State of the Far North Address a finalist in LGNZ awards

The council’s “groundbreaking” State of the Far North Address has been named a finalist in the annual Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) SuperLocal Awards to be announced next month.

The State of the Far North Address was a multimedia civic event attended by more than 200 Far North leaders from iwi, hapū, business, social services, and the general public. Its goal was to drive deeper civic participation, spark meaningful dialogue, and set a new national benchmark for community-led governance.

The event was called “a groundbreaking approach to local government transparency” by Radio New Zealand, while Te Ao News praised its integration of te ao Māori in local government engagement.

Far North District Council is one of five councils to be named as finalists in the Superengaged – Tū Hononga Award category. This recognises bold, fresh ways that councils have brought communities into local government activities and shines a light on genuine connection and creative engagement.

The State of the Far North Address was held last November and offered a transparent view of the challenges faced by the district. Using the theme Road to Recovery – Te Taumata o Te Hiku o Te Ika the 90-minute address outlined actions the council is taking to respond to challenges via a mix of storytelling, video, and data presented by Kahika Moko Tepania. You can watch the full presentation on YouTube.

For more information on the LGNZ 2025 SuperLocal Awards here.