LGBT representatives serving on community boards around Auckland are pleased their positions look set to be retained even as the five greater Auckland local councils will band together to become a 'Super-city'. Western Bays Community Board's Bruce Kilmister "We're very optimistic that the diverse voices we have on our community boards will be retained under the new system," says Bruce Kilmister, who serves on the Western Bays Community Board. Other gay board members include Christopher Dempsey on the Eden-Albert Community Board, and Simon Randall on the Maungakiekie Community Board. "It's very important that our communities have representation in local government," explains Kilmister. "We still have work to do." A Council-funded scoping study last year found a need for a new LGBT Community Centre in central Auckland, and while this idea is on the backburner due to pressure on Council funds during the recession, Kilmister still hopes to pursue the project sometime in the future. Auckland City's unofficial GLBTT network meetings take place quarterly, involving several local groups for discussions and networking.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News Staff
First published: Thursday, 9th April 2009 - 9:21pm