Local elections 2025: Community advocate Awhi Haenga aims to be a Whanganui district councillor

Whanganui District Council election candidate Awhi Haenga wants "to be a voice for the unheard". Photo / Mike Tweed

Awhi Haenga is running for the Whanganui District Council and is “ready to tackle anything”.

She said homelessness in the district was one of the first issues she wanted to address.

After stints at Women’s Refuge, Oranga Tamariki and Whanganui Regional Health Network, Haenga became a community connector at the Ministry of Social Development.

Haenga said that through that role she saw issues first-hand – “the housing crisis, the cost of living and health discrepancies”.

“People are living in cars and tents, and families are struggling. All that stuff winds up inside you.

“Council must look after our community. I was told, ‘Girl, if you want to make change, you need to be sitting around the policy table’.

“We’ve put a lot of money into a gallery [the Sarjeant], yet we’ve got bridges that need repairs and people that need to be cared for.”

Haeanga said she was disappointed the council’s homeless hub initiative at Taupō Quay was scrapped.

“We were all on board, then it never happened.

“I would really like that to be back on the table because everybody deserves to live happily and safely.”

Haenga was happy the Whanganui East Pool was being kept and upgraded, but said sports and recreation needed more council support, including an increase to contestable funding.

She is the manager of the Rātana men’s rugby league team, with the club marking its one-year anniversary this month.

“Sport is not just about competition, it’s pro-social. It brings people together.

“An example is the recent rugby game [Whanganui versus The Classics]. Look at the publicity, the people and the businesses that all got a taste of it. We need more of that.”

Haenga is now an intensive wraparound service facilitator at the Ministry of Education and has completed a Master of Applied Indigenous Knowledge, with a PhD to follow next year.

She said she had a lot of commitments, but was aware some would have to be scaled back if she were elected to the council.

“I’m ready to tackle anything.

‘If I want to be a voice for the unheard, I need to put my hat in the ring.

“It’s about smart growth and a sustainable future. That’s my drive.”

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.