Asian candidates with aspirations of winning a local government seat in Canterbury in the October elections could do far worse than look to the accomplishments of former Christchurch city councillor Jimmy Chen for inspiration.
Chen has long been applauded for his work in the multicultural space during his time in office in the 2010s and early 2020s.
Chen migrated from Taiwan to the South Island in 1996 and worked as a professional translator before getting into local politics and serving a term on a community board from 2007 to 2010.
First elected as a councillor for the Riccarton-Wigram Ward in 2010, Chen retired from local politics in 2022 at the age of 70 after winning four successive local body campaigns.
Chen spearheaded the development of Christchurch's first multicultural strategy and has been credited for contributions in making the Garden City more diverse and inclusive.
Christchurch
Sam Yau
Yau is president of the Canterbury Malaysian Society, moving to New Zealand from Malaysia in 1985 to pursue tertiary education.
He dabbled in a few businesses over the years, including real estate, and is now semi-retired.
Yau has thrown his hat into the ring for a council seat in Riccarton Ward and hopes to encourage more ethnic voters to participate, contributing to stronger voter turnout in both local and general elections.
"According to the 2023 Census, 17.2 percent of New Zealand's population identifies as Asian, with Christchurch being one of the most diverse cities in the country," Yau says.
"Despite this, there are currently no ethnic representatives serving as councillors on the Christchurch City Council. If elected, I am committed to being a strong voice for our wider ethnic communities, ensuring their perspectives are heard and valued at the council table."
Yau's priorities include managing rates, maintaining and improving essential infrastructure, and providing support to non-profit organisations.
"The council must focus on delivering services that matter most to residents ... such as water and waste management, footpaths, road safety and public facilities," he says.
"I will advocate for capping rate increases to no more than the inflation rate and ensure council spending is carefully planned and accountable to all ratepayers."
Gautam came to New Zealand in 2004 and has since worked in early childhood education and tertiary teaching.
She is currently serving a second term on the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central community board after getting elected in 2020.
Seeking re-election, Gautam believes local government is "where meaningful change happens".
"I will work with Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury to restore the free CBD shuttle, making our city centre more accessible for everyone," Gautam says, outlining one of her campaign pledges.
"I will advocate for investment in well-maintained, welcoming public spaces that bring people together and enhance neighbourhood well-being."
Gautam wants Christchurch to build healthy, affordable housing.
"I will support well-designed, people-focused housing intensification that respects neighbourhood character while meeting our growing population's needs," she says.
"I will work to ensure strong partnerships with housing providers and community services, and advocate for homes that are warm, healthy and accessible."
Hussain has been elected unopposed to Akaroa community subdivision of the Banks Peninsula community board.
He came to New Zealand in 2012 to pursue a doctorate at Lincoln University, where he teaches now as well as managing a working farm and running a consulting firm focused on sustainability and economic development.
"My priorities include infrastructure development, community resilience and regenerative tourism," Hussain says.
"[We need to ensure] our facilities, roads and essential services meet the needs of both residents and visitors while supporting sustainable growth.
"[We need to build] the capacity of our communities to prepare for, respond to and recover from challenges, whether environmental, climate change, economic or social.
"[We need to position] Banks Peninsula as New Zealand's first regenerative tourism destination, where tourism actively restores and enhances local environments and communities."
Ravi moved to New Zealand in 2018 and, after living in Timaru for a couple of years, relocated to Christchurch in 2020.
An Indian classical dance teacher, Ravi now runs a dance studio in the Garden City.
Ravi's motivation to stand for local government comes from "a deep sense of gratitude to the community that helped me and my family make Christchurch our home".
Ravi is standing for the Waimairi ward seat on the Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood] community board.
"I believe this role is about being close to the people, ensuring their concerns are represented," Ravi says. "There are many challenges facing our ward, but they all highlight one core problem - our community is not being heard.
"On top of that, roadworks and water projects seem to drag on for years, disrupting daily life and making it harder for local businesses to thrive.
"All of this comes while rates continue to climb year after year without clear improvement in the services we depend on.
"Our community deserves genuine representation, where voices are not ignored and practical solutions are delivered in a timely way. That is why I am standing as an independent candidate, free from political agendas, committed only to listening to residents and working for what our ward truly needs."
Vivian Wang
Wang immigrated from China to Christchurch in 2015 as an international student at the age of 17.
"I also want to understand how decisions are made so I can bridge the gap between communities and council," Wang says.
"Living here [in Christchurch] has shown me both the challenges of adapting to a new country and the generosity of welcoming communities. These experiences motivate me to give back and make a difference.
"Families, young people and older residents should feel safe at all times. I will advocate for better lighting, community patrols and closer partnerships with local groups.
"Even in our urban ward, access to safe green spaces matters for both pets and people. I want to support small parks, walking areas and initiatives that bring nature closer to our daily lives.
"Lastly, parking is often expensive and limited. I will work for affordable short-stay parking, better roads and investment in reliable public transport."
Selwyn
At least five candidates are contesting district council elections in neighbouring Selwyn.
While Samantha Samuel is standing for the council at large, four Kiwi Indians are battling it out for a council seat in Rolleston ward.
Avi Aulakh, Ashwin Mani, Moneel Pratap, and Prabhjeet Singh have all put their hand up for the race, with the candidacies reflecting Selwyn's rapid growth.
The 2023 Census showed Selwyn to be the fastest growing district in the country between 2018 and 2023, with the population growing 29 percent over that period.
The percentage of population in Selwyn born overseas jumped from 19.7 percent to 24.1 percent over those five years.
The percentage of individuals born in Asia in the region now stands near 8 percent - more than double the figure recorded in 2018.
Overall, 84.1 percent of residents in Selwyn claim European ethnicity, 11.4 percent Asian, 9 percent Māori and 2.4 percent people from the Pacific Islands.
Samuel calls herself a "proud Cantabrian living in Kirwee in Selwyn District".
"I grew up in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Canterbury with a degree in chemical and process engineering," Samuel says.
"For over 20 years, I've worked in the food, energy and dairy industries of New Zealand in various professional capacities."
She is contesting seats on the Selwyn District Council and Malvern Community Board.
"I am motivated to stand for local government elections because I believe that residents deserve a strong voice at council," Samuel says.
Her goal is to tackle challenges such as steep increase in rates and ensure fair distribution of revenues for the benefit of all ratepayers.
"[I wish to support] establishing cost-effective changes to infrastructure for long-term safe drinking water and wastewater management and creating sustainable plans for future infrastructure projects designed for the effects of climate change," she says.
Avi Aulakh
Born in India, Aulakh moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was two years old. He grew up in Christchurch and moved to Rolleston in 2022.
He is standing for a seat on Selwyn District Council, representing Rolleston Ward.
"My motivation comes from wanting to amplify youth voices in local government, ensuring our rapidly growing district develops in ways that benefit all residents fairly and sustainably," Aulakh says.
"Young people often feel disconnected from council decisions, yet we are the future caretakers of this community," he says.
"I want to bring fresh perspectives, encourage more inclusive decision-making and advocate for projects that balance growth with environmental protection."
For Aulakh, rates are a huge concern, "especially with the cost of living going up".
"I want to see the council get smarter with how it spends money," the 18-year-old says.
"Transparency is key, and people deserve to know where their rates are going and have a say in it.
"Investing in long-term solutions like better public transport and community spaces can help reduce costs over time. My goal is to make living in Selwyn affordable and fair for everyone, especially young people trying to build a life here."
Ashwin Mani
Mani was born in Lautoka, Fiji, moving to New Zealand in 2001.
After living in Queenstown, Christchurch and Auckland, he moved to in Rolleston in 2016.
"I am standing for Rolleston Ward councillor because I believe our community deserves strong, consistent leadership that listens clearly and acts actively," Mani says.
"Over the years, I've seen local issues either ignored or delayed, and I know we can do better," Mani says.
"Rolleston's rapid growth has left us under-represented compared to other wards. I will push for fair representation, so every voice counts equally."
His other focus is to work for communal harmony in the district.
"Rolleston is a multicultural and growing community with family-oriented and heritage-based values. Families from diverse backgrounds and nations around the world have made this community their home. I aim to make Rolleston a space where every culture is seen, celebrated, and respected," Mani says.
"Moreover, I'll push to reduce bureaucratic delays, make council processes easier, transparent and create initiatives that boost local employment and the local economy."
Moneel Pratap
Born and raised in Wellington, Pratap's parents migrated from Fiji.
"My parents migrated from Fiji. My mother is a receptionist, my father is a mechanic and both my grandfathers were farmers. We didn't grow up with much, but I learned early the value of hard work, fairness and financial responsibility," says Pratap, who moved to Rolleston in 2019 and now runs a staffing agency.
Pitching Selwyn as a district with a lot of potential, Pratap outlines three major campaign focal points.
"We have had high rates increases. I would do a full financial audit, identifying unnecessary costs, smarter spending and advocating for other income rather than relying on rates," he says.
"We are one of the fastest growing districts in the country. I want to ensure we are growing with well planned, staged and financial sustainable infrastructure.
"I want to do strong advocacy for schools, medical centres and other essential services to go with our housing boom.
"We also need safer road designs.
"I want to collaborate with emergency services and community patrols and expand our CCTV coverage, for crime prevention and community safety."
Prabhjeet Singh
Singh relocated to New Zealand from India in 2010, settling in Rolleston in 2020.
"I am running [to become] a Rolleston councillor to protect our natural beauty, support smart growth, improve infrastructure, and ensure schools and services keep up with our community," he says.
Like many others, he also cites significant rate increases as the main local issue that he says is "outpacing wage growth".
"My solution is to push for greater transparency in council spending and prioritize essential services over nice-to-haves," he says.
"I want to advocate for phased rate increases rather than sudden jumps, and ensure new developments pay their fair share rather than existing ratepayers subsidising growth."
Singh is also worried about what he calls "school overcrowding crisis".
"I want to advocate with the Ministry of Education for immediate additional school capacity while working with council to ensure land is set aside for future schools as part of planning approvals," he says.
The Kiwi Indian also wants to work with regional planners to ensure new developments contribute fairly to infrastructure costs.
Waimakariri
Last, but not least, Yu Bai is the lone person of Asian origin fighting for a seat on the Waimakariri District Council's Woodend-Sefton community board.
Yu Bai
Bai came to New Zealand 25 years ago to study at the University of Canterbury.
"Before that, I had already lived in Malaysia for three years, so I had some international travel experience," Bai says.
After graduating, Bai worked in hospitality, aviation, law, and education, and now is running for a position on the Woodend-Sefton community board.
"[If elected] I will address the slow response times from the district council on community issues," Bai says.
"I'll also focus on enhancing our local amenities, improving public transport links and initiating programs to support our local businesses."
Working closely with the district council to ensure efficient completion of community projects is his main goal, Bai says.
Voting papers will be mailed out. Completed voting forms can be returned via mail or dropped into one of the orange vote bins at Christchurch City Council facilities across the city.
