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As the only woman on the Rodney Local Board, Lisa Whyte believes representation in politics should be based on ability not gender.
When elected last October, Whyte brought nearly 20 years of local government experience to the role.
Known for her passion for sport, she says that growing up in a small town like Te Puke led her to become involved in service and volunteering from an early age.
“When previous board member Louise Johnson, who represented the Dairy Flat subdivision, decided not to take part in last year’s election, she encouraged me to put my hand up and come back,” Whyte said.
“It made me realise that I had really missed my role as a community problem solver.”
As she gains experience, Whyte’s ambition is to become an inclusive leader, something she believes is achieved through teamwork and collaboration. In this respect, she sees her perspective as a woman as a potential strength.
“Sometimes you need to put your ego aside and consider other opinions. I think that’s definitely a female trait – it’s not competitive, it’s collaborative. And that’s what I believe in when it comes to helping the community I serve.”
Whyte says her mother is her role model.
“She was always on the committee of all the sports clubs we were involved in. So, my first steps in leadership were on my children’s kindergarten committee. I’ve been involved with the National Party for many years, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with some inspirational women.”
Beyond her role on the Local Board, Whyte is also involved in basketball and tennis committees, where she highlights the differences between sport and politics in terms of gender policies.
“On sports boards, for example, there is a requirement for 40 per cent of board members to be women, but I don’t think I would go that far in local government. I don’t think we need quotas.
“It’s always better to have some gender balance on boards, but I don’t necessarily support having half of the board made up of women. Interestingly, there is more female representation in local government than in central government”.
As a representative of the Dairy Flat subdivision, Whyte advocates on behalf of the communities of Coatesville, Dairy Flat and Milldale. She is currently working on a project to strengthen connections within the Milldale community which, being newer than neighbouring areas, still lacks some basic services that she believes are essential for community building.
“Milldale doesn’t have a large playground, any sports clubs or an arts centre. It doesn’t have a heart yet.
However, there is a project to build a playground there next year, followed by a 3-on-3 basketball court the year after.
“My role as a politician is to get people out of their homes and help them connect with their neighbours,” she says.
