When the local government polls close in October residents of the South Waikato District will have elected their first Māori mayor.
Current councillors Arama Ngāpo (Ngāti Tamaterā, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Porou) and Gary Petley (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāti Mutunga) are campaigning for the mayor's office vacated by Jenny Shattock, who is retiring after six years as mayor and 24 years in local government.
Both Ngāpo and Petley are South Waikato born and raised, Ngāpo in Tokoroa, Petley in Putaruru and have dedicated much of their lives to serving their communities across the district.
Petley says apart from two years at Hato Pāora College and one year in Auckland he has lived all of his 67 years in Putaruru, where he has worked in the bush, at the Kinleith Pulp and Paper mill, ran a small business with his wife in Tīrau and now drives milk tankers for Fonterra. He has also served on school boards in Tirau and Putaruru and beeninvolved with rugby and golf clubs across the district.
He says this gives him insight into life across the whole district, which incorporates Tokoroa, Putaruru, Tīrau and Arapuni.
Grass roots connection
“I guess in essence I've had that blend if you like with pretty much every group in the community and I think that will hold me in good stead. I think being someone from the grassroots, people might have a better understanding of who I am.
“I’m not one who stands back and criticises. If there are going to be changes, I’d like to be part of that.
“And if that has a positive trickle-down effect on the community that I represent, that’s good.”
Ngāpo, who grew up in Tokoroa, where she now practises law, feels it is time now for her to step up to lead the community she has immense passion for, particularly with its large Māori and Pasifika communities.
“I've spent six years in civic service to my community. And I think that it's my time to step up and take that leadership role.
Adding value
“Having that ability to interact, to engage and recognise where I can add value, that's really important to me.
“That's why I'm standing for the mayoralty, as I believe I can add value to my community. I've been in service as a lawyer for over 20 years. I've been in civic service for six years.”
The two both say having a Māori mayor, regardless of how the votes turn out can be a good thing for the district, and in particular enhance the relationship between the council and local iwi, Ngāti Raukawa.
“I think it can only get stronger. And it's made stronger by the fact that one of the 16 standing in the Tokoroa ward is Maria Te Kanawa and she's currently the lead at Raukawa. And, if she gets in, that's one avenue where we have the ability to strengthen the bond between the district and Raukawa,” Petley says.
Whakawhanaungatanga
Ngapo says being Māori will help her or Petley navigate the challenges that come with the job.
“That manaaki, that aroha, that awhi, that we have intrinsically, is significant. This is not a Maori space, and if we can remember that, whakawhanaungatanga I think that that's going to hold whoever the mayor is in good stead.”
Petley, who is completing his first term on the council, is also standing for the Putaruru ward this year, a decision he said was made at the last minute at the request of members of the community who said they wanted him on the council regardless of the mayoralty result.
“I guess from that point of view, I have to portray what I consider to be the important part for me, which is the mayoralty, but also to translate that to the fact that I want to represent the council at some level.”
Meanwhile, Ngāpo, a two-term councillor, is contesting only the mayoralty this year saying she doesn’t want to use a council seat as a fallback option.
