The young and the restless
Election statistics tell us only one person under the age of 40 is likely to be elected in Horowhenua – but six candidates are hopeful change is coming.
Just over 40 per cent of Horowhenua’s population is under the age of 40. But that demographic presently accounts for just one person on the district council, Piri-hira Tukapua.
She and five other candidates are hoping to improve on that in October. All are younger then 40 and two are under 30.
They account for just 13 per cent of the candidate pool, but given that the proportion of elected members under the age of 40 across New Zealand is only 6 per cent, for even two of them to be elected would be a coup for youth.
Levin ward candidate Alan Young, 29, owns Noodle Canteen in Levin. He said improving youth mental health in the region motivated him to run.
Young thought the council should be organising events focused on helping young people speak up if they were struggling.
Keeping young people in the region was another priority. He said the council needed to create more youth spaces and activities in Levin.
‘‘We lose a lot of youth because we get bored of the town... They don’t want to be in a retirement village.’’
Two-term councillor Tukapua, who is running for her seat again, said people her age and younger would be the ones paying off the council’s debt, so they needed greater representation on the council.
Tukapua, who is in her 30s, thought the interests of young people tended to ‘‘get lost in everyone else’s priorities’’ at council meetings. At the request of parents, she has pushed for the council to build a splashpad, a water play area for young children, in Levin, but the idea has failed to gain traction.
Sam Jennings, 37, is also contesting a Levin ward seat. He said young people’s opportunities for employment and further education were curtailed by a lack of public transport between Horowhenua and bigger towns and cities.
Setting up a shuttle around Levin to drop people at key spots, including the library and healthcare centrewould benefit both young people and the elderly.
He wanted to propose a trial of the service to Horizons Regional Council and expand it to towns such as Foxton if it was successful.
Levin ward candidate Terisa Ngobi, 39, said it was important for the council to have better insight into the lives of young families. Being the mother of three young children, she provided that.
‘‘Older members of council aren’t going to automatically think how young people and young wha¯ nau think.’’
Christel Hamer, 30, is running for the Foxton Community Board. She said having any diversity on the board, which has consisted of six middle-aged or elderly Pa¯keha¯, would better serve the community.
Hamer, who is a Young Farmers territory manager for Manawatu¯ and Taranaki, was keen to start programmes in the community to help people develop emotional resilience.
Oakley Tahiwi-macmillan, 25, is the youngest candidate running. She said she understood the struggles young people in Levin faced growing up and had heard young people found it difficult to access services.