December 15, 2024 • 22 mins
Moko Tepania is a passionate leader dedicated to making a real difference in local government. With over a decade of experience in education, he understands the vital connection between teaching and governance. Motivated by a desire to influence change from within, Moko has embraced his role in local government to ensure that decisions reflect the needs and aspirations of the community.
He believes that active community engagement is key to building a brighter future for all.
A proud resident of the Far North, Moko is deeply connected to the region's cultural and historical significance. From Hokianga, where Kupe first arrived to Waitangi, where He Whakaputanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi were signed, the north holds special meaning for him. When not fulfilling his mayoral duties, Moko enjoys CrossFit, baking, and reading.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real life with John Cowen
on News talk Z ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Gid A, Welcome to real Life. My guest tonight says
he was born up a dusty road in the middle
of nowhere, a young Muori man who has managed to
pick up a couple of bachelor's degrees, a master's degree,
a career in education, and now he's the youngest mayor
of the Far North has ever had. Tanakwe moko tapanya.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome, Hey, Kurtu, John great be on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Ah, look, I'm honored. Hey. I know mayors are so busy.
That's why I appreciate you giving us this time. But
have you finished most of your meetings for the year.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I've got one more week, one week of meetings, and
I'm very much looking forward to Christmas and New Year. Break.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You'll get a break, You'll be getting away somewhere.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
I'll be on call. I'll be on call for civil defense,
but otherwise I am going to be on my NaN's
deck in Mitchigmiti in northern Hokianga and Civil Defense will
have your landline phone number to get a hold of
me if need be, and I'll be enjoying the beach. Well.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I know they've got good Wi Fi down at the
Maria now too, So I've been up to Middy Midi
several times and but it's a lovely spot. And so
you come from that northern part of the Hokianga.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Mama's from Mittimity in north of Kianga, and my dad
is from a little settlement called Waihapa and Fangada wild
West Coast and the easy East Coast of Northland.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So between them you get to cover a fair bit
of Northland. And do you enjoy getting around Northland?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Oh? Absolutely yeah. Northland's beautiful way, especially up here in
the finals and every single valley like you could I
kind of live in Kaiquel here, but I could drive
like ten minutes in you know, like north, south east
or west in the commune is the valley's just ten
minutes strive from here. Will all be completely unique and
special in their own rights as well. So now I
(02:14):
love it up to here.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
No, it's a very special place. I've lived up there.
We used to holiday in ninety mile every year, and
so I've had a very soft spot for Northland. But
it's not a place about its problems. I remember reading
a letter to the editor and it went last week
my sister visited. Whilst she was shopping in the town center,
two men had to punch up in the middle of
(02:36):
the road, only meters from the police station. In fact,
one was tackled into the curb. They were swearing. Shops
keepers look, shoppers look scared. Then again today domestic violence
in the middle of a town. They swore or chased
each other up the street. It seems that well there's
always some commotion going on. There's homeless wandering up and down.
What is central government doing? What is the local government doing?
(02:58):
I want this town to thrive. You recognize that letter.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Oh, I mean that's a common occurrence.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Ay, but you wrote it, and you wrote it, and
that was your letter to the editor back and years
before you got into politics.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh, this was my first year living here in quite
we h Yeah. Do you know what what there's crack up?
I forgot all about that mad leader.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, that's the trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
What a blind side for this interview. I wish you
had told me about that, but I forgot all about
writing that letter, and guess what what I ended up doing,
ended up running for counsel and then running for me
to actually try and do something about the sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
That's the only reason I'd mentioned a letter like that
is that you didn't just stay there grizzling. You actually
got in there and rolled up your sleeves and got
in and did something.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, okay, actually, do you know what? I was embarrassed
by that letter because and I've only lived in kirk
Be for a couple of months, I think, and I
remember it never got it never got published, and never
never got published. I must that must have been resurrected
somewhere or maybe published online. But then I fell in
(04:13):
love with Kype because I moved here from now met
big city of saying today right, and I was like, oh, no,
have I made a mistake and moving here? And then
I like, have found this community to be beautiful. I
mean I am. I've never been surrounded by so many
amazing people like I have for the past seven going
on eight years here in local head township. But movers
(04:34):
and shakers in this town absolutely bloody phenomenal way and
the way the community comes together. So yeah, no, I've
moved out of and it has taken a while, but
I've moved out of having like that deficit level thinking
in mindset. They're like, cool, we've got lots of problems
that actually, equally, we've got a heck of a lot
(04:56):
of opportunities.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What about the fan author in general? Tell me something,
you know, you know, it's not hard to dig up
a negative stuff about any part of New Zealand, But
what's some of the best stuff that you know that's
going on in the fun work? I mean, as the
mayor of the place, you've probably got a special perspective
that you can use. So what are some of the
good stuff you can see going on up there?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Well, you know, I'll use Kaiker as the example, and
because I know it's replicated across different communities around the finals.
But it's like, how can well be so we could
have stories, glor If you search up Quaker, you'll find
a gazillion negative stories about our township here, but probably
none about the fact that I'm pretty sure we've got
the most commercial gyms per capita, any commercial commercial gymnasiums
(05:46):
per capita in any other life, you know, like boxing gyms,
CrossFit gyms. You know, it's beautiful and that's replicated around
the final. Just yesterday actually one of some of my
cousins from funded All. They are part of a gym
called Fitta which is based in Doubtless Bay and it's
you know like boxing and crossford and functional fitness type stuff.
(06:08):
But they're real baro communities. And there's another one called
Fatio Cross one hundred up in Kaitai that's just opened up.
We've got our Hawaiki Functional Fitness here and Kaypo here,
the Bay of Violence have all got all like these
these are something probably really random that people don't think
about or in a city, you know, you've got like
(06:30):
these big membership type gyms, but I probably think people
won't think, oh the finals like actually probably one of
the first districts in the country. But you know it
really is. In the Christmas breakup, Whay were along with
my cousin who's really gotten into fitness at her gym
and Doubtless Babe yesterday you know, like there was like
(06:52):
seventy people there and they're winning awards for you and
they're like taking just having a baby and taking your
baby along to the gym, or you know, overcoming so
much adversity in their lives and flipping that around and
having a positive script on that sort of thing. So
now I think of there's something like random and quiet
that people probably don't think about when they think of
(07:13):
the final. It's got to be how fit the finals?
I mean just this week in itself, I think we've
got quite a few funnel thinners down at the cross
of the individual nationals and Tona.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Of course that's the big thing in your world, isn't it.
I mean, you're who knows you might be setting the trend.
You might be the reason that that and obviously becoming
so fit because you're into it, don't you. You're really
in the CrossFit and that must do something for you?
Does it put the energy into you that you need?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
You got to do it? A oh you know, because
I mean I studied, you know, like Mason juries to
fade up a far model and a UNI about you know,
the four well being pillars of your body. And if
you only focus.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
On one, okay, what are the four pillars?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So now it's physical aspects of your well being to
tan at all the mental and psychological aspects of your
well being halfano and the social aspects of your wellbeing,
yeah and so and how wide with the spiritual aspects
of your wellbeing, so of any of like you've got
(08:20):
to balance across all of those. So what I love
about going to the gymer is, you know, looking after
their physical aspects, but it actually strengthens like you know,
like probably my mental and psychological aspects just as much. So, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Interesting, it's all connected like that. I saw someone asking
you on social media about your CrossFit. They said, what
are you lifting at the moment? And I quite liked
your answer.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Oh yeah. There was actually Josh Kirby, who's the chair
of our Kid Business Association, And it was my first
time finally getting into that new gym up there and
forty across one hundred and the only reason why I
went along was because we had a messag ceremony to
return the land that our Kaiti Airport is on to
Manasinua and then final lease with them as the Council
(09:03):
to runner is in airport, and then the government agreed
to fund US five formerlyion dollars five so real huge celebrations.
Sounds like the Tammer Portka came up and then he's like,
I bought my gym bag. I really need a train
before I catched the plane at six thirty. And so
you know, like one of our local gymners she's like, oh,
(09:24):
well come on, then I've got a germ. Then I've
got the key. We will take you down. And so
she'd come over to me, She's like, did you bring
any training keeps? We're going to take the Minister for
a train. So I was like, okay, then, well yeah,
let's go in. So we we went along there and
it was was actually really cool. They're the minister in
the gym, and so I put up photos in there.
Now that's when our business association too, is like how
much are you being spressing these days? And Morris Month
(09:47):
was just seventy five thousand fine orders.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You're lifting seventy five thousand fun authors. I think there
was a crack of ye. So you're working on your
physical and you're obviously totally immersed into the community and
everything out there. How about the spiritual side of things?
And I just said, you're taught and you learned and
taught it. Pompelia and the north side of of the
(10:13):
young is a Catholic area, So is that part of
that must be part of your background.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Surely I am a proud Catholic school boy here. Yeah,
I done. So. My mum is from Lttimity, Norfolk young
which is you know, at a chastic Mali community, and
my dad is from Waihappa and Fangalore, which is another
Ketholic Mali community. So my dad went to hart or
(10:38):
Jujipa Takamuda's school, Saint Joseph the Kapenter Ketholic School in
Waitauke and was taught by the nuns before going to
halt Peta boarding school down in Auckland. My mom went
to Saint Joseph's Catholic School in Sangarre before going on
(11:00):
to Pompellier College, and I myself went to St. Francis
Avier Catholic School before going on to Pompelli Catholic College.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And so you've got quite au papa back there into
the Catholic church. So yeah, is it still is faith
still in the foreground of your will?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Yeah, absolutely? I mean when you and and then I
went back and talked back at my old high school
for another four years, and I even taught religious studies
for one of those years as well. But you know,
faith is a big part of my life. And just
like I said, now you've got to have balance across
the for our beings in one of those as spiritual
our being. And so it is very grounding to still have,
(11:40):
you know, like Kakia and faith in our in my
life and and you know, you like kept going on there,
wife's dean on it. But it's something I've always grown
up with and something that I will have as a
part of my life forever.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Okay. And so when you've got big decisions to come make,
because I guess mayors have to make the call on
a lot of things, do you pray about those things?
Speaker 3 (12:04):
You don't pray every single morning and every night. Definitely
praying all the well for everything all the time, but
definitely those big decisions A I mean, and I mean
you go everything on that academic right, so get all
of the information that you that you need to make
(12:25):
a decision. But then I also you know, you have
to go with what you know is what's right. Nan
always might Nan always brought us up to do everything
like tick up on or in that of I do
what's right, do what's true, and make sure you have
empathy with everything you do, you know, face hope and
love and so you know, we can have all of
(12:46):
the information in the world to make a sound, sound
decision on but then you you know, I also like
to pray on it and to you know, think about Okay,
but is it the right thing to do? Because it
might be great for us to actually can this thing
or this decision or something like that, but but is
that right for what for our people? Because at the
(13:07):
end of the day, we are the largest community service
provider in the final of the final district council and
we are our roles. We're voted and elected to represent
the people and to make decisions on their behalf, decisions
that are going to benefit them. Our vision, our vision
for the final district councils Hefenu a district of sustainable
prosperity and well being. So you know, is this decision
(13:32):
that we're about to make like working towards that. Are
we serving the people of the final the best that
we can? So yeah, I do actually put a put
faith into everything I do and I do Kakia, Well.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
That's cool. With your contacts, you might be able to
have some influence on other politicians and things, because I
think they might be in need of some forgiveness and
you might have to help if you just turned in.
My guest tonight is the mayor of the Far North,
Mako Tapanya. We'll be talking more about his life and
how he copes with all the stuff that's going down
(14:09):
in his world. This is real life on news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on News
Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Welcome back to real life. My guest tonight found auth
me and Michael Topano, who's picked a bit of l
Green there that must be about fifty years old. What's
a young fellow like you picking some classic like that?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
For?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Oh? I love this song because it was my grandfather's
favorite song. He passed through when I was eleven, and
that was the song year she passed away to so
he used to play all the five minute ways, you know,
like taught me how to die or you know, would
go freshing with him and it'd always be playing it.
So so it reminds me of it's a beautiful toe.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh, that's nice. That's there's a whole lot of memories
tacked onto that. And how about the rest of you
I mean, it's interesting you're called Mochael, and which is
what grandchild?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, that's yeah, that's right. Well, my real name is
actually darryl oh not my real name, my legal name.
I knew because I would like to feel like my
real name is. I've been called of my whole life.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So yeah, so that's nice that you're sort of even
your name is HARKing back to your your grandfather, your
your cranny, your people on yours, on your parents as well.
I guess they were big in your world.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Oh but yeah, absolutely big time, so on the outer
strandchild on both sides of my family and the out
of great grandchild. And so when I was born, you know,
that was my name since I've been born, and no,
it just said I really blessed upbringing wether really loving
(15:54):
fano and have had, you know, these pillars in my life.
I've been you know, all of my grandparents and my
parents themselves. My you know parents were grew up in loving,
loving families. Paul had a families though, to be honest,
you know, and then my imprance went away and got
(16:17):
into really good money and then raised raised us to
you know, about to go.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
For I heard a story about your dad, Darryl. He
wasn't able to get rid of the Darryl name and
about how he was raised and pretty much what a
one bedroom house about thirty and other kids in it,
and he went on to become an engineer.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah he So he grew up with so
because you know where and this this is airing her
family sister, Hey, why not? So? Yeah, my dad grew
up with as grandmother my name in medical and out
thirteen other cousins and whitak and fuga and went to
boarding school and then went on to went back to
(17:03):
Auckland Tech and ended up becoming a civil engineer.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Now there must be something in the family culture of
family philosophy that sort of filters down into into your
head and heart from that type of upbringing.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Yeah, I mean, you know, me, me and my sister,
and we've had another couple of little brothers, but me
and my sister going up. You know, we're really sport
our parents, but I'm really lucky, right, But my wom
and dad still you know, taught us like if you
want something like, you work for it. Taught us to
be hard workers, then made sure we knew who we
(17:40):
were and took us back to our mad eye and
took us back home all the time. And you know,
nothing in life is free. You work hard, and you
work to serve others as well, and you make sure
you take your whole fun or along and all that
sort of stuff. And so grew up with all of
that and something that I still care to this day
(18:01):
and noise well.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Right, hey, you're a young man still and you've got
the top job in the council. Have you faced much ages?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Some?
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Have they been people who sort of your sense that
they're looking down on you because you're you don't have
the decades that they do.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
You know what, I asked this question quite a lot,
and yeah, there is agism here and there, But I
would say that the majority of the agism comes from
my own generation. Like this is sort of like people
who are sort of my age or young or you know.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
Like you, I would never want to do it, yeah,
but I'll sound like you know, older generations.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Man. They put me in the strobb you know during
the last selection campaign, you know, whenever i'd make you know,
like pensioners, retirees or anything like that, they were so excited.
They were like, oh, hey, some gang blood. You know,
this is what we want. And I'm going to put
my eggs in your basket mate. You know, I've got
(19:07):
some really good mates. Now we've all got two for
gold cabs.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, they seem to be a bit of a change
in the wind in the last election about the number
of young people that were standing. Do you think that's
carrying on? Are they are young people getting interested in
serving their communities in these ways?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah? Yeah, well statistically or in the last two when
I was just a counselor, I was also a co
chair with land Family's at a Green MP now for
our Young Elected Members committee and that committee network of
anyone under forty in local government, and over the past
lot of elections, it grew from like three percent of
(19:47):
elected members our local and this is local government elected membersine,
I think there's like sixteen hundred and twenty five us. Yeah,
so it went from being only three percent thing seven percent,
thing fourteen percent to I think in the latest election
about sixteen percent now would so like it's consistently grown
on like election period over election period, the number of
(20:10):
young people who have been getting into positions across councils,
which has been really cool to see, but I still
would like to see more. I mean, I think that
that demographic is as a population in Altiera is over
twenty percent of the population and like under the age
of body, you know, between eighteen and bodies that I'd
(20:31):
love to see it, at least on parer because I
want our council to be you know, like genuine reflections
of the communities that they serve. I would hate it
if I would have been this probably surprised, but now
I wouldn't want, you know, like eleven of me on
my council, even though like it sounds a bit like
a dictatorship, but you know, like I only had to
(20:53):
bring what I bring to the table in my perspectives,
Like you want the table to represent the people that receive,
so you want there to be different perspectives in different
people in different backgrounds at the table. So yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
And also your council that you side over, is it
the only one in the country which has got the
majority of Maori members?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
I think maybe wide or district.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Oh yeah, I still might be, and maybe even Colido
off the top of my head, but yeah, I think
when anyone thinks about it, polyly the final.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And that must have been helpful when you've been trying
to move into things like using the Maori calendar to
schedule things. By the way, I checked the Maray calendar
today and this is a high energy day, So I'm
glad that we're having a conversation on today. The things
like that are a fascinating that you're moving that into
your council culture.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I've always not been afraid of like trying something new,
and so in the last term is a councilor you know,
like me and my friends on council, we encouraged, you
know how everyone's up behind their backs until their Greek
to switch to a single transferable rating to give Mali
water to go, and we got like these changes over
(22:13):
the line. And then one of the things I always
wanted to try it because it could have coped with
Mario co teach. We used the Mali Luna calendar for
our curriculum and we were having meetings and they're like
the worst meetings, crappy is and I'm like, oh, look
at in the lunar phase, there's low imergies. So when
I got on his me, I was like, hey, I
could actually try something, and so I put it there
(22:35):
and I even voted for it, and I was really
surprised that it's.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Kind of us.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
You've been my guest tonight. I'm afraid we're at a
time of going out on another song that you've picked,
Mini Mini by Ray. I hope it makes you pack
a room, have many, many and it's been the fantastic
talking with you.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
For more from news Talks, there'd be listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to a podcast from News Talks ed B.
Follow this and our wide range of podcasts now on iHeartRadio,
Real Conversation, Real Connection, It's Real life with John Cowen
on News talk Z ed B.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Gid A, Welcome to real Life. My guest tonight says
he was born up a dusty road in the middle
of nowhere, a young Muori man who has managed to
pick up a couple of bachelor's degrees, a master's degree,
a career in education, and now he's the youngest mayor
of the Far North has ever had. Tanakwe moko tapanya.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
Welcome, Hey, Kurtu, John great be on the show.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Ah, look, I'm honored. Hey. I know mayors are so busy.
That's why I appreciate you giving us this time. But
have you finished most of your meetings for the year.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
I've got one more week, one week of meetings, and
I'm very much looking forward to Christmas and New Year. Break.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
You'll get a break, You'll be getting away somewhere.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
I'll be on call. I'll be on call for civil defense,
but otherwise I am going to be on my NaN's
deck in Mitchigmiti in northern Hokianga and Civil Defense will
have your landline phone number to get a hold of
me if need be, and I'll be enjoying the beach. Well.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
I know they've got good Wi Fi down at the
Maria now too, So I've been up to Middy Midi
several times and but it's a lovely spot. And so
you come from that northern part of the Hokianga.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
Mama's from Mittimity in north of Kianga, and my dad
is from a little settlement called Waihapa and Fangada wild
West Coast and the easy East Coast of Northland.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
So between them you get to cover a fair bit
of Northland. And do you enjoy getting around Northland?
Speaker 3 (01:53):
Oh? Absolutely yeah. Northland's beautiful way, especially up here in
the finals and every single valley like you could I
kind of live in Kaiquel here, but I could drive
like ten minutes in you know, like north, south east
or west in the commune is the valley's just ten
minutes strive from here. Will all be completely unique and
special in their own rights as well. So now I
(02:14):
love it up to here.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
No, it's a very special place. I've lived up there.
We used to holiday in ninety mile every year, and
so I've had a very soft spot for Northland. But
it's not a place about its problems. I remember reading
a letter to the editor and it went last week
my sister visited. Whilst she was shopping in the town center,
two men had to punch up in the middle of
(02:36):
the road, only meters from the police station. In fact,
one was tackled into the curb. They were swearing. Shops
keepers look, shoppers look scared. Then again today domestic violence
in the middle of a town. They swore or chased
each other up the street. It seems that well there's
always some commotion going on. There's homeless wandering up and down.
What is central government doing? What is the local government doing?
(02:58):
I want this town to thrive. You recognize that letter.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Oh, I mean that's a common occurrence.
Speaker 2 (03:05):
Ay, but you wrote it, and you wrote it, and
that was your letter to the editor back and years
before you got into politics.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
Oh, this was my first year living here in quite
we h Yeah. Do you know what what there's crack up?
I forgot all about that mad leader.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Yeah, that's the trouble.
Speaker 3 (03:31):
What a blind side for this interview. I wish you
had told me about that, but I forgot all about
writing that letter, and guess what what I ended up doing,
ended up running for counsel and then running for me
to actually try and do something about the sort of thing.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
That's the only reason I'd mentioned a letter like that
is that you didn't just stay there grizzling. You actually
got in there and rolled up your sleeves and got
in and did something.
Speaker 3 (03:52):
Yeah, okay, actually, do you know what? I was embarrassed
by that letter because and I've only lived in kirk
Be for a couple of months, I think, and I
remember it never got it never got published, and never
never got published. I must that must have been resurrected
somewhere or maybe published online. But then I fell in
(04:13):
love with Kype because I moved here from now met
big city of saying today right, and I was like, oh, no,
have I made a mistake and moving here? And then
I like, have found this community to be beautiful. I
mean I am. I've never been surrounded by so many
amazing people like I have for the past seven going
on eight years here in local head township. But movers
(04:34):
and shakers in this town absolutely bloody phenomenal way and
the way the community comes together. So yeah, no, I've
moved out of and it has taken a while, but
I've moved out of having like that deficit level thinking
in mindset. They're like, cool, we've got lots of problems
that actually, equally, we've got a heck of a lot
(04:56):
of opportunities.
Speaker 2 (04:58):
What about the fan author in general? Tell me something,
you know, you know, it's not hard to dig up
a negative stuff about any part of New Zealand, But
what's some of the best stuff that you know that's
going on in the fun work? I mean, as the
mayor of the place, you've probably got a special perspective
that you can use. So what are some of the
good stuff you can see going on up there?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Well, you know, I'll use Kaiker as the example, and
because I know it's replicated across different communities around the finals.
But it's like, how can well be so we could
have stories, glor If you search up Quaker, you'll find
a gazillion negative stories about our township here, but probably
none about the fact that I'm pretty sure we've got
the most commercial gyms per capita, any commercial commercial gymnasiums
(05:46):
per capita in any other life, you know, like boxing gyms,
CrossFit gyms. You know, it's beautiful and that's replicated around
the final. Just yesterday actually one of some of my
cousins from funded All. They are part of a gym
called Fitta which is based in Doubtless Bay and it's
you know like boxing and crossford and functional fitness type stuff.
(06:08):
But they're real baro communities. And there's another one called
Fatio Cross one hundred up in Kaitai that's just opened up.
We've got our Hawaiki Functional Fitness here and Kaypo here,
the Bay of Violence have all got all like these
these are something probably really random that people don't think
about or in a city, you know, you've got like
(06:30):
these big membership type gyms, but I probably think people
won't think, oh the finals like actually probably one of
the first districts in the country. But you know it
really is. In the Christmas breakup, Whay were along with
my cousin who's really gotten into fitness at her gym
and Doubtless Babe yesterday you know, like there was like
(06:52):
seventy people there and they're winning awards for you and
they're like taking just having a baby and taking your
baby along to the gym, or you know, overcoming so
much adversity in their lives and flipping that around and
having a positive script on that sort of thing. So
now I think of there's something like random and quiet
that people probably don't think about when they think of
(07:13):
the final. It's got to be how fit the finals?
I mean just this week in itself, I think we've
got quite a few funnel thinners down at the cross
of the individual nationals and Tona.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
Of course that's the big thing in your world, isn't it.
I mean, you're who knows you might be setting the trend.
You might be the reason that that and obviously becoming
so fit because you're into it, don't you. You're really
in the CrossFit and that must do something for you?
Does it put the energy into you that you need?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
You got to do it? A oh you know, because
I mean I studied, you know, like Mason juries to
fade up a far model and a UNI about you know,
the four well being pillars of your body. And if
you only focus.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
On one, okay, what are the four pillars?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
So now it's physical aspects of your well being to
tan at all the mental and psychological aspects of your
well being halfano and the social aspects of your wellbeing,
yeah and so and how wide with the spiritual aspects
of your wellbeing, so of any of like you've got
(08:20):
to balance across all of those. So what I love
about going to the gymer is, you know, looking after
their physical aspects, but it actually strengthens like you know,
like probably my mental and psychological aspects just as much. So, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
Interesting, it's all connected like that. I saw someone asking
you on social media about your CrossFit. They said, what
are you lifting at the moment? And I quite liked
your answer.
Speaker 3 (08:42):
Oh yeah. There was actually Josh Kirby, who's the chair
of our Kid Business Association, And it was my first
time finally getting into that new gym up there and
forty across one hundred and the only reason why I
went along was because we had a messag ceremony to
return the land that our Kaiti Airport is on to
Manasinua and then final lease with them as the Council
(09:03):
to runner is in airport, and then the government agreed
to fund US five formerlyion dollars five so real huge celebrations.
Sounds like the Tammer Portka came up and then he's like,
I bought my gym bag. I really need a train
before I catched the plane at six thirty. And so
you know, like one of our local gymners she's like, oh,
(09:24):
well come on, then I've got a germ. Then I've
got the key. We will take you down. And so
she'd come over to me, She's like, did you bring
any training keeps? We're going to take the Minister for
a train. So I was like, okay, then, well yeah,
let's go in. So we we went along there and
it was was actually really cool. They're the minister in
the gym, and so I put up photos in there.
Now that's when our business association too, is like how
much are you being spressing these days? And Morris Month
(09:47):
was just seventy five thousand fine orders.
Speaker 2 (09:50):
You're lifting seventy five thousand fun authors. I think there
was a crack of ye. So you're working on your
physical and you're obviously totally immersed into the community and
everything out there. How about the spiritual side of things?
And I just said, you're taught and you learned and
taught it. Pompelia and the north side of of the
(10:13):
young is a Catholic area, So is that part of
that must be part of your background.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Surely I am a proud Catholic school boy here. Yeah,
I done. So. My mum is from Lttimity, Norfolk young
which is you know, at a chastic Mali community, and
my dad is from Waihappa and Fangalore, which is another
Ketholic Mali community. So my dad went to hart or
(10:38):
Jujipa Takamuda's school, Saint Joseph the Kapenter Ketholic School in
Waitauke and was taught by the nuns before going to
halt Peta boarding school down in Auckland. My mom went
to Saint Joseph's Catholic School in Sangarre before going on
(11:00):
to Pompellier College, and I myself went to St. Francis
Avier Catholic School before going on to Pompelli Catholic College.
Speaker 2 (11:08):
And so you've got quite au papa back there into
the Catholic church. So yeah, is it still is faith
still in the foreground of your will?
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Yeah, absolutely? I mean when you and and then I
went back and talked back at my old high school
for another four years, and I even taught religious studies
for one of those years as well. But you know,
faith is a big part of my life. And just
like I said, now you've got to have balance across
the for our beings in one of those as spiritual
our being. And so it is very grounding to still have,
(11:40):
you know, like Kakia and faith in our in my
life and and you know, you like kept going on there,
wife's dean on it. But it's something I've always grown
up with and something that I will have as a
part of my life forever.
Speaker 2 (11:56):
Okay. And so when you've got big decisions to come make,
because I guess mayors have to make the call on
a lot of things, do you pray about those things?
Speaker 3 (12:04):
You don't pray every single morning and every night. Definitely
praying all the well for everything all the time, but
definitely those big decisions A I mean, and I mean
you go everything on that academic right, so get all
of the information that you that you need to make
(12:25):
a decision. But then I also you know, you have
to go with what you know is what's right. Nan
always might Nan always brought us up to do everything
like tick up on or in that of I do
what's right, do what's true, and make sure you have
empathy with everything you do, you know, face hope and
love and so you know, we can have all of
(12:46):
the information in the world to make a sound, sound
decision on but then you you know, I also like
to pray on it and to you know, think about Okay,
but is it the right thing to do? Because it
might be great for us to actually can this thing
or this decision or something like that, but but is
that right for what for our people? Because at the
(13:07):
end of the day, we are the largest community service
provider in the final of the final district council and
we are our roles. We're voted and elected to represent
the people and to make decisions on their behalf, decisions
that are going to benefit them. Our vision, our vision
for the final district councils Hefenu a district of sustainable
prosperity and well being. So you know, is this decision
(13:32):
that we're about to make like working towards that. Are
we serving the people of the final the best that
we can? So yeah, I do actually put a put
faith into everything I do and I do Kakia, Well.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
That's cool. With your contacts, you might be able to
have some influence on other politicians and things, because I
think they might be in need of some forgiveness and
you might have to help if you just turned in.
My guest tonight is the mayor of the Far North,
Mako Tapanya. We'll be talking more about his life and
how he copes with all the stuff that's going down
(14:09):
in his world. This is real life on news Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 1 (14:13):
Intelligent interviews with interesting people. It's real life on News
Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Welcome back to real life. My guest tonight found auth
me and Michael Topano, who's picked a bit of l
Green there that must be about fifty years old. What's
a young fellow like you picking some classic like that?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
For?
Speaker 3 (14:29):
Oh? I love this song because it was my grandfather's
favorite song. He passed through when I was eleven, and
that was the song year she passed away to so
he used to play all the five minute ways, you know,
like taught me how to die or you know, would
go freshing with him and it'd always be playing it.
So so it reminds me of it's a beautiful toe.
Speaker 2 (14:50):
Oh, that's nice. That's there's a whole lot of memories
tacked onto that. And how about the rest of you
I mean, it's interesting you're called Mochael, and which is
what grandchild?
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah, that's yeah, that's right. Well, my real name is
actually darryl oh not my real name, my legal name.
I knew because I would like to feel like my
real name is. I've been called of my whole life.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
So yeah, so that's nice that you're sort of even
your name is HARKing back to your your grandfather, your
your cranny, your people on yours, on your parents as well.
I guess they were big in your world.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Oh but yeah, absolutely big time, so on the outer
strandchild on both sides of my family and the out
of great grandchild. And so when I was born, you know,
that was my name since I've been born, and no,
it just said I really blessed upbringing wether really loving
(15:54):
fano and have had, you know, these pillars in my life.
I've been you know, all of my grandparents and my
parents themselves. My you know parents were grew up in loving,
loving families. Paul had a families though, to be honest,
you know, and then my imprance went away and got
(16:17):
into really good money and then raised raised us to
you know, about to go.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
For I heard a story about your dad, Darryl. He
wasn't able to get rid of the Darryl name and
about how he was raised and pretty much what a
one bedroom house about thirty and other kids in it,
and he went on to become an engineer.
Speaker 3 (16:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah he So he grew up with so
because you know where and this this is airing her
family sister, Hey, why not? So? Yeah, my dad grew
up with as grandmother my name in medical and out
thirteen other cousins and whitak and fuga and went to
boarding school and then went on to went back to
(17:03):
Auckland Tech and ended up becoming a civil engineer.
Speaker 2 (17:08):
Now there must be something in the family culture of
family philosophy that sort of filters down into into your
head and heart from that type of upbringing.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
Yeah, I mean, you know, me, me and my sister,
and we've had another couple of little brothers, but me
and my sister going up. You know, we're really sport
our parents, but I'm really lucky, right, But my wom
and dad still you know, taught us like if you
want something like, you work for it. Taught us to
be hard workers, then made sure we knew who we
(17:40):
were and took us back to our mad eye and
took us back home all the time. And you know,
nothing in life is free. You work hard, and you
work to serve others as well, and you make sure
you take your whole fun or along and all that
sort of stuff. And so grew up with all of
that and something that I still care to this day
(18:01):
and noise well.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
Right, hey, you're a young man still and you've got
the top job in the council. Have you faced much ages?
Speaker 3 (18:08):
Some?
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Have they been people who sort of your sense that
they're looking down on you because you're you don't have
the decades that they do.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
You know what, I asked this question quite a lot,
and yeah, there is agism here and there, But I
would say that the majority of the agism comes from
my own generation. Like this is sort of like people
who are sort of my age or young or you know.
Speaker 5 (18:34):
Like you, I would never want to do it, yeah,
but I'll sound like you know, older generations.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
Man. They put me in the strobb you know during
the last selection campaign, you know, whenever i'd make you know,
like pensioners, retirees or anything like that, they were so excited.
They were like, oh, hey, some gang blood. You know,
this is what we want. And I'm going to put
my eggs in your basket mate. You know, I've got
(19:07):
some really good mates. Now we've all got two for
gold cabs.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Well, they seem to be a bit of a change
in the wind in the last election about the number
of young people that were standing. Do you think that's
carrying on? Are they are young people getting interested in
serving their communities in these ways?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
Yeah? Yeah, well statistically or in the last two when
I was just a counselor, I was also a co
chair with land Family's at a Green MP now for
our Young Elected Members committee and that committee network of
anyone under forty in local government, and over the past
lot of elections, it grew from like three percent of
(19:47):
elected members our local and this is local government elected membersine,
I think there's like sixteen hundred and twenty five us. Yeah,
so it went from being only three percent thing seven percent,
thing fourteen percent to I think in the latest election
about sixteen percent now would so like it's consistently grown
on like election period over election period, the number of
(20:10):
young people who have been getting into positions across councils,
which has been really cool to see, but I still
would like to see more. I mean, I think that
that demographic is as a population in Altiera is over
twenty percent of the population and like under the age
of body, you know, between eighteen and bodies that I'd
(20:31):
love to see it, at least on parer because I
want our council to be you know, like genuine reflections
of the communities that they serve. I would hate it
if I would have been this probably surprised, but now
I wouldn't want, you know, like eleven of me on
my council, even though like it sounds a bit like
a dictatorship, but you know, like I only had to
(20:53):
bring what I bring to the table in my perspectives,
Like you want the table to represent the people that receive,
so you want there to be different perspectives in different
people in different backgrounds at the table. So yeah, okay.
Speaker 2 (21:06):
And also your council that you side over, is it
the only one in the country which has got the
majority of Maori members?
Speaker 3 (21:17):
I think maybe wide or district.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Oh yeah, I still might be, and maybe even Colido
off the top of my head, but yeah, I think
when anyone thinks about it, polyly the final.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
And that must have been helpful when you've been trying
to move into things like using the Maori calendar to
schedule things. By the way, I checked the Maray calendar
today and this is a high energy day, So I'm
glad that we're having a conversation on today. The things
like that are a fascinating that you're moving that into
your council culture.
Speaker 3 (21:52):
I've always not been afraid of like trying something new,
and so in the last term is a councilor you know,
like me and my friends on council, we encouraged, you
know how everyone's up behind their backs until their Greek
to switch to a single transferable rating to give Mali
water to go, and we got like these changes over
(22:13):
the line. And then one of the things I always
wanted to try it because it could have coped with
Mario co teach. We used the Mali Luna calendar for
our curriculum and we were having meetings and they're like
the worst meetings, crappy is and I'm like, oh, look
at in the lunar phase, there's low imergies. So when
I got on his me, I was like, hey, I
could actually try something, and so I put it there
(22:35):
and I even voted for it, and I was really
surprised that it's.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Kind of us.
Speaker 2 (22:40):
You've been my guest tonight. I'm afraid we're at a
time of going out on another song that you've picked,
Mini Mini by Ray. I hope it makes you pack
a room, have many, many and it's been the fantastic
talking with you.
Speaker 1 (22:53):
For more from news Talks, there'd be listen live on
air or online and keep our shows with you wherever
you go with our podcast on iHeartRadio.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
40s and Free Agents: NFL Draft Season
Daniel Jeremiah of Move the Sticks and Gregg Rosenthal of NFL Daily join forces to break down every team's needs this offseason.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.