John Watson (New Zealand politician)

Last updated

John Watson is a New Zealand politician who is a councillor on the Auckland Council.

Contents

Education and early years

Watson has lived in Hibiscus Coast and East Coast Bays his entire life. He attended Westlake Boys High School, where he served as head boy, captain of 1st XI cricket, and a member of 1st XV rugby and athletics. He graduated from the University of Auckland with an M.A. (Hons) in history [1] and worked as a secondary school teacher. [2]

Political and community involvement

Auckland Council
YearsWardAffiliation
2013 –16AlbanyPutting People First
2016 –19AlbanyPutting People First
2019 –22AlbanyPutting People First
2022 –presentAlbanyPutting People First

Watson has served as the President of the WRRA, the Trustee of Whangaparaoa Community Trust, a Rodney District Councillor and as a Hibiscus & Bays local board member. [1]

A Rodney District councillor, Watson stood at the 2010 Auckland Council elections alongside Wayne Walker, finishing fourth. [2]

He stood again in the 2013 Auckland Council elections and was this time elected as an Albany ward councillor. [3] [4] He was also re-elected to the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, standing for "People & Penlink First". [5] Penlink is a proposed road that will improve transport links to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.

In his first term as an Auckland Councillor, Watson worked to reduce Auckland Council's spending and restrict rates increases by restricting the business-class air travel of councillors to health grounds only [6] and voting against the controversial 10 year budget on 25 June 2015, which included a transport levy and 9.95% rates increase. [7] He has also worked to improve transportation, improve and increase sports facilities [8] and reserves, protect Auckland's heritage and environment and increase communication with Auckland residents. While Watson works together with Walker, they often differ in their positions, as when they voted differently on passing the 10 year budget. [9]

Watson and Walker were both re-elected during the 2016 Auckland elections. [10] They were both re-elected again in 2019, [11] and 2022. [12]

Awards

Watson has been awarded two Royal Society of NZ Teachers Fellowships, for producing a written account of a bomber crew who perished during World War II, and a written and oral history of Whangaparaoa. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orewa</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Orewa is a settlement in the northern Auckland Region of New Zealand. It is a suburb of the Hibiscus Coast, just north of the base of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula and 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of central Auckland. The Northern Motorway, part of State Highway 1, passes just inland of Orewa and extends through the twin Johnston Hill tunnels to near Puhoi.

Whangaparāoa Peninsula Suburban area in Auckland Council, Auckland, New Zealand

The Whangaparāoa Peninsula is a suburban area about 30–50 km north of Auckland, New Zealand. It had 33,390 residents in 2018. It stretches from Red Beach, where it connects to Kingsway, Orewa and Silverdale, and extends to Army Bay in the Hauraki Gulf. It is part of the Hibiscus Coast. The area is populated by residents who work on the peninsula, or commute from the area to other parts of the Hibiscus Coast, the North Shore, Rodney district, Auckland CBD and beyond for work. They travel by vehicle, or via the Gulf Harbour ferry at Gulf Harbour Marina, or the Hibiscus Coast Bus Station at Silverdale. There is one main road along its entire length, which is accessible from State Highway 1 via Hibiscus Coast Highway at Silverdale, or from Hibiscus Coast Highway at Orewa via Red Beach. It is popular as a tourist destination for catching a ferry to Tiritiri Matangi Island, and for visiting Shakespear Regional Park. It has one open (Whangaparāoa Golf Club) and one closed golf club (Gulf Harbour Country Club), beaches, sporting and recreation facilities, a library, shops, businesses and public and private primary and secondary schools. The median age of the population is in the 30s-40s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rangitikei District</span> Territorial authority district in Manawatū-Whanganui

The Rangitikei District is a territorial authority district located primarily in the Manawatū-Whanganui region in the North Island of New Zealand, although a small part, the town of Ngamahanga, lies in the Hawke's Bay Region. It is located in the southwest of the island, and follows the catchment area of the Rangitīkei River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibiscus Coast</span> Stretch of the Hauraki Gulf

The Hibiscus Coast is a populated area on a stretch of the Hauraki Gulf coast in New Zealand's Auckland Region. It has a population of 64,660, making it the 10th most populous urban area in New Zealand, and the second most populous in the Auckland Region, behind Auckland itself. As an urban area delineated by Statistics New Zealand, the Hibiscus Coast consists of Hatfields Beach, Orewa, Silverdale and Whangaparāoa Peninsula. The Auckland Council's Hibiscus Coast subdivision of the Hibiscus and Bays includes the neighbouring communities of Waiwera and Stillwater, and Milldale in Rodney, is also described as a part of the Hibiscus Coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christine Rose (politician)</span>

Christine Rose is a New Zealand environmental advocate, a former Councillor and Deputy Chair of the Auckland Regional Council. She is an artist and writer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stillwater, Auckland</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Stillwater is a village in the northern end of Auckland in the North Island of New Zealand. Situated on the Weiti River immediately south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in the Rodney District, it is part of the area known as the Hibiscus Coast. There is also a Stillwater, West Coast in the South Island.

O Mahurangi Penlink, is a future state highway that is expected to open in 2026. Once completed the new state highway will create a more direct and quicker route between the Whangaparaoa Peninsula and central Auckland in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Northern Motorway</span> Motorway located in Auckland, New Zealand

The Auckland Northern Motorway in the Auckland Region of New Zealand links Central Auckland and Warkworth in the former Rodney District via the Hibiscus Coast and North Shore. It is part of State Highway 1.

John Law is a former Mayor of the Rodney District Council, New Zealand, and held that post from 2001 to 2007. He was elected during a by-election, following a period of instability in the leadership and governance of Rodney District Council. He was one of the seven mayors heading the main local government entities generally considered as making up the Auckland metropolitan area, with his district being one of the largest districts and the northernmost entity. John Law was re-elected in 2004, but did not stand for re-election in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney (New Zealand electorate)</span> Former electorate in Auckland, New Zealand

Rodney was a New Zealand parliamentary electorate, returning one Member of Parliament to the House of Representatives. The last MP for Rodney was Mark Mitchell of the National Party. He held this position from 2011 until the electorate was replaced with Whangaparāoa in 2020. Mitchell stood for and won that seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Council</span> Governing body of New Zealands Auckland Region

Auckland Council is the local government council for the Auckland Region in New Zealand. It is a territorial authority that has the responsibilities, duties and powers of a regional council and so is a unitary authority, according to the Local Government Act 2009, which established the council. The governing body consists of a mayor and 20 councillors, elected from 13 wards. There are also 149 members of 21 local boards who make decisions on matters local to their communities. It is the largest council in Oceania, with a $3 billion annual budget, $29 billion of ratepayer equity, and 9,870 full-time staff as of 30 June 2016. The council began operating on 1 November 2010, combining the functions of the previous regional council and the region's seven city and district councils into one "super council" or "super city".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney ward</span> Ward of Auckland in New Zealand

Rodney Ward is a local government area in the northernmost part of New Zealand's Auckland Region, created along with the Auckland Council in 2010. The area was previously part of Rodney District; it does not include the Hibiscus Coast, which was also part of Rodney District but is now in Albany ward. The Rodney Local Board area has the same boundaries as Rodney Ward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cameron Brewer</span> New Zealand politician

Cameron Eric Brewer is a New Zealand politician and Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives for Upper Harbour from the National Party since the 2023 New Zealand general election.

Wayne Walker is a New Zealand politician who is an Auckland councillor.

The 2016 Auckland local elections took place between September and October 2016 by postal vote. The elections were the third since the merger of seven councils into the Auckland Council, which is composed of the mayor and 20 councillors, and 149 members of 21 local boards. Twenty-one district health board members and 41 licensing trust members were also elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Sayers</span>

Alan Gregory Sayers is an entrepreneur, author and a New Zealand politician who is an Auckland Councillor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany ward (local government)</span> Ward of Auckland in New Zealand

Albany Ward is an Auckland Council ward which elects two councillors and covers the Hibiscus and Bays and Upper Harbour Local Boards. The two councillors are currently John Watson and Wayne Walker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hibiscus and Bays Local Board</span> Local board of Auckland Council in New Zealand

The Hibiscus and Bays Local Board is one of the 21 local boards of the Auckland Council. It is one of two boards overseen by the council's Albany Ward councillors. The board consists of eight members elected at large.

The 2019 Auckland local elections took place between September and October 2019 by postal vote as part of nation-wide local elections. The elections were the fourth since the merger of seven councils into the Auckland Council, which is composed of the mayor and 20 councillors, and 149 members of 21 local boards. Twenty-one district health board members and 41 licensing trust members were also elected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkles Bay</span> Suburb in Auckland, New Zealand

Arkles Bay is one of the northernmost suburbs of the contiguous Auckland metropolitan area located in New Zealand. It is located on the southern side of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, in the Hibiscus Coast, located 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of the Auckland CBD. It is part of the Albany Ward area for local government purposes. Arkles Bay is known for its sheltered beaches, suitable for swimming and paddle boarding.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "John Watson". Putting People First. Archived from the original on 7 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Albany Ward – John Watson". Localmatters. 16 September 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ↑ Walters, Laura. "Rates hike for some Aucklanders". Auckland Now. Stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Putting People First". Putting People First. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "John Watson – People & Penlink First". Peopleandpenlinkfirst.co.nz. Archived from the original on 11 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  6. ↑ Orsman, Bernard (25 July 2014). "Auckland Councillors keep travel perk". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  7. ↑ Sergel, Michael (25 June 2015). "Auckland Council approves controversial new budget". Newstalk ZB . Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  8. ↑ Watson, John (17 March 2015). "John Watson: Stadium policy should be knocked for six". The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  9. ↑ Slade, Maria (25 June 2015). "Auckland's Long Term Plan budget is passed". Stuff.co.nz . Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ↑ "2019 local elections final results – Mayor, ward councillors, local board members" (PDF). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
  12. ↑ "Ward councillor progress results" . Retrieved 9 October 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.