Building connections in the community!

This month has been all about community, building connections and looking out for each other, and it’s been a great way to start 2026. While Parliament is now back in full force, I’ve been sure to be back here in Tāmaki keeping grounded, listening to locals, and learning more about the groups and connections that keep our community well looked after. 

I had the real pleasure of hosting Sir John Kirwan, former-All Black and mental health advocate, and his team at the Mitey Foundation for a community meeting in St Heliers to discuss mental wellbeing and resilience in primary schools across New Zealand. Mitey is in over 140 schools in Auckland as a teaching resource to nurture a student’s own mental wellbeing and their peers. We all learnt a lot, and you can learn more too here.

In the morning, we observed the program in schools at St Heliers School, and I was so impressed at how articulate students were about their feelings, how they would expect to react positively and negatively to real life scenarios and encourage their peers. I don’t recall anything similar at primary school in my time, so it’s impressive how far we’ve come in such a short time! Well done to the students, teachers, and to the Mitey Foundation.

I often hear concerns about nuisance behaviour around the electorate, so I’m very pleased to let you know the Auckland Council is now funding Council Community Safety and Compliance Wardens for our area, who will have legal authority to enforce breaches of the liquor ban, dog control matters, rough sleepers, street trading, and general nuisance. I met up with the team in Mission Bay, where I hear many of these concerns, and filled them in on our office’s local knowledge of hot spots. To contact, call 09 301 0101 so a job can be logged. 

Many of our residents will know of the Eastern Bays Community Patrol volunteers that keep an eye on the neighbourhood. It’s awesome work they do to keep community feeling supported and secure. This month, I met Alison and Chrissy from the Ellerslie and Stonefields Community Patrol, who’re looking to grow their volunteers in Stonefields. Stonefields is a great spot, and I enjoyed popping in last week to check in on shop owners and workers in the village. If you want to know more about becoming a volunteer and neighbourhood hero, and keeping Stonefields safe, give them an email at [email protected].

In the Tāmaki Electorate Office we are so grateful to have Felix who ensures that Chinese speaking locals are represented and helped. This month has been Chinese New Year, so we went to the Chinese New Year Festival to bump into locals celebrating the Year of the Horse. It was a blast! It’s wonderful to live in a multi-cultural community where we all have the same rights as each other under democracy.

I had the great pleasure of speaking at the reception to celebrate the birthday of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan hosted by Mr Matsui Shinji, Consul-General of Japan. Hundreds of people gathered at the residence in Glendowie to celebrate the friendship of our two nations and partake in sake. Kampai! 

Back in the sun of St Heliers, I talked to people passing by while bucket collecting for the Heart Foundation. A big thank you to all those who donated to charity while volunteers were out collecting. 

This month coming, I will be hosting a Coffee Catch Up at the Little Kohi Café on Friday 20 March from 10-11am. Please come along if you have any question, queries or would just like to have a chat with me.

See you around the community through March!