Councillor profile: Anna Park
Over the coming weeks, we'll be profiling your elected councillors. This week is Taupō-Kaingaroa Ward Councillor Anna Park.
Anna Park is one of our longest serving elected members, but after three terms as a Taupō District Councillor her focus remains the same. I wanted to get involved in local government because I felt someone had to represent families and the 30-50 year old demographic in our community, and that's still what I'm passionate about, she says. Even though we have a much better balance around the council table now, we still have to do what's right for future generations, and that often means figuring out how to help those that don't have a strong voice themselves.
Councillor Park was our first sitting councillor to have a child while elected to serve her community. Her youngest daughter, who is now six, was a frequent attendee at Council meetings and workshops in the early days. Anna serves as chair of the Taupō District Emergency Management Committee and as Taupō's representative on the Waikato Regional Transport Committee and the Waikato Civil Defence Emergency Management Joint Committee. Anna also has youth, sports and recreation as her council portfolios. What I like about local government is that it's all about connecting people, putting people in touch with what they need, but also looking at things from a long-term/big picture perspective.
Anna was no newcomer to politics when first elected, having worked in parliament for five years. While she enjoyed her time in Wellington, she was glad to return home to Taupō to raise a young family. Our district is unique in so many ways but, for me, the greatest thing about it is the people. I really love representing the people of the Taupō District, from a grassroots level to a corporate level, and it's an honour to be able to do that.