Long-time local, and experienced community leader Moira Lawler has announced her campaign for the Pāuatahanui Ward in the upcoming Porirua City Council elections. Her official campaign launch takes place on Wednesday 3 July, at the RSA in Pukerua Bay. Locals have been invited to pop in for a cuppa and a kōrero.

Lawler’s campaign centres on three key priorities:

Community Voice – Championing genuine public participation and building better relationships between communities and Council.

Environmental Action – Advocating for environmental protection and action to address climate change.

Financial Sustainability – Ensuring long-term thinking, fair funding, and stronger resident participation in setting priorities.

“I bring fresh energy, Council experience and strong community connection to the table,” says Lawler. I’m concerned about the lack of engagement with our Council. We have to do local democracy better.”

To get a sense of what’s going on, Lawler has spent the last month door knocking local residents. Lots of questions have come up about the large-scale developments underway in the ward, whether our infrastructure can cope, and how they will impact on our waterways and harbours. There are plans for construction of close to 4000 new houses in the northern growth area over the next 10-15 years. Residents are wondering what their communities will look like in the future - where are the new schools, parks, playing fields, shops? Will there be public transport? Can the current physical infrastructure cope - water, sewerage, roading?. If not, who's paying for the upgrades?

Lawler says she found that people are not against new housing, but they feel removed from decisions that will change the character of their communities, and are struggling now to get good information. Having led the Village Planning programme during her time at Porirua Council, she has a track record in engaging communities and activating community expertise.

“People care about their place and want to be heard,” she says. “From housing to climate action, complex issues require local voices and collaborative solutions.We have some challenges ahead - we need all perspectives and voices in the mix”.

Lawler is also calling for more strategic financial stewardship. “We’re paying more but getting less. Our rates must deliver real value for us and for future generations. We have to challenge our funding models and lobby central government to pay their share. We also need residents more involved in budget setting so they can see what their rates pay for and the options available to Council.”

During the campaign, Lawler will be trying different methods to find out what’s on top for voters.

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