Kia ora koutou,

My name is Alison Amboy, a newly appointed Councillor for the Northern Ward. It has been almost 7 months into the new role and I have been incredibly privileged to be part of such a dynamic and supportive council this triennium.

I currently hold two portfolios: Youth, alongside Councillor Keshaan Te Waaka, and Communications/Consultations with Councillor Peter Naylor. I’m also the council representative for the Dannevirke Community Board. My committees include Infrastructure, Community Connections, and District Growth, where I serve as Deputy Chair.

While it sounds like a lot of hats to wear, it has actually given me a really valuable view of both the inside and outside of how council works. While I may not get everything right, it has been such a huge learning curve and I’ve been able to do this alongside my colleagues and the community.

Recently I have had the opportunity to visit some schools around the Northern District to engage with rangatahi to understand their needs and how we can effectively represent them in a meaningful way within Council. This has been an eye opener for me and I’m looking forward to continuing to meet and engage with more rangatahi and community groups to see how Councillor Te Waaka and I can support aspiring young leaders in our communities.

I also want to acknowledge all the different communities and individuals I have spoken to at meetings or around the district. What matters most to me moving forward is staying connected and making sure residents and ratepayers are well informed and genuinely involved, especially as local government continues to navigate significant change.

As a community, we will be facing some challenging conversations in the coming years. Affordability continues to be front of mind. We are now in the early stages of developing our 2027–2037 Long-Term Plan (LTP), and I’ve come to understand just how constrained council is. This LTP is shaping up to be one of the most challenging yet.

Council is now in our pre-engagement phase and have launched a “Budget Challenge” to make the process more accessible and easier to understand. I strongly encourage everyone to take part and share their views. Your input is vital in helping us, as councillors, understand what matters most to our community as we plan for the future.

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Ngā mihi nui, many thanks, Councillor Alison Amboy