Bay of Plenty Regional Council Elections

Ko Putauaki te maunga
Ko Tarawera te awa
Ko Gujarat te iwi
Ko Prajapati te hapu
Ko Radhika Dahya toku ingoa.

Kia Ora, my name is Radhika Dahya. I am from Kawerau, went to school in Whakatane and live in Rotorua. I am running for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in Rotorua. I am 26 years old and am a New Zealand born Indian. I am running in this election because I want to represent my community and also be able to use this position to speak for the people who’s voices aren’t usually heard at the council table. Representing Rotorua would be a privilege because our town has so much potential and diversity. We are also very fortunate to have multiple lakes surrounding us and the vibrant forests that create a beautiful atmosphere to live in.

My main focuses are:
Freshwater, Youth Engagement and Community

Freshwater is so important in the Rotorua Area. We have the Te Arawa Lakes Programme who are working to remove 320 tonnes of nitrogen from Lake Rotorua by 2032 and restore the quality of all Te Arawa lakes. They look after 12 out of the 15 lakes in our area. So monitoring and ensuring they are up to a high standard is crucial.

Youth Engagement is an area council already knows is lacking. That is why they created a Youth Advisory Panel. I believe having a young person on council will help engage youth in the area. Seeing someone around their age will encourage them to engage with council business and processes.

Community should always be at the heart of everything council does. Because they are the people that will affected by every decision council makes. Also informing the community about exactly what regional council does and how that’s different to local council. It’s important to create resources and information that’s easy to understand and be able to distribute it over social media as well as brochures.

I am passionate about the environment and want to see the people thrive in it. I am currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Since October 2021 I have been working on the Youth Engagement Plan with a group of 12 others and our plan was adopted by the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. The Youth Involvement Project (YIP) Ropu included rangatahi aged 16-25 from all over to Bay of Plenty. Our vision is “Through unity of rangatahi and Toi Moana, the guardianship of our environment and the people will thrive and live on for generations to come. Ma te Kotahitanga o nga matatahi me Toi Moana, ka Ora ai a Taiao me Nga Hua Kai roto i a ha, hei Taronga toku iho mo nga reanga e whai ake nei.”

Within our plan we broke it up into four values

1. Manaakitanga – ensuring meaningful relationships
To create equity in our opportunities and ensure they accurately value and engage diverse youth populations.

2. Whanaungatanga – demonstrating respect for everything
To encourage effective engagement between young people and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, as well as creating meaningful relationships and interactions.

3. Kotahitanga – creating unity
To enable youth participation and ensure the youth voice is supported, equally valued and included in council decision making.

4. Kaitiakitanga – enabling guardianship
To actively support young people to be kaitiaki of the environment; and have them involved in activities to protect and improve the natural environment.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has 4 key focus areas

1. Freshwater for life – Te Mana O Te Wai
The regional council manages water and land practices and improves the quality of quantity of the regions freshwater resources.

2. Safe and resilient communities – Kia haumaru,Kia pakari te hapori
The regional council’s planning and infrastructure supports resilience to natural hazards so that our communities’ safety if maintained and improved.

3. A healthy environment – He Taiao Ora
The regional council maintains and enhances our air, land, freshwater, geothermal, coastal resources and biodiversity for all those who live, work and play within our region.

4. A vibrant region – Toitu te rohe
The regional council works with our partners and communities to achieve integrated planning and good decision making. We support economic development, understanding the Bay of Plenty region and how we can best add value.

We have an abundance of natural resources within our region and it’s our job as Kaitiaki to preserve it for future generations. Our regional council is committed to hearing everyone’s perspective and uses that to make decisions. We have such a diverse population and so many natural resources and we have to protect and preserve our taonga.