Leaders of Indian and Fiji Indian origin Jeet Sachdev and Ann Pala have been selected as members of the Auckland Council’s Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel.

The entire panel comprises Kudakwashe Tuwe – Zimbabwean; John Hong – Chinese; Ann Pala – Fijian-Indian; Camille Nakhid – Trinidad & Tobago; Jeet Suchdev – Indian; Bevan Chuang – Chinese; Sadiqa Hajee – Bahraini; Kafeba Pergoleze Alvis Mundele – Congolese; Amail Habib – Pakistani; Susan Zhu – Chinese; Asoka Basnayake – Sri Lankan; and Grace Ryu – Korean.

“The diversity of our communities is one of the features that make Auckland such a special place,” Mayor Len Brown said. “More than 180 different ethnicities call Auckland home, giving it a cultural richness and vibrancy second to none.”

“Our strength lies in our variety, in our many different communities; but while diversity brings strength, it also holds within it the possibility of division. The challenge of our new Auckland is to reach out, connect, and genuinely value each other.

“It’s important that our diverse communities have a mechanism to communicate and engage with Auckland Council, and have a say in the future of Auckland.”

Councillor Richard Northey said, “This group of people represents a wide range of ethnicities, backgrounds, personal skills and experiences and areas of Auckland. With the calibre and competency of these 12 candidates, and their collective experience in community networking and advocacy, we are confident this panel will be an authentic and articulate voice for all the ethnic communities of Auckland.

“They will advise us on, and actively bring to our attention, the issues facing all our ethnic communities throughout Auckland now and in the future.”

“We are a city of 1.4 million people, and it is vital that the diverse communities that make up Auckland, be they the rural community, business, Pacific Island people, ethnic communities, people with disabilities or young people, have a means of communicating with the council and its representatives,” Mayor Brown said.