Waitomo District Council

Te Kūiti Ward
Electing 3 Councillors

Ata TE KANAWA

My principal place of residence is not in the Te Kūiti Ward area.
Of Ngāti Maniapoto descent, I live in our 100+ year old homestead at Oparure, where I was raised as one of a very large family. Educated at Oparure School and Te Kūiti High School, I left for Wellington aged 17. Six years later, I returned married and keen to give my children a solid Te Kūiti upbringing, surrounded and supported by whanau. More shifts ensued including Hawkes Bay, Hamilton and a return to the Capital where I more recently worked in Government.
In early 2024, I decided to return home to reset, as opposed to retire, and embrace generational living. I believe my accumulated skills, knowledge, networks and experiences in governance, business and media, equip me to be an urban Councillor in the Waitomo District. I am passionate about economic development and seeing Te Kūiti as a thriving and vibrant township.