It’s best to visit their website to get the full picture: The Trusts – Our Purpose & Strategy.

In short:
The Trusts are made up of the Portage Licensing Trust (PLT) and Waitākere Licensing Trust (WLT). They have a community mandate to sell alcohol through licensed retail stores and hospitality venues.

I had hoped to achieve all my goals in the last term, but progress has been slower than expected. I’m standing again because I want more time to see those aspirations through.

• External Review: Together with Marcus Amosa, I pushed for a full independent review of PLT and WLT by PwC. This looked at the entire organisation and how it could be improved. Implementing the recommendations is now underway.

• Security Upgrades: I pushed for roller doors on all our liquor stores to combat ram raids. Since installation, there have been no incidents.

• Cost Reduction: Our board has driven management to reduce central office costs and overheads.

• New Hospitality: We’ve made major progress on opening The Beer Spot in New Lynn, due to open by the end of the year.

• Fairer Pricing: Although started in a previous term, the “House of Brands” rollout (Super Liquor and Liquorland) means our prices now match the rest of Auckland — solving a long-standing gripe.

• Gaming Machine Reduction: We recently decided to remove pokies from the Bricklane Restaurant, creating a more family-friendly environment, a move supported by our patrons.

At my first meeting, I asked: Why aren’t the two trusts joined? We’re doing the same work twice. I still believe amalgamation with the Waitākere Licensing Trust would make us leaner, more efficient, and better able to deliver for the community. This was also a key PwC recommendation.

The last poll was a long time ago. I believe we should have another, but first we need to make the Trusts an organisation West Aucklanders are proud of.
If people vote to keep it, it should be delivering maximum returns and using its social licence responsibly. If people vote otherwise, we should still be ready to give back just as much to the community in a different way.

I know this is a divisive topic, but I believe gambling can cause significant harm, especially in lower-income communities like Kelston, New Lynn, and Glen Eden.
Gaming machines don’t directly fund the Trusts — we only receive site rental. The revenue goes to a national body (TTCF), which distributes grants to organisations. My goal is to get our venues into a strong position where they don’t need pokies to survive.

No. I’m independent and not part of any political party. I speak for myself, not along party lines. I believe the Trusts should be represented by everyday people with no hidden agenda.

My plan starts with amalgamating the two trusts into a single organisation. This will cut costs by eliminating duplication, improving efficiency, and reducing overheads.
We also need to manage our assets and investments more strategically so they deliver stronger returns. Finally, by creating better, more successful venues, we can increase profits — and that means more money flowing back into our community.

I want the Trusts to partner with West Auckland businesses in every way we can. We already employ nearly 300 locals, but I’d like to go further — making it our default to use local trades and service providers for maintenance, repairs, and projects.
It won’t always be possible, but whenever we can support local, we should. Keeping this work in West Auckland means more jobs, stronger businesses, and more money staying in our community.