http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/ The latest Blog feeds from www.paulasouthgate.co.nz en-us Sat, 21 Dec 2019 04:37:28 +1300 Rocketspark http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/47631/End-of-year-reflections-and-Seasons-Greetings/ It has certainly been a very busy two months since I was elected as Mayor but also a very productive time. My first focus was on establishing a strong team to represent you. Working alongside my elected colleagues, I established five committees with Chairs and Deputy Chairs who are excited to get stuck into their work alongside you. I am excited about what the 12 community leaders that you elected can achieve, and invite you to contact them with your ideas and issues.  Most of them have fac... Thu, 19 Dec 2019 20:29:08 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post47631 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45663/The-Great-Debate-Business-in-the-Hamilton-Waikato/ The topic of the Great Debate last night was about business and how to attract business to the Waikato, lift productivity and champion Hamilton as an economic hub of the region. We had a minute and a half on each of the following questions, after a 3 minute intro on the topic.How will I help to lift productivity and support business? I want to make it easy for businesses to get started here by streamlining consents and other application processes, and front-ending support especially for small bu... Wed, 09 Oct 2019 16:56:27 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45663 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45609/About-me-my-family-and-why-I-put-my-hand-up-for-Mayor/ I come from a family that has many healthy conversations around the dinner table. Many of these lead to topics of battling unfairness and inequality and all-round setting the world to rights. Our views are all very different but it is this diversity that has challenged me and helped me to grow. These are the foundations for where I am today. While I was quieter and shyer when young, I have always had my say and enjoyed thinking about current issues and concerns. Never in my dreams did I see myse... Mon, 07 Oct 2019 15:44:54 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45609 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45522/Love--care-for-our-natural-environment/ I love our natural environment; the river corridor, our gullies, parks and special green spaces. I believe green spaces are vital to the wellbeing of a city. That does not make me a 'greenie', whatever that means. It does make me someone who cares about both the environment and the wellbeing of our city. International studies show that cities that have green spaces are healthier and more liveable cities. I am not asking for lots of money to find extra green space for the city. I am suggesting we... Thu, 03 Oct 2019 11:27:09 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45522 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45521/Hamilton-A-cycle-city/ Hamilton is a relatively flat city with reasonable weather. On the face of it, ideal for cycling? Interestingly, global studies show that weather is not a key issue in determining the popularity of cycling in a city. In Ubrecht there is a saying: 'you are not made of sugar', meaning you won’t melt, so can ride in the rain. The key factors are infrastructure and safety. Having dedicated cycle lanes is a start, but protected cycle lanes are best practice. Surface, lighting and safe places to loc... Thu, 03 Oct 2019 10:59:46 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45521 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45311/Voting-forms-are-now-in-your-hands/ Leading Hamilton over the next decade will not be an easy job! It is not a job that one person alone can do. Hamilton faces huge challenges around growth, managing debt and looking after the older parts of our city. I know we face huge challenges to provide affordable homes. I know this will require a good team that wants to tackle these issues together, a team that values a range of ideas and values working alongside our business and local communities. I know this will need us to be informed by... Tue, 01 Oct 2019 13:28:03 +1300 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45311 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45223/Working-hard-in-Wellington-for-Hamilton-and-NZ/ Here is a snap shot of the work I do in Wellington for Local Government NZ and Hamilton.1. Policy advisory group selected by the National Council (including President of Local Government). This group of senior elected members provides guidance and policy on issues such as; water, housing, climate, productivity to both Government and the Local Government across the country. 2. I chaired the organising committee that designs and runs the Local Government Conference. We recently had a very successf... Sat, 28 Sep 2019 09:59:12 +1200 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45223 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45124/Hamilton-A-great-place-to-work/ My vision is to see both Hamilton and the wider Waikato thrive. Hamilton has a huge location advantage. With key transport routes, links to ports and strong access to natural resources we are ideally placed to develop further as a key economic hub for NZ and a great place to work, live, and play.  All three aspects are important to attract and retain the talented workforce we need. Employment, incomes, access to education, housing, transport, technology and natural resources determine ... Tue, 24 Sep 2019 11:57:59 +1200 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45124 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45119/As-the-sun-colors-flowers-so-does-art-color-life/ Quite simply, the arts are life-enhancing, entertaining and define our personal and local identities. Research shows that cities that emphasise art possess more civic and social engagement and better community wellbeing. The arts create social offerings - openness and places for people to meet each other, creating a feeling that people in the community care about each other. It is part of placemaking. Art gets people talking. It is also good for the economy. Locals support theatres, galleries an... Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:53:17 +1200 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45119 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/post/45011/Encouraging-and-embracing-women-for-council/ As a woman who has been in local government politics for over 18 years, I am 100% behind the movement to get more women in council. This does not diminish the contribution of my male colleagues, it complements it. In my time, I have experienced the good, the bad and the ugly of being a woman in this predominantly male-orientated career. When I began, I had young children and faced the same expressed concerns as I hear on the campaign trail this time: “can you manage your family (children) and ... Thu, 19 Sep 2019 16:42:36 +1200 http://www.paulasouthgate.co.nz/blog/#post45011