Ko Tangata Tiriti au; Elected as Councillor and then Mayor of te Whanganui-a-Tara, I led Wellington towards being a truly Green capital. Previously, I was a teacher, then worked in IT. I grew up in a Council flat and am a mother of two adult sons.

I led a number of important city projects, improved earthquake resilience, funded core infrastructure, introduced Environmental and Climate Change Grants, led our Council be the first in Aotearoa to pay the Living Wage, and started the construction of a full cycle network. I support greater density of healthy homes along public transport corridors. I championed celebrations such as Matariki 2014, Africa Day and Carmen Rupe’s recognition. Now we must move beyond inclusion and symbolism to real empowerment. I founded Living Streets Aotearoa, am on the Boards of Predator-Free Wellington and Walk21.

In 2017, I moved to the Wairarapa and live in a solar-powered tiny house. I’m an active member of WaiP2K, a biodiversity project, on the local Walking and Cycling Advisory Group and started the Wairarapa Walking Festival. I will emphasise climate and socio-economic issues which urban and rural communities share and highlight good practice in building, farming and restoration.

Contact: [email protected]