NEW ZEALAND

Tauranga’s only female councillor named deputy mayor

​August 2024: The city council of Tauranga (population 162,000), New Zealand’s fifth-largest city, elected its only female member as deputy mayor. Jen Scoular will serve alongside Mayor Mahé Drysdale, a two-time Olympic rowing champion, who described his deputy as a woman with a great range of skills. “Jen will complement me very, very well in leading this team to achieve for the people of Tauranga.”

Jen Scoular, who is the only woman elected to the council, said it was with pride and a deep sense of responsibility that she accepted the role of deputy mayor. While she was disappointed not to be joined by more women around the council table, she was dedicated to making Tauranga an inclusive and prosperous city.

She said throughout her 30-year career in commercial business leadership and seven years as a trade diplomat, she had recognised the huge benefits of developing strong cultures, collaboration and building enduring relationships. "These are prerequisites for a successful council here, in one of the fastest growing regions in New Zealand. As deputy mayor, I will work to foster strong alignment and cohesion within the Tauranga community, across cultures, sectors and interests.

Jen Scoular is an alumnus of the Te Hono primary sector movement and actively supported the Māori-owned avocado orchards in the Far North. She would advocate for very strong relationships between and across councils and with local iwi.

Jen was raised in Tauranga. She is Chair of the House of Science, an entity founded in Tauranga, which develops and supplies science experiment kits to 700 primary schools around NZ. She is a director of IFPA (International Fresh Produce Association) Australia-New Zealand.
 

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