Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Good evening everyone.
It always gives me great pleasure to be in Eastbourne with tonight being no different as we gather here for this very special occasion.
For we are here to celebrate Geoff Mann who after 21 years of service to Eastbourne, first on the Borough Council and then Community Board, has decided to call it a day.
Few can claim a length of public service as long as Geoff’s, which is a remarkable achievement for a person in an elected position. It’s testament to the respect he enjoys in Eastbourne, no doubt due to his dedication and service to the community he loves and has worked very hard for.
It was with sadness I heard of Geoff’s decision to retire. That’s because community boards are at their strongest when they have people like Geoff who are passionate and committed about their communities. I don’t need to tell anyone in this room that he has both qualities by the spadeful.
Geoff has been an enthusiastic advocate for community boards, having been a member of Local Government New Zealand's Community Board Executive Committee for a number of years.
He also worked alongside Lisette from my office organising the Community Board Forum that was successfully held in Hutt City last year. Many attendees told me it was the best they had been to, and much of the credit for that must go to Geoff.
Geoff also deserves credit for his advocacy for community boards during the representation review, which played no small part in the Council’s decision to retain them – something I’m very pleased about.
In saying a few words tonight, I can’t avoid mentioning that word: secession. I want to take this occasion to thank Geoff for his contribution during the resolution talks. Throughout the process he has had strong and well-informed views about many things, but has presented those views in tones of moderation and with an understanding of different points of view. Good progress is being made on a resolution that will satisfy all parties, and Geoff has played an important role in that.
I recently read an article announcing Geoff’s retirement where he said: “Ultimately anybody can be on the board there is a lot of good people out there that can fill my shoes”. I think Geoff underestimates the enormous contribution he has made and how difficult it will be to find a replacement to fill what are, in fact, very large shoes.
On that note, I on behalf of the Council would like to congratulate Geoff for his outstanding service. I wish him well for the next in phase his life, where I know that he will continue to make a significant contribution to the community of Eastbourne.