Across West Auckland, a collaboration has been forming around a shared question: how do we ensure more of our communities feel informed, confident, and able to participate in our democracy?

Le Moana West, the West Auckland Māori Thought Leadership Collective, and West Auckland Together began working together ahead of the 2025 local elections. Their aim was simple but significant – to support stronger civic participation in neighbourhoods where voter turnout has historically been low, particularly in areas with strong Māori, Pacific, ethnic and migrant communities. While the timeframe proved too tight to fully activate the collaboration for the 2025 elections, the relationships, insights, and shared commitment that emerged have laid important groundwork for a more coordinated and impactful approach leading into the 2026 national election.

Kerry, Chief Executive of Community Waitākere, is involved in the West Auckland Together collective, as was Karyn Hill prior to her passing late last year. Karyn was part of early conversations exploring how to strengthen civic participation in West Auckland, and Kerry has continued that involvement through the collective. More recently, the Waitākere Ethnic Board have also joined the collaboration, bringing their strong connections with ethnic and migrant communities and broadening the collective reach of this kaupapa as it continues to build momentum.

Early conversations with Erin from the Electoral Commission opened the door to a staged, data-informed approach – one grounded in partnership rather than assumption. Together, the group identified ten local areas where voter turnout sits around 20 percent below the national average. Rather than moving straight to solutions, the next phase focuses on listening and working alongside these communities to understand what makes enrolling or voting feel difficult, and what would make participation easier. This may include practical supports such as mobile voting locations, enrolment drives, and clearer information about recent law changes requiring enrolment before election day.

The Electoral Commission offers training to equip community members to help others enrol, strengthening local confidence and capability. Multilingual resources are being developed to ensure information is accessible and culturally relevant. There are important conversations underway to ensure communities understand the difference between the Māori and general rolls, along with the implications and timeframes connected to those decisions so that whānau can make informed choices.

Long-term, this collaboration is about more than turnout statistics. It is about strengthening civic education, building confidence in democratic processes, and ensuring people can see themselves reflected in civic spaces. By nurturing trusted local leadership and working collectively across organisations, this kaupapa reflects Community Waitākere’s commitment to developing authentic relationships and taking a community and systems impact approach.

Thriving communities are not only active in their neighbourhoods – they are visible and influential in the decisions that shape their futures. The momentum building now is about ensuring that by 2026, more West Auckland voices are informed, confident, and ready to participate.