Ordinary Te Kuaka - Te Ao Māori Committee Meeting Agenda
23 September 2025
6.2
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND EDUCATION UPDATE
File Number:
A5345970
Author:
Casey Gannon, Manager - Civic Engagement and Education
Authoriser:
Jacine Warmington, Group Manager - Strategic Relationships
TAKE PŪRONGO / PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
To provide Te Kuaka – Te Ao Māori Committee with an update on Far North District Council (FNDC)
Civic Engagement and Education (CEE) work programme.
WHAKARĀPOPOTO MATUA / EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
o The Civic Education and Engagement Programme 2024–2025 is a strategic initiative led by
FNDC to strengthen democratic participation, political literacy, and community engagement
across the district. The programme is designed to make local government more relevant and
accessible, particularly for communities that have historical y been underrepresented or
disengaged.
TŪTOHUNGA / RECOMMENDATION
That Te Kuaka – Te Ao Māori Committee receive the report Civic Engagement and
Education Update.
TĀHUHU KŌRERO / BACKGROUND
The organisation has identified a need to strengthen civic participation and political literacy across
the district, particularly among communities that have historical y been underrepresented in local
government processes. In response, the Civic Education and Engagement Programme 2024–
2025 has been developed to make local government more relevant, visible, and accessible to al
communities.
The programme is grounded in the principles of rangatiratanga (leadership), kaitiakitanga
(guardianship), and mana motuhake (self-determination), and seeks to empower whānau, hapū, and
iwi to engage meaningful y with Council processes and decision-making. It also supports FNDC’s
strategic goals under Te Pae o Uta and complements broader initiatives such as the Whenua Māori
Strategy and the upcoming 2025 local government elections.
The programme includes a range of innovative and cultural y responsive activities, including:
• Civic education tools such as web-series, storytel ing, and workshops to build understanding
of local government functions.
• Community engagement events to connect with aspirations and promote active citizenship.
• Pre-election education including youth competitions and a candidate information evening.
• Voting period activations such as VOTE/POTI whānau days to encourage voter turnout and
civic pride.
Additional y, the programme features a “Day in the Life” video series showcasing FNDC staff roles,
and a “Local Legend” series highlighting successful community-led projects and partnerships with
Council.
This initiative reflects FNDC’s commitment to removing barriers to participation, lifting civic capability,
and building trust between Council and the communities it serves.
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Te Kuaka – Te Ao Māori Committee received an update at their 19 June 2025 meeting which
provided a high-level overview of the CEE work programme.
MATAPAKI ME NGĀ KŌWHIRINGA / DISCUSSION AND NEXT STEPS
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) carried out a nationwide survey post the 2022 local
government election and provided data at the Electoral Officer training in Wel ington November 2024
that both our independent electoral officer and deputy electoral officer attended.
Voters across the country have indicated that they want to know more about the candidates running
for election. Committed to a data driven work programme, we have taken this data and the
recommendations for increasing voter turnout into account when developing the CEE work
programme.
The demographics of the Far North district, and the relationships required to engage in a meaningful
way are consistently considered to build, strengthen and/or maintain ongoing col aborative
approaches to equitable civic education and engagement related to democratic processes. Our
message is to vote and continue to engage throughout the triennium as to inform the members that
are elected when they are making important decisions that affect your whanau (family), hapori
(community), tamariki (children), and mokopuna (grandchildren).
Source: Local Government New Zealand Electoral Officer training held in Wellington Nov 2024
The number one reason people are not voting is because they do not know who they are voting for.
We have increased accessibility to the candidate profiles by filming candidate videos within the
al ocated CEE work programme budget. The filming of the videos came to no additional unbudgeted
cost to ratepayers. For candidates that did not film a video the profile statement and photo provided
with their nomination form (which wil be provided in the candidate handbook delivered with voting
documents from 9 Sept 2025) was included on our webpage:
Candidate Profiles | Far North District
Council made available from 1 September 2025. 70%+ of nominated positions filmed a candidate
video.
Graphic 1 and 2 below provide data on viewership as at 4-9-2025.
Graphic 1: Analytics showing channel views commencing August 2025.
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Graphic 2: Breakdown of viewer age and gender
Source: Local Government New Zealand Electoral Officer training held in Wellington Nov 2024
2025 Local Government Elections key dates:
Local Elections 2025 | Far North District Council
o Update/change/choose enrolment details
before 11 July 2025
o Candidate nominations open
4 July 2025
o Candidate nominations close
1 August 2025
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o Candidates announced
8 August 2025
o Voting opens
9 September 2025
o Voting closes
11 October 2025
(midday)
o Final results announced
14 October 2025
Upcoming Events
o
Meet the candidates events | Far North District Council
o Community led initiatives that we are advised of are added to our webpage:
Next steps
o Activating voter participation throughout voting period (9 Sept – 11 Oct)
o
Mobile Bal ot Box Tour | Far North District Council
▪ Drop completed voting documents
▪ Enrol/update details on electoral rol
▪ Special voting
▪ 6 units running 7 days a week
▪ 93 stops across the 3 wards aligned with mobile nursing units, community
led events, business associations, sport codes, retirement vil ages, schools,
Kura Kaupapa Māori, industrial areas, cafes, rural communities, marae,
urban town centres, markets, fishing clubs, hal s etc.
o
Fact sheet | Far North District Council
▪ 8 service centres (9 Sept through 10 Oct)
• Kaikohe Service Centre, 5 Memorial Avenue, Kaikohe;
• Kaitāia Service Centre (Te Ahu), Corner SH1 & Matthews Ave,
Kaitāia;
• Kerikeri Service Centre (Procter Library),6 Cobham Road, Kerikeri;
• Kawakawa Service Centre, MacKereth Lane, Kawakawa;
• Kaeo Service Centre, Leigh Street, Kaeo;
• Hokianga Service Centre (Ōpononi isite), 29 Hokianga Harbour
Drive, Ōpononi;
• Paihia Library, 6 Wil iams Road, Paihia;
• Rāwene Service Centre, 11 Parnel Street, Rāwene (Thursdays only)
▪ Drop completed voting documents
▪ Enrol/update details on electoral rol
▪ Special voting
• Anyone that updates or enrols after the 1st August must do a special
vote
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• Non-Resident Ratepayer Electors completing form after 1 August
must do a special vote
• Enrol and vote on the same day up until 10 October
▪ 3 service centres (11 October until midday)
• Kaitaia – Te Ahu
• Kaikohe – Headquarters
• Kerikeri – Procter Library
o Onboarding/induction/pōwhiri/inaugural meetings planning is underway.
PĀNGA PŪTEA ME NGĀ WĀHANGA TAHUA / FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS AND BUDGETARY
PROVISION
No budgetary implications.
ĀPITIHANGA / ATTACHMENTS
Nil
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Document Outline
