As the Cambridge Community Board reaches the halfway point of our three-year term, we are proud of the progress we have made in diligently advocating for our residents.
The new Cambridge Community Board from left: Elise Badger, Alana MacKay, Jo Davies-Colley, Andrew Myers, Mike Montgomerie, Sue Milner. The other member is Philip Coles.
The board’s role is to be the voice of the community to council and our members remain committed to working hard for our town’s needs.
We are a vibrant and diverse group of individuals who have come together, elected by the public, with a shared purpose of serving and representing the residents of Cambridge, both rural and urban.
Our common goal is to ensure community voices – no matter the issue and our individual thoughts on it – are heard and that we address the needs of our residents.
We do this by holding monthly meetings with a focus on hearing from the public, making decisions on the delegations given to us from council, attending public meetings, council workshops, project working groups and by being a part of, or working alongside, organisations such as Rotary, Cambridge Safer Community Trust, Cambridge Social Services and the Cambridge Business Chamber.
We also give feedback to council on decisions they are making, including Ahu Ake, Waipā Community Spatial Plan, the Cambridge Pathway plan, Cambridge Connections, the 2024/25 Enhanced Annual Plan, and Council policy reviews on fees and charges, class four gambling, dog control, the sports field lease model and many more.
Jo Davies-Colley
Cambridge has a diverse community; sometimes the position the board takes doesn’t align with everyone’s points of view, it’s a balance we work hard on and regardless, all opinions are heard and passed on.
We have a positive relationship with council staff and elected members while remembering that our primary focus lies with the community members we represent.
While at times our independent thinking may mean taking a stance that differs from council, we work together with them towards our common goals with mutual respect and collaboration.
By balancing our focus on the community with our partnership with council, we strive to create an effective approach to governance that benefits everyone.
During this term, we have advocated strongly for a new Cambridge library and community hub to better serve our residents.
We also pushed for safer crossings in Shakespeare Street after hearing from members of the community concerned with the lack of safe connections on one of our busiest roads.
We advocated for safe, connected and convenient walking and cycling paths through the CBD, allowing school children to get to school safely.
The vibrancy of our town centre is another area we are focused on, as well as delivering meaningful Anzac and Armistice commemorations, strengthening our sister city relationships with Bihoro and Le Quesnoy and allocating funding to community groups in our town, supporting them further in their important work.
We remain committed to serving as a voice for our residents and will continue to work hard to make Cambridge a better place for all.
