Your Mayor

Anita Baker was born and raised in Porirua City first elected to the Porirua City Council in 2010, she has been a trustee on the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust since 2016. 

She says the journey she took from a girl growing up in Paremata, to solo mum, administrator, community worker, setting up a private college, project manager then Councillor and now Mayor, is the sort taken by many successful women in top jobs in New Zealand. 

For her it was a transition that happened through hard work, aspiration and being involved in her local community. She’s aware that many in the Porirua community don’t have the resources or opportunities she’s had, and she will be a champion for everyone in the city.

Mayor Baker is excited about the composition of the new council with a good balance of age and cultural diversity. She has appointed two-term Eastern Ward Councillor Izzy Ford as Deputy Mayor.

Top of her priorities as Mayor will be investment in core infrastructure and key services and improving the health of the harbour. Infrastructure is the most important thing the council can invest in to support people’s lives and livelihoods. Jobs, new houses and investment are underpinned by good infrastructure, pipes, drains, reserves, roads and footpaths.

She also plans to use her position as Mayor to lobby central government and advocate for the city around housing, health, employment and transport options.