Franklin is home to critically endangered pekapeka (native bats), and local volunteers are working hard to protect them. At an event at Glenbrook Kindergarten, Billy Maclean and Natasha Bansal shared the importance of predator control in saving our native species. Community-led conservation like this needs strong support.

Three lives were lost in the recent Masters Road tragedy - and our community is grieving. This dangerous stretch of road has been a concern for years. It’s time for local government to prioritise a proactive, not reactive, approach to road safety before more lives are lost.

I spoke at the Waiuku Senior Citizens Club last week about the important work of the Waiuku Community Patrol. Volunteer-run and unfunded by Police, our patrols deter crime, assist in emergencies, and keep an extra set of eyes and ears on our community. Groups like this need better council support.