Joseph Allan

This statement was prepared for a public meeting organised by the Manurewa Action Team 6:30pm Monday, 8 September 2025. The lines of separation between Manurewa Action Team and Wiri Licensing Trust were blurred in the invitations sent out and paid promotions online.

Statement
Many invitations have been sent to this meeting - I am here - attending as the leader of #LoveManurewa and as a candidate.

Reading from our flyer... #LoveManurewa acknowledges the success of our community groups is largely due to passionate and dedicated volunteers. [Thank you!]
We want to continue supporting them and to restore partnerships with local schools that provide greater opportunities for our rangatahi (young people).

That is - continue support and put some aside for school camps - like what used to happen.

Reading on... We will continue to support long standing relationships with community organisations but we believe it is time to take a hard look at recent deals. Community funds have been re-directed to organisations run by other Wiri Licensing Trust Trustees and/or their team mates (election candidates). [very specific]

To recap… We want to continue supporting our passionate and dedicated volunteers. We will continue to support long standing relationships with community organisations.

Who are they? Organisations like the Coastguard, Netball, Rugby, the Marlins, Mountain Bike Club, Cricket, Soccer, Touch, Riding for the Disabled, Squash, Bowls, Croquet, Hospice - and the list goes on.

Manukau Youth Orchestra

I started the Manukau Youth Orchestra in 2000 to run an orchestra and provide affordable music tuition to Manukau Youth.

It has been noted on social media that I received funding to teach students over the 6 years while I was a member of the Manurewa Action Team. This is true.

Also true - the relationship between the orchestra and Wiri Trust (and funding partners of the day) was first established in 2001 - before the Action Team even existed and 15 years before I joined them.

Also true - the amount the orchestra received through the Wiri Trust (and funding partners) for lessons did not change after I joined Action.

Also true - when I left Action funding was severed, the orchestra had to downsize, and lessons at Manurewa Central were stopped.

A 21 year relationship between the orchestra and trust was wiped.

The words in our flyers were put together with care.

We will continue to support long standing relationships with community organisations. For me, that means what it says - regardless of political affiliation, perceived or otherwise.

The focus - as detailed on the website - is where there have been significant increases in funding to organisations run by other Wiri Licensing Trust Trustees and/or their team mates.

Example - Christmas In The Park

Supported by the Manurewa Local Board for many years. When Glenn Murphy became Chair of the Local Board and a Trustee on the Wiri Trust that combined annual support went from $20k to $68k - for the one event. In a cost of living crisis, that demands attention.

And from the Local Board Minutes you can see he failed to declare his conflict of interest two years in a row. Similar minutes relating to grant applications you might expect for the Wiri Licensing Trust are not publicly available.

Conversely, no funding applications were made by the Manukau Youth Orchestra to a funding body to which I was elected.

In closing

We will continue to support long standing relationships with community organisations.

Misrepresentations have been made by Action as to the contents of the #LoveManurewa election flyer and related website. Action is trying to change the narrative to deflect focus away from themselves - where it should firmly stay.

To ensure transparency of funding, the quality management of trust assets and the continuation of valued partnerships, vote #LoveManurewa.