‘Trump of the North’: Meet Kaipara’s fishing-mad mayor Craig Jepson

Self-described "Trump of the North" and Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson at home in Mangawhai Photo / Susan Botting

Northland’s three mayors have had a busy year. As they head into their summer holidays Susan Botting catches up with each of them and learns what the holiday season means for them and asks the all-important question — will they be standing again in 2025?

Kaipara Mayor and self-described “Trump of the North” Craig Jepson loves nothing better than fishing over summer.

Across the Northland border, in Auckland waters — in the first instance at least.

The mayor likes to head out across the bar from his upper Mangawhai Harbour home to catch snapper, trevally and more.

His favourite fishing spot is in Auckland waters, off Te Arai on the Pakiri coast, about 500 metres south of the border between the two regions.

Jepson loves it because it’s the quickest, best place to get to.

He fishes in Auckland waters’ Mokohinau Islands as well.

But Jepson mixes this up with Northland-based fishing, too, off Bream Head and the Hen and Chickens — all depending on wind and sea conditions.

The border is no more than an arbitrary line on the map when it comes to fishing.

Off Te Arai is the closest to home.

“It’s all about how much time I have.”

Mangawhai living’s a buzz for Jepson and his partner, Jeanette Reid.

“There are dolphins up the harbour and great icecreams at the pub,” he said.

“Mangawhai has a great vibe, I love the ability to go fishing at the drop of a hat.

Biking is a shared passion for Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson and partner Jeanette Reid whose cycling has included in Vietnam Photo / Susan Botting

“I love the lifestyle. I love the people here. We often have people over for BBQs and discuss the politics of the day.”

He and Reid enjoy biking along Mangawhai’s ever-lengthening shared path joining the settlement’s north and south, which has been built in stages since 2021.

Jepson also uses it to bike from home to Mangawhai-based Kaipara District Council (KDC) meetings.

But it’s boating and fishing that offer more appeal.

Jepson’s been boating for six decades, starting as a deckhand for his father, out of Tauranga, when he was 17.

He favours simplicity when it comes to eating his fresh-caught fish.

“A shake of rice flour and cooked in the pan with butter.”

And then eaten simply with a fried egg — and peas.

Much of his catch is given away.

Mangawhai living appeals for Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson and partner Jeanette Reid Photo / Susan Botting

Jepson has seen Mangawhai change since he moved there 22 years ago — and there’s more to come.

The town is New Zealand’s fastest-growing coastal settlement.

When he first arrived, vacant holiday baches predominated.

Fast forward two decades and it’s now 60% permanent residents. Most are from Auckland.

They work remotely, travel to and from New Zealand’s largest city for all or some of the week. There are many variations of that theme, the living style transition supercharged by Covid-19.

A thousand more houses are either shaping up or on the horizon for Mangawhai.

Northland’s southern border with Auckland is 5km south of Mangawhai.

The new 18km Pūhoi to Warkworth State Highway 1 four-laning extension that opened in June 2023 has made it easier to travel between Mangawhai and Auckland.

Jepson says it’s already having an impact on the settlement’s population growth.

“The trick is trying to manage growth so that we don’t kill the goose that laid the golden egg.”

He says recent technological updates to the settlement’s wastewater treatment plant will help Mangawhai as it faces a significant population explosion over summer.

The award-winning wastewater treatment plant is one of the most efficient in New Zealand, he says.

Getting rid of Mangawhai’s mangroves is next in Jepson’s sights.

He wants to get rid of the equivalent of about 1.5 rugby fields of mangroves he can see from his house, amid a much wider removal.

His latest mission is stirring controversy, but Jepson’s not afraid to voice his at-times divisive views.

Under his helm Kaipara became the only council to can its existing Māori ward, karakia have been removed from council meetings , KDC’s Māori relationship agreements with local iwi terminated and the Kaipara-based Ruawai climate adaptation pilot dumped.

He’s pushing for a locally-based waste-to-energy plant, despite community opposition and has pulled out of Local Government New Zealand.

His penchant for standing up for what he believes in was highlighted when he and his partner joined the Wellington protests over the Covid-19 mandates, seven months before he became mayor.

Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson's United States Trump election campaign merchandise Photo / Susan Botting

The self-described “Trump of the North” was thrilled when the now-United States President-elect Donald Trump won re-election in November.

“It’s great because it’s the end of woke.”

He held a celebratory gathering at home in honour of Trump’s success, the day after the win was confirmed.

Jepson admires what he says is Trump’s ability to go against the grain — with the President’s approaches towards freedom of choice, less Government, and freedom of speech.

He admires Trump’s ability not to fall into what he says is the trap of “group think — knowing the truth but believing the lies”.

And Jepson’s clothing wardrobe now includes a Trump election campaign cap from the US.

He describes KDC as a bellwether council in the global right-wing shift, of which Trump’s 2024 election win was a part.

Like Trump, Jepson doesn’t mind standing out — for all the wrong reasons in some people’s eyes, but for the right reasons in the eyes of others.

He is fine about being labelled a black sheep mayor, comfortable going against the mainstream.

“I’m not scared to confront issues we need to discuss.”

His 2022 election win with a 1500-vote majority, among 8000 total votes, proved his position was popular, he said.

Jepson will be standing as mayor again in the 2025 elections.

“There’s too much still to do.”

■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.