Kia ora! After recently taking over the Chairperson role for the Hobsonville Point Residents Society I thought I’d take a few minutes say a big thank you to Max Hardy for the work he has done as Chairperson up until now and to introduce myself.

As a winner of an Axis Home ballot, I moved into my new home with my family in Hobsonville Point in early 2019. I’m a keen member of the board games club, a plot holder in the community garden and have enjoyed being taking part in numerous events on the Point both before and once moving here. I work at Massey University in Albany and also have governance experience, previously being a board member and chairperson for Friendship House Trust, in Manukau.

I find myself taking over the chairperson role in interesting times with the International COVID 19 pandemic changing how we live on a day to day basis. I can say that there is nowhere I would rather be during this time than Hobsonville Point. Getting out with my kids for our daily walk, I’m constantly reminded of the awesome community we here through the warm greetings (at a respectful 2m distance) of others we pass, the wonderful proliferation of teddy bears and rainbows in windows, and the general sense that I live around people who won’t let this crisis get them down. I’ve already met so many of my Hobby Point neighbours either in person or on the community Facebook groups, but please say hi if you see me around our walks or in the market or a café after this lockdown has passed.

All the best,

Mark Kaneko

Chairperson – Hobsonville Point Residents Society

Mark with his wife Satoko, and daughters