion,” she added. “Set the public an example of how to treat each other, even when you disagree. Collaboration with each other and staff, and utilising the power of many minds will achieve much more than confrontation.”
