BayBuzz Needs Volunteers

BayBuzz is hoping to become bigger, better and more effective.

But to do that, we need more arms, legs and brains … volunteers!

Here are some of the ways YOU can help BayBuzz …

If you have a particular issue expertise, either by profession or avocation, you can help BayBuzz track that issue through the decision-making process in our various councils and other public bodies. You can do research and provide substantive expertise on the issue. Or you can monitor how effectively the public business is getting done.

And if you write well, you can become an occasional online reporter or commentator on the BayBuzz blog and website.

We particularly need volunteers with a flair for numbers who can help us track the budgets, annual plan and LTCCP processes at the Hastings, Napier and Regional Councils.

We need volunteers to drill into specific issues, like big ticket spending projects (such as the regional sports park or the Napier Museum & Art Gallery re-development), or the urban growth strategy, sustainability or water policy.

We also need pertinent expertise in the health arena. How good are our health outcomes in the Bay, and what needs to be done to make them better?

If you’re a lawyer interested in Bay issues and governance, you can help BayBuzz use its legal rights to access official information, make submissions, challenge closed meetings and recommend plan changes.

On the creative side, we have lots of needs … a website to steadily build out; flyers, signs and print ads to design and produce; and a print version of BayBuzz to develop.

And we can always use cartoons, illustrations, photos and videos to help present our issues and make our case.

On the organizing and administrative side, there’s plenty to do too.

For example, we’re in the process of building a proper BayBuzz supporter database … anyone with some time and a computer can help us with that one. And we’d like to keep better track of upcoming community events so we can maintain a proper event calendar on the BayBuzz website. And there will be the occasional flyers and petitions to distribute and BayBuzz events and promotions to organize.

So, as you can see, BayBuzz can use talents of all kinds. We’re a “lean, mean, fighting machine” and volunteers can make a huge difference in helping us grow in scope and impact.

If you think you can help, just send us an email here: editors@baybuzz.co.nz

Many thanks!

Tom