Powerhouse behind rise of Pasifika in Aotearoa

Mere Lomaloma-Elliot. Photo / Supplied

Mere Lomaloma-Elliot, project manager, broadcaster. Died aged 49.

Mereadani Lomaloma-Elliot was for six years the project manager for the annual Pasifika Festival at Western Springs in Auckland.

Her energy and drive helped to widen the scope of sponsorship and participation at the festival, and her extensive Pacific regional networks and advocacy skills helped open doors to minority Pacific ethnic groups, to participate either as artists or vendors at the festival.

By the time she resigned in 2005, Pasifika had ballooned from a mainly Auckland event in the late 1990s to a thriving mainstream festival that attracted multi-ethnic crowds of over 200,000 every year from around New Zealand and the Pacific region.

The growth of Pasifika during this time had significant flow-on effects on tourism and regional economic development in Auckland.

In her home country of Fiji, Mrs Lomaloma-Elliot was an experienced broadcaster, first as a morning drive-show host on FM96 and later as programme director at Viti FM. She later presented news on Fiji Television before moving to New Zealand.

Mrs Lomaloma-Elliot helped establish the Fijian language programme on Radio 531PI, and served as its host. In 2005 she returned to Fiji to prepare the nation for the World Netball Championships.

She was born in Lautoka to a well-respected Christian family. Her older sister, Sereima, became the first Anglican deaconess ordained in Fiji.

At school, Mere enjoyed sport, and represented her school in hockey and athletics. She joined FM96 as a cadet after leaving school.

Mrs Lomaloma-Elliot was diagnosed with lung cancer late last year. She is survived by her husband Paul and four children.