I’m a real estate agent by profession but sport is my passion. I’m a coach for the Papatoetoe Cricket Club, am on the NZ Kabaddi Federation and, I work with youth at the Takanini Sikh Temple. I used to play for the Auckland Aces cricket team and represented New Zealand A in a couple of games, so I am driven to get more kids into sport. Especially in South Auckland, and especially from our Indian community.

At our Temple we often have groups of people walking the 1km lap around our carpark. This ranges from old folk to families, from all different ethnic backgrounds. They use it because it is safe, well lit, and fenced. Its a superb facility on offer by the Supreme Sikh Society but these types of paths should be available everywhere for public to easily access.  

In Takanini, Conifer Grove is a good place to go for a walk, it is quiet, by the water and has good accessible paths. The new developments in this area have the infrastructure too, and its easy to sell real estate for these newer spaces because people want to be able to walk from home to their local shopping centre, on safe, easy to access pathways. They want good connections to their local facilities. It does make me question, what is happening for our older suburbs? Why are they still being forgotten about?

The more safe and connected pathways and facilities available in our community, the more people will use them.

Its not surprising to me that funding is being prioritised in Central and West Auckland. They have been priority areas for the last 30-40 years. But what about the little brother in the South? When will we become the priority?

The worrying thing is, in four years time when it is our turn, there could be new governing boards, new people at the head of these organisations, and the budget could be all used up. And we will miss out, yet again.

If I could spend the money, I would invest it in infrastructure that connects all the suburbs of the South. It would be my dream to one day organise a marathon-type event that goes from Otahuhu to Papakura. If we had the infrastructure set up, that dream could easily become a reality. The infrastructure is available in other parts of Auckland, lets make it available here! This pathway would support both one-off events, as well as continuously encouraging all of South Auckland to walk, run, and connect as a community.

By connecting our communities via paths and active transport routes we’re not just connecting physically, but connecting different people and different cultures to come together as one.