With the furore of the election behind us, and regardless of how you voted, or who did or did not win on the day; there appeared, during the campaigning, to be a shift in thinking amongst most of our major political parties.
Whilst the causes and solutions may be hotly denied and furiously debated, there was a general consensus that the Environmental and Social well-being of our planet and ourselves is less than optimal. Inextricably linked, these social and environmental issues affect all New Zealanders, and political parties have pledged to address these issues as a matter of some priority.
Here in the Bay of Plenty, Envirohub and SociaLink, as umbrella organisations for both the environmental and social sectors respectively, will continue to work to keep our sector voices heard and valued.
Both organisations understand the issues facing the groups they work hard to support, and understand the competitive funding environment these groups work in.
What is sometimes less known by the rest of our community, is the considerable work these groups do, and the difference they make on a daily basis: Our environment and communities are better places as a result of these good works; and we look forward to sharing some of these stories with you in the near future.
By Laura Wragg (Envirohub) & Liz Davies (SociaLink)
We write for this magazine because it give a voice to important issues.
