Quax’s last race

November 11, 2016

Quax’s last race

Dick Quax at his home in Pakuranga. Photo: Tim George

Longtime Manukau and Auckland councillor Dick Quax is making his final bid for election.

“This is going to be my last term and I wanted to see the Unitary Plan bedded in, and that’s going to take a little bit of time yet.”

Mr Quax, who first took a council seat in 2001, said it had been a privilege to represent Howick.

He was making one more bid because: “I believe that I’ve still got a lot to offer in terms of my experience and there’s a lot of stuff to be done yet.”

Despite being one of the Unitary Plan’s most prominent critics, Mr Quax ended up voting for it.

“It’s 7000 pages, so I didn’t vote for all of it, but I did vote for the majority of it.”

Mr Quax felt the independent panel led by Judge David Kirkpatrick was able to put together a thorough plan based on evidence drawn from two years of submissions.

“There were some things, very few things, that I didn’t agree with but most of them on the whole the panel’s done a pretty good job.

“They’ve allowed for intensification, and not everybody’s happy about that of course, but that was always going to be the case.”

Howick Local Board chairman David Collings praised Mr Quax’s contribution to the Auckland Manukau Eastern Transport Initiative project.

Covering an area from Panmure to Botany, AMETI involves a series of improvements and new construction along the Pakuranga Highway.

“It’s the second biggest transport project after the City Rail Link, particularly where I live, so certainly with that we’ve appreciated his help,” Mr Collings said.

The project includes the construction of a variety of new cycleways, shared paths and road expansions.

“It’s one of the most important things really, because it’s quite congested, getting in and out of Howick and Pakuranga,” Mr Quax said.

One of Mr Quax’s rivals at this year’s election, Olivia Montgomery, was diplomatic about his performance as councillor.

“I think he’s served the Howick Ward for a very long time.

“It’s good to hear that he’s giving room for some new blood in our council, especially for the largest ward in Auckland.”

A silver medallist at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, Mr Quax was a member of Manukau Council from 2001 to 2007, and has been a member of Auckland Council since 2011. He ran for Mayor of Manukau in 2007, and for Parliament (as a member of the Act Party) in the 1999 and 2002 elections.

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