Voting is just one part of people's civic responsibility, says columnist Shelley Loader. Photo / NZME
There’s an old saying that if we don’t vote, we don’t get to complain about the outcome.
While true, civic responsibility goes deeper and includes staying informed, reflecting on issues, and participating in decision-making.
Engagement shapes outcomes, because decisions reflect the voices of those who show up. When more of us engage, leaders are held accountable to a wider range of views, and decisions are less likely to serve only a small group.
Simply put, if we’re not all at the table, outcomes won’t reflect us as a community.
Every voice matters. Our different backgrounds shape unique perspectives. Communities thrive when all voices are heard.
Engagement isn’t supporting predetermined outcomes. It’s capturing diverse perspectives, finding common ground, and shaping the decisions that affect our community together.
Community cohesion and wellbeing depend on collective responsibility. We must have a voice, encourage others to have a voice, and ensure those voices reach the right channels.
If you’ve scrolled through Whanganui’s social media, you’ll know our community is not short on opinions. Posts about rates or council decisions attract passionate responses, showing we care deeply.
Yet there’s a disconnect between using our voices online versus official channels.
Part of this is effort. Liking or commenting takes seconds, while submissions or meetings take time and energy.
But a larger barrier is apathy, the sense of “why bother” or “our voices don’t matter”. We feel others have tried before without success, available choices don’t represent our views, or it’s not our problem, especially if we’re not personally affected by an issue.
Busy lives only reinforce the temptation to step back, and mental health messages about self-care can amplify withdrawal.
Social media provides instant feedback and validation. This “slacktivism” gives a sense of impact without the follow-through when formal processes feel daunting, overwhelming and slow.
Low-effort online action brings high social reward, while high-effort offline action often feels unrewarding.
Marginalised communities often engage less, because of systemic barriers and distrust in institutions.
Combine low perceived efficacy, instant online validation and distrust in institutions, and the gap widens.
Social media is a powerful space to share ideas and spark conversations, but council decisions aren’t made there.
Too often, posts and comments on social issues reflect entrenched positions, and disinformation can spread quickly.
To create real change, we must carry that same passion and energy into official channels, otherwise outcomes will be shaped without us, and apathy wins.
Building sustainable, harmonious communities means balancing self-interest with altruism, keeping the bigger picture in mind.
The structure of local government, councils consisting of elected representatives, committees, and public consultation processes, is designed to translate community views into decision-making.
In contrast, central government politics revolve around power, parties, and short-term popularity, while policy focuses on the long-term design of laws, funding, and services to address complex social issues.
These mismatched dynamics disconnect online and lived reality, and further marginalise community voices, fuelling frustration and reducing civic engagement.
Low engagement worsens outcomes for everyone, particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, contributing to rising inequality, social polarisation, and mental health challenges.
The Government is reducing local council powers through reforms.
The Local Government Amendment Bill narrows councils’ roles to core services and infrastructure, limiting broader responsibilities.
Under the Resource Management Amendment Act, central government gains power to override local council decisions in certain cases.
While intended to boost efficiency and accountability, these measures risk centralising authority and weakening community voice in determining our own outcomes.
True efficiency stems from inclusive community participation which leads to better decisions and fewer costly mistakes.
The Local Government Act 2002 emphasises councils’ role in promoting community wellbeing (social, economic, environmental, and cultural) in the present and for the future, well beyond just delivering services and infrastructure.
When decision-making focuses on assets rather than people, local knowledge and priorities are lost.
If local voices are weakened, outcomes reflect central directives more than lived realities. This undermines trust, reduces responsiveness, and discourages people from engaging at all.
In the 2022 local elections, only 46% (WDC) of our Whanganui eligible population voted, compared with 42% (DIA) nationally. While Whanganui outperforms many areas, the downward trend is concerning.
Younger voters, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, rural residents, and economically marginalised people are under-represented reflecting broader national patterns.
Older voters are well represented, but still face barriers to deeper engagement because of health, mobility, and digital exclusion.
These patterns reduce the representativeness and effectiveness of democratic outcomes.
Stronger communities are built when we all feel empowered and all our voices are heard. Decisions made by communities, rather than for them, are more sustainable and trusted.
Community organisations play a vital role connecting lived experience with decision-makers, policies, and services.
True advocacy is not to be the voice, but to create space and opportunity for all voices. In practice, that means removing barriers, offering support, and creating safe spaces for engagement and participation.
Encouraging engagement is not about telling people who to vote for, but reminding us all that our voices matter.
Inclusive engagement balances mainstream and minority needs so decisions serve everyone, not just the majority or a few.
When participation is strong, resources align with shared priorities, reducing inefficiency and wasted effort.
Rising costs and growing challenges thrive on apathy, but collective action can break the cycle.
As a community, we have the power to shape our own outcomes.
We must empower ourselves and each other to show up, not just to have a voice, but to preserve the democratic process that gives us one.
Across the world, people fight for the chance to have a voice and shape their own outcomes.
We must ignite that passion that made New Zealand the first country in the world to grant women the right to vote and not let our voice slip away.