Kellie Dawson

Hello. I’m Kellie. I’m a mum and business owner with a background in law, and this year I am running as a candidate for the Maungakiekie-Tāmaki Local Board.

My family goes back four generations in our ward, and I’ve been proud to call Panmure home for 17 years. I’ve lived most of my life in and around Maungakiekie- Tāmaki and now we are raising the next generation of Aucklanders here too. This area has been so important to forming who I am as a person. Now I want to work to help shape a better future for our community.

I believe you and your family deserve a healthy environment, safe, accessible, all-age friendly public spaces and transport systems that work. As your board member, I’ll work to protect our natural environment, revive town centres, and improve transport flows. I’ll prioritise strengthening our community, supporting businesses to thrive, and protecting our natural treasures like Tāmaki Estuary. I’ll uplift local voices and ensure Auckland’s wider planning and decision-making reflects our needs.

Over my career, I’ve worked with Māori, councils, government departments, communities, and businesses, building a deep understanding of a wide range of local issues including health, justice, planning, transport and infrastructure. I will bring my knowledge and skills in these areas to my work for our community. I will also bring strong advocacy, collaboration, and problem-solving skills to my role. I will lead with empathy, integrity, and fairness, and bring principled, people-focused leadership that listens, includes, and delivers for our diverse community.

My key priorities are creating public spaces that are engaging, safe and inclusive (with a particular focus on town centre improvements), restoring and protecting our natural environments and designing future-proofed suburbs to meet the changing needs of our communities. I am passionate about these priorities because I believe these things will help our communities to thrive, building a stronger, more connected, and more resilient Maungakiekie-Tāmaki for us all.

I’m standing for the local board because I believe in this community and its future.