Four Northland women named Kiwibank Local Hero medallists

From left, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Dr Ingrid Visser, Tia Ashby, and Vanessa Kite are Kiwibank Local Hero medallists.

Four Northland women have been named in Kiwibank’s Local Hero awards.

The initiative recognises Kiwis who are making a difference in their communities and embody the spirit of Aotearoa.

Conservationist and marine biologist Dr Ingrid Visser, Māori activist Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, healthcare leader Tia Ashby, and mental health champion Vanessa Kite are four of 100 people named countrywide.

The women are in the running to be crowned the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Award.

Vanessa Kite

Vanessa Kite (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Takoto, Ngāti Kuri) is trying to create better outcomes for those needing mental health support in the isolated Far North.

She recognised a need created the charitable trust Rakau Ora to fill the gap.

Vanessa Kite [Te Aupōuri, Ngati Takoto, Ngāti Kuri] is a champion for mental health care in the remote Far North.

Based in Kaitāia, the trust provides counselling, peer support, and even laser tattoo removal for those with traumatic pasts.

Kite blends te ao Māori principles with modern wellness practices to help people heal and reclaim their lives.

Dr Ingrid Visser

Dr Ingrid Visser is a familiar face in the world of orca conservation and is considered New Zealand’s own Dr Jane Goodall.

Her work to research and protect orcas has led to her being the co-founder of organisations Global Orca Charity, Dolphinaria-Free Europe, Orca Research Trust, and the Free Morgan Foundation.

Dr Ingrid Visser is a globally recognised marine biologist and expert in orca conservation. She's continuing to protect and study orcas across the world.

Throughout her 30 years of experience in the field, Visser has featured in David Attenborough’s Animal Planet as well as documentaries for National Geographic and the BBC.

While contributing to global efforts to aid captive aquatic mammals, she has continued to rescue stranded orcas on local shores.

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira (Ngāti Hauā, Te Rarawa) is a prominent figure in the tino rangatiratanga (Māori Sovereignty) movement.

Her commitment to confronting racism led her to champion initiatives such as the national Māori flag competition and in 1979 challenge derogatory haka performances at the University of Auckland.

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira (Ngāti Hauā, Te Rarawa) has been a prominent activist for Māori for decades, standing against systemic racism and helping provide te reo education for Northland tamariki.

She is an impassioned advocate for te reo Māori usage and education, and her work bringing kura kaupapa Māori to the rural North has created better outcomes for tamariki and rangatahi Māori.

Halkyard-Harawira continues to fight against systemic racism and advocate for Māori rights.

Tia Ashby

Tia Ashby (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngāpuhi, Rarotonga, Te Āti Awa) has been pivotal in Northland’s Covid-19 response and continues transforming health outcomes for Māori, Pasifika, and other vulnerable people.

Ashby has a background in business and studied value-based healthcare at Harvard University, which undoubtedly contributed to her work in spearheading health initiatives linked to social inequities.

Tia Ashby (Te Rarawa, Te Aupouri, Ngāpuhi, Te Ati Awa, Raratonga) has been improving outcomes for Māori, Pasifika and others in need through a community-focused approach.

She is also a registered clinician and former Royal New Zealand Navy medic with 12 years under her belt as a decorated veteran.

She spearheaded efforts to achieve a 82% vaccination rate among Northland Māori and is the chief executive of Te Hau Ora Ō Ngāpuhi.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.