Sign In / Register
The inaugural meeting of the Hibiscus and Bays Local Board, which included the swearing in of members, took place on Wednesday, October 26 in the Ōrewa council chambers.
Eight elected members – four for the Hibiscus subdivision: Gary Brown, Leanne Willis, Sam Mills and Jake Law; and four for the Bays: Alexis Poppelbaum, Victoria Short, Julia Parfitt and Greg Walden – were joined by family and friends.
Those supporters included former Rodney District Council Mayor John Law and his wife Leslie, there to see their grandchild, Jake Law, sworn in.
Formalities included a whakatau or welcome from Ngati Manuhiri.
Following this, the members were sworn in and then elected a chair and deputy chair.
Members decided to split the three year term in half, with a different chair and deputy chair for each half of the term.
They also split the roles equally between the two subdivisions of the local board.
Until the end of April, 2024, Hibiscus member Gary Brown will be chair and Bays member Julia Parfitt will be deputy.
After that, until the end of the term, Bays member Alexis Poppelbaum will be chair and Gary Brown the deputy.
In his opening speech, Brown said exciting times lie ahead for the local board, including projects that are even more substantial than those achieved last term.
“Mayor Wayne Brown has promised to provide local boards with more money, resources and powers,” he said.
Poppelbaum said that during elections some stand in teams or are divided along political lines.
“However, once elected you leave those things at the door so that the local board works as a team,” she said.
