Moko Tepania made history as the youngest and first Māori to be elected as mayor of the Far North District of New Zealand in 2022. He was previously elected the youngest councillor on the District’s Council. As a councillor he sat as a co-chair to the Young Elected Members (YEM) national committee for Local Government New Zealand, a group dedicated to representing the interests of the 14% of elected members in local government under the age of 40.
Moko was a supporter of the development of a national vision for Young Elected Members through the committee. Known as the YEM Kaupapa, this vision aims to uphold the country’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and better engage local government in work for the environment and climate, waters, housing and to push for a greater future focus to ensure longer term decision-making and investment for younger and future generations.
As an enthusiast in Māori language revitalisation, Moko is the first to have submitted a council report in the language and is the first elected member to have spoken only te reo Māori in a council meeting to celebrate Māori Language Week. With a background in teaching, Moko is known for using his office to strengthen youth involvement in politics.
He is a supporter of the Make It 16 campaign to lower the age of voting and currently sits on the national committee for the Mayors Taskforce For Jobs with a mission to create better employment and education opportunities for youth at a local level. Moko also currently represents the Northland region on the National Council of Local Government New Zealand.