Auckland Council - Maria Meredith

Maria Meredith, a wife to Eugene and mother of four. She is also the Chairperson for Maungakiekie - Tāmaki local board of Auckland Council. Maria has been a member of the Tāmaki community for almost 40 years, and her husband’s family for over 60 years. Maria has always been a great believer in ensuring that we have a community voice to represent the community. As a long-time resident, Maria has always been actively engaged in community issues and supporting the community. Being involved in education for over 20 years, it was important for Maria to take her education and learning and apply it to local government. 
 
Maria discovered a photo in the local board office of her late uncle the late Honorable Mahe Tupouniua from the 90’s, one of the first Tongan’s in Council. She is proud to say she is the first Tongan Chairperson in Auckland and Local Government history in New Zealand. 
 
Over time, HEART has built community engagement relationships with Auckland Council. Sitting on the local board, it’s about funding community aspirations. The HEART Movement is all about supporting the community and helping people through the workshops and events they run in the community. Encouraging people to develop positive relationships with each other and encouraging good parenting role models. Maria shares that in this day and age, it is important to develop good healthy relationships, not just between partnerships but also within ourselves. It all begins with our home and family life. Good healthy relationships in our family setting and home are really important. 
 
Maria has watched HEART with interest for the past few years and was receiving the monthly HEARTbeat. She enjoyed reading HEARTbeat and grew to love what HEART was all about. Maria recalls the call for action in finding solutions and supporting young people and members in the community, to help them understand that there is support out there and organisations to support you. Maria has watched HEART develop and expand in the community over the years. She expresses her thoughts that HEART needs more public recognition. For Maria, it’s important to not wait for the community to come to you, but to go out into the community and take your messages to help support people who need it in the community.  
 
Maria would like to see an update or progress report from HEART presented to the Auckland Council. She would like to see more validation from HEART and encourage more visibility in the community. 
 
Maria has a great sense of humour. She comes from a line of strong, fierce role models in her family. Maria is so proud of her cultural heritage, the language, the strong women in her family and knowing that her family thrives to stand up and give voice when it comes to social justice.

Click through to the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board website page for more information on this Member Organisation of the HEART Movement.