Viewpoint – Supporting community spirit

I’m constantly inspired by the community spirit I witness daily. It’s our fundamental role on the board – and a genuine privilege – to actively support the initiatives you care about: backing our fantastic local volunteers, safeguarding our environment and promoting efficient and sustainable work.

Your current Local Board is committed to our local volunteers – the hundreds of people who are the heart and soul of so many crucial local projects. Think of the vital efforts like Restore Rodney East and the many groups they support, the dedicated individuals working at our sports clubs and grounds, and the countless hours poured into our shared community spaces – these are your neighbours, our local champions. We get to back these efforts achieving real, visible improvements for all of us who live here.

This commitment naturally extends to managing our resources wisely. Your board champions waste minimisation and strongly supports our community recycling centres. Practical initiatives like local recycling does more than just reduce landfill – it builds valuable community skills. This focus on a circular economy is also why we support the fantastic work of our local op shops and reuse enterprises – they’re vital for keeping resources in use and out of landfill. Furthermore, we make your voice heard on broader issues, for instance, by providing strong feedback on proposed waste legislation to ensure genuine waste minimisation efforts aren’t disadvantaged.

To keep this work going, it’s crucial that your Local Board consists of members who truly champion these community and environmental priorities. The upcoming October 2025 local elections are a key moment, particularly with the recent electoral boundary changes finalised by the Local Government Commission. It’s important for everyone in the Mahurangi area to know that your representation on our Local Board will be reduced from three members to two this election. Lobbying efforts by the non-elected Northern Action Group have resulted in you losing a voice.

This reduction in representation for our area means your vote and your voice in the upcoming election are more critical than ever. I personally urge you to look closely at what each candidate truly stands for.

Ask yourselves: do their values align with protecting our unique environment? Will they genuinely champion our hardworking volunteers? Do they grasp the importance of supporting our sustainable local economies?

Making sure your Local Board genuinely reflects our shared community values is critical. Let’s all work together to elect representatives who will continue to support the incredible community spirit that makes Mahurangi such a special place to live.