Environmental action can make us world leader, says Angela Strange
Brief profile: A school teacher by profession & wife of a politician, Angela Strange has staked her claim for a Waikato Regional Council seat from Hamilton constituency. She is keen to see NZ as a world leader in environmental action. Angela assures to ‘champion & achieve positive, equitable outcomes’ in line with council’s mandate & is relying on her experience as a teacher to ‘work hard, work together & be a problem-solver.’ She values ‘health of waterways, healthy air, soil, biosecurity & ecological restoration.’ She believes transport has to be ‘balanced, efficient & accessible’ & supports Hamilton-Auckland train. Angela is ‘committed to prudent financial management, ensuring smart investment in infrastructure, & providing core services cost-effectively.’(NewsViews)
By Angela Strange:
The Waikato region is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. We are growing quickly, and it’s important that this growth is well-planned and sustainable, with the health of our environment at its core. I am committed to prudent financial management, ensuring smart investment in infrastructure, and providing core services cost-effectively.
My husband Jamie and I have lived in Hamilton for many years, with all our children being born here and currently attending local schools.
Angela Strange is the first contender from Hamilton constituency who was invited to present her views in ‘Know your Waikato Regional Council candidates’ series initiated by NewsViews to enable community to know them better.
At present, I work as a school teacher at Hukanui Primary School, and have always had a passion for people achieving their full potential. Teachers are naturally collaborative: we work together, we’re creative, we are problem solvers, we are world changers – we invest generationally, with a long-term view.
Environmental education promotes the ability to think and act sustainably. I have witnessed the ripple effect that education and the values and attitudes it instills can spread, as children share their knowledge with their immediate and extended families.
Children are naturally curious and love learning, and what better way to help ensure environmental action than by supporting and extending the Enviroschools programme that is currently run by Waikato Regional Council.
As a country, we can be world leaders in our environmental action, leading the way in sustainable food production, healthy waterways and climate change action. Learning to live sustainably, such as planting and harvesting food, is an important life skill.
Water is a scarce and essential resource, requiring protection for future generations: the health of our waterways is an important component of this. It’s important we value healthy air and soils, biosecurity and ecological restoration.
Local councils have a mandate to provide communities with the following four well-beings: cultural, economic, environmental and social. If elected, I will champion these four areas, actively engaging with our culturally-diverse communities to produce positive, equitable outcomes. Every community is important and their voices need to be valued.
Our transport network must be balanced, efficient and accessible. Regional council must offer a diverse range of transport options, catering for as many people as possible. I’m excited that a passenger rail service between Hamilton and Auckland will be up-and-running next year. This will provide increased passenger productivity through the ability to work while travelling, certainty of arrival times, and a reduction in carbon emissions.
I represent hard work, integrity and loyalty, and am proud to be a part of a growing, vibrant region with a key role to play in New Zealand’s future.
Angela Strange, Candidate for WRC from Hamilton constituency
angestrange@gmail.com , www.facebook.com/angelastrangeregionalcouncilcandidate
Editor’s Note: The views expressed in this column, ViewPoint are the personal opinions of the writer, and do not reflect the views of NewsViews nor does it ascribe to these in any manner.
