One year, we had a particularly bad storm in Porirua. Within minutes, the drains were overwhelmed and water rushed straight for our house. We were lucky that it didn’t come inside. But our neighbours weren’t so lucky. We did what anyone would do: we got stuck in, clearing drains, cleaning up, making scones and cups of tea.

But every time it rains now, I get nervous. I shouldn’t have to and neither should you. It shouldn’t matter where you live: the pipes beneath our feet should be able to handle it. We can ignore the growing threat and hope for the best, or we can demand Council leadership that prioritises essential infrastructure repairs and upgrades. We can't tackle this alone; we need proactive solutions.

That day, I saw exactly what decades of underinvestment looks like. That’s why I ran for council: to fix what communities cannot do alone.

My name is Geoff Hayward and I'm a councillor for the Onepoto Ward in Porirua City.

Titahi Bay is home for me, my partner Caroline and our dog Dalvanius Prime. You might know me outside of my council role as being the MC at Anzac Day services, or part of the team that hosted the Titahi Bay Beach Festival a couple of years ago, or for my work on the Board of Trustees at St Pius X School, and various other community organisations including as patron of the Bowling Club and Horticultural Society.

Living in Porirua reminds me of what great communities are about: people proud of where they live, bringing a diverse range of experiences, culture and knowledge, but also sharing their passion for each other.

We need our Council to make sure our main roads are able to handle the traffic, we want to make sure that communities feel safe enough to have their kids play outside, we want to know that our local environment is being looked after, and we sure don't want our houses to flood when the storm water systems fail.

Porirua City is the Kaleidoscope City: our strength comes from the weaving of cultures and languages from across the entire world, from our tāngata whenua, to the pacific ring, and beyond. 

While there are challenges to face here, including homelessness and overcrowding, to the way we as a council are accountable to the public, I remain convinced that our communities are the key to the solutions we need. 

I also believe that there is unfinished business to attend to in Porirua City, from transitioning our transport links away from cars, to accelerating our efforts to adapt and mitigate in response to climate change, to making meaningful progress on reducing how much waste is ending up in our landfills. 

Because together, we can build a city that thrives for everyone. A city that is fair and focussed on moving forward.

If you have any questions or want to know more about my vision for Porirua and the Onepoto Ward, feel free to contact me on [email protected].