Achievements

Here’s a little peek into what I’ve been up to outside of Council chambers over the past three years:

1. I became the youngest Councillor ever elected to the Kaipara District Council. Pretty cool, right?

2. Got elected nationally to represent all Māori Ward Councillors on Local Government New Zealand's Te Maruata sub-committee. A huge honor for me!

3. Stepped up during and after the cyclone – helped set up a community evacuation hub that quickly turned into a distribution centre. Oh, and I hosted Ministers Davies and Prime to meet flood-affected community members. Those were some hectic times. 

4. Represented Kaipara to accept the Mitre 10 Community of the Year award (this one’s for the thousands of volunteers from each affected region) at the New Zealander of the Year awards. What a moment to remember!

5. When the Mayor didn’t support me to get commissioner accreditation (only offered to Mangawhai Councillors and Councillor Lambeth), I didn’t let that stop me. I used my own connections, got accredited, and passed with Merit. 

6. Same story with gaining commissioner experience. The Mayor didn’t appoint me to hearings, so I found my own way and got onto a fast-track panel hearing and gain valuable experience because where there’s a will, there’s always a way. 

7. And last but not least, I received a Local Government New Zealand "recognition award" – one of only two given out to Māori Ward Councillors every three years, voted on by my Māori Ward Councillor peers. That one really means a lot to me.