I’m a dedicated local leader, community advocate, and proud Westie. I’m standing for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board in the 2025 local elections because I believe in strong, connected communities, transparent local decision-making, and protecting the places we love.

My commitment to public service is grounded in 15 years of hands-on governance and community leadership. I bring extensive governance experience in the not-for-profit sector and across the education sphere, including the early childhood, school, and tertiary fields. I currently serve as Presiding Member of the Woodlands Park School Board and have held governance roles at local, regional, and national levels within Playcentre Aotearoa, including serving on the national board and as Co-President. These roles have strengthened my ability to lead strategically, collaborate effectively, and deliver outcomes grounded in community values.

Council systems can often feel distant or difficult to navigate. I want to change that. My goal is to make local government more accessible and responsive, helping people stay informed, understand what’s going on, and have authentic input into decisions that affect them. I see myself as a connector between community and Council, and a strong advocate for local voices and local priorities.

Alongside my governance work, I have a background in education, science, and technology. I hold a degree in food technology, and spent 10 years working in the food industry across a range of technical and leadership roles. I’ve also worked in early childhood education, and as an adult education facilitator. I have spent the last five years supporting neurodiverse students as a specialist education tutor in several local schools.

I’m proud to stand with Future West — a team committed to social justice, environmental protection, and community-led solutions. I support public investment in the things that matter: thriving parks and green spaces, people-centred urban design, inclusive and accessible transport options, a vibrant arts and culture sector, and science-led climate action. I believe in strong partnerships with mana whenua and the many local groups already doing the mahi.

Our communities are resilient, passionate, and diverse. Our local board should reflect that.

If elected, I’ll bring integrity, experience, and a deep commitment to the people and places of the Waitākere Ranges. I would be honoured to earn your vote.

I am running again for the Waitakere Ranges Local Board. Why?

I’ve lived out west nearly all my life. I grew up in Laingholm and built our family home in Bethells Beach. I love the Waitākere Ranges, they’re part of who I am. Thats why!

I’m standing for re-election because I want our local board to be stronger, more relevant, and get its fair share. I’ve worked around local government for over 35 years, I know the system, how it works, and doesn’t.

The super city hasn’t really delivered for the west. Our foothills, coastlines, and neighbourhoods are incredible, but they need real support and investment in maintenance, especially after the storms.

My focus will be on improving local transport and drainage, working closer with Te Kawerau a Maki, mataawaka and Hoani Waititi Marae, securing more funding for our communities and local arts, and protecting our one-of-a-kind environment. As a former Bethells Fire Chief, I’ll also keep backing Surf, Fire, Coastguard and Emergency volunteers and working with those affected by landslips and flooding.

Vote for someone with deep roots, real-world know-how, and the passion to keep pushing for the west.

Kia ora, My name is Hannah and I live in the beautiful coastal village of Piha. I decided to stand for the Waitākere Ranges Local Board after the cyclone hit in 2023. Like so many others, I felt worried and frustrated —about under‑investment in the West, and the state of our roads and drains, and about our homes and how we’ll cope with more frequent and intense weather events. 

Life is tough right now, and many people have lost trust in politics. It’s no wonder when decisions often feel like they’re made for us, not with us. I’m running because I want to help give people a voice. Many of us feel the ‘supercity’ model hasn’t worked well for the West, and I’m passionate about making sure our communities have a genuine say in decisions that affect us. As a Westie and a member of the disability community, I understand how it feels when policies don’t work for everyday people. We deserve better.

Over the past twenty years, I’ve worked in programme management and community engagement roles, with a focus on participation and inclusion. Currently, I’m the Accessibility Programme Coordinator for the Auckland Arts Festival. I have experience of working in grassroots community groups, working with new migrants and refugees and the disability community. I actually started my working life with the Auckland Regional Council, recording the oral histories of people who lived and worked in our beautiful regional parks. These roles have taught me how to listen deeply, build strong connections, and work with communities to make sure every voice is heard and valued.

I’m a mum of two young adult children, and my partner is a park ranger. We’ve called Piha home for over 20 years (and before that in Huia)- and we absolutely love this special place — its beaches, its bush tracks, and its down‑to‑earth people. You might have spotted me singing with friends in a mom‑band at one of our West Auckland RSAs or bowling clubs, or with my partner and kids out enjoying the walking tracks of te Wao Nui a Tiriwa.

I want to help protect this beautiful place and way of life, so that my children, and generations to come can enjoy the same life that we’ve been so grateful for.

I’m proud to be standing alongside a strong team under the Future West banner. We all care deeply and together, we’re committed to working hard for our people, our communities, and our environment — making sure the West is cared for, now and into the future.

On our third day in New Zealand, my wife and I drove through Titirangi on our way to Piha.  We instantly fell in love with the Waitakere Ranges and the villages and townships that surround them, the Kauri, Rimu, Nikau Palms and the Tree Ferns.  Not surprisingly, we bought a house amongst the Kauri on the South Titirangi Peninsula overlooking Manukau Harbour, and there we have lived for the last 42 years.  In that house we raised two lovely Children and now four Grandchildren come to stay and play.

We have all enjoyed days playing cricket on the beaches, walking the Hillary Trail and other tracks, exploring the artistic communities and eating at the growing number of cafes.

In those 42 years, I built a career as a Chartered Accountant, Financial Controller, CEO and Company Director, with a stint as a Commercial Pilot, flying in the Pacific Islands and ferrying aircraft around the world.  I am told that my flying stories are more interesting than my accounting stories.  Buy me a beer and I will tell you about ditching an aircraft 150 miles North of Honolulu, or three weeks stranded on a small Pacific Island, not how I finally reconciled that Bank Statement.  Meanwhile my wife spent 40 years as a High School Deputy Principal.

Nowadays, when not adding numbers for an NZ based airline, you will find me walking trap lines, setting bait to catch Possums, Rats and the occasional Mustelid, or joining a local Weeding Bee or Native Planting Day.  It is extremely gratifying to see the increasing number of native birds in our garden and elsewhere and know that our efforts are being rewarded.  I sit on the committees of several environmental and social groups and serve as a Trustee for Titirangi Urban Sanctuary Charitable Trust.

During the last 42 years, particularly more recently, we have borne witness to the trials and tribulations of the Waitakere Ranges: Kauri Dieback, Covid isolation, the Anniversary Weekend deluge and cyclone Gabrielle.  It has imprinted upon me the importance of developing Resilience in the Ranges, for people, property, tracks, roads and services.

I very much want to see the Waitakere Ranges fully and safely open again for business and leisure, both for those of us that live here and those that visit, while at the same time preserving this unique Heritage Area, so important it even has its own Act, while my Financial Hat drives me to see this all done in a Fiscally Responsible manner.

I am seeking the privilege of your vote for the Future West candidates and me. I have lived most of my life out west, my children have grown up here and I have run my law practice here.

I was previously a Waitakere City Councillor and I have served five terms on the local board.  I have also been involved in significant community projects such as Lopdell House restoration and the construction of the Whau Coastal Walkway.  The work is great, trying to make our piece of paradise better one decision at a time. 

The things that I prioritise are protecting our environment, supporting the arts and making sure our communities are cared for and enhanced.  And we need to prepare for the future to face the challenges that our city faces.  The west is a special place and Council has a role in making sure that this continues.

Kia ora, I’m Jessica Rose — a passionate advocate for local decision-making, connected neighbourhoods, and meeting the challenges of climate change head-on. First elected in 2016, I bring a wealth of governance experience, alongside a fresh face in the Future West team. I believe we need urgent action on housing affordability, cleaning up our waterways, better transport options, and safeguarding our green spaces. I’m committed to building a future for Waitākere that’s safer, more equitable, and genuinely sustainable.

I’m driven by the values that make our West unique: whānau, fairness, and a fierce sense of pride in where we live.

My journey into local government wasn’t exactly traditional. I began as a volunteer, leading community activations — from campaigning for safer cycling and better housing, to creating public spaces people actually want to spend time in. That hands-on, people-first approach still guides me today.

I hold a business degree and an anthropology degree — a combination that gives me both a strategic mindset and a deep understanding of people and culture. Over the years, I’ve served on the Manukau Harbour Forum, Auckland’s Climate Advisory Panel, and have led local board portfolios across transport, environment, and community development.

I’ve also built my own eco-home with my husband, and when I’m not working, I love to create. My winter hobby is knitting — when I’m not pottering in the garden or pulling out weeds, that is.

On the Board, I’ve worked hard to integrate climate action into every decision — from how we plan our neighbourhoods to how we strengthen local resilience. I support more public transport, (with cheaper fares!), smarter density, and investment in nature-based solutions that cool our city and restore biodiversity. I’m also a big fan of community planting days and wild coastline clean-ups — anything that gets people outside and engaged with protecting te taiao (the natural world).

I know politics can feel distant — or even boring — but it doesn’t have to be. I try to keep things real, with a sense of humour and deep respect for the people I represent. I was once surprised with an award for “most looks like the community they represent” while wearing leopard print at a national Young Elected Members conference. I thought I was just wearing work clothes.

Climate change isn’t something far off. It’s here, and it’s urgent. But I truly believe we can tackle it together — with courage, creativity, and care. I’m not here for performative politics. I’m here to do the hard work, collaborate with good people, and protect the environment that sustains us all.