OPINION:

It is an absolute honour to be elected for the 2022-2025 term.

There are a lot of expectations placed on a new mayor, and I welcome them all.

I’ve served three terms as a councillor with Whangārei District Council, and this is the fourth time I’ve run for mayor.

This appointment is the culmination of many years of listening to our community, working with local businesses and community organisations, and working within local government.

All our newly elected members are deeply thankful to be elected into their roles, and as a council, we are committed to representing all members of our community.

Like many of my fellow elected members, I am fortunate to have a strong sense of connection to Whangārei and our people.

As a local business owner for more than 20 years, a Whangārei resident, and a member of various clubs and organisations across our district, I understand the unique concerns that come with running small and medium-sized enterprises in our district, the concerns with rates, roading and water supplies, and the important effects volunteers have on our community.

I also understand the challenges our disabled and ageing community have, along with the challenges our different ethnicities face in Whangārei.

Your new council is made up of 14 committed members, including myself. Our councillors are:

Bream Bay General Ward

Ken Couper

Phil Halse (Deputy Mayor)

Hikurangi-Coastal General Ward

Gavin Benney

Scott McKenzie

Mangakahia-Maungatapere General Ward

Simon Reid

Whangārei District Māori Ward

Deb Harding

Phoenix Ruka

Whangārei Heads General Ward

Patrick Holmes

Whangārei Urban General Ward

Jayne Golightly

Paul Yovich

Carol Peters

Nicholas Connop

Marie Olsen

This is a great team of people, and I’m looking forward to working alongside all of them in the years to come. Congratulations to you all on electing such capable, committed councillors.

It is also auspicious that this term we have councillors elected from the Māori Roll, along with a solid mix of old and new faces around the table. This mix of experienced and fresh outlooks will be important for the growth of our district.

I also want to acknowledge those who have served as elected members in the past, through some very difficult years.

For many of us, our personal health, businesses and communities are still in the process of healing from the blight of Covid.

Our council is glad to be stepping up at this time of recovery, and will continue to support the good work being undertaken by our communities, local businesses, and organisations. The resilience of our Northland people is amazing.

We can all acknowledge the increased growth of our district, which at times means we have growing pains. Having a proactive council and great communities working together, supporting each other in the face of these challenges, will ultimately determine our success.