At 14, Tania Tapsell was chosen for the Rotorua Youth Council, at 21, she was the then-youngest councillor ever elected and in October 2022, at the age of 30, she convincingly won the local body elections to become the first Māori mayor of Rotorua – the same week she also discovered she was pregnant.
“It was a hugely significant time for me and my family,” shares Tania, smiling. “Not only did I become the mayor, but it’s also the same week my husband and I were left a bit speechless when we looked at the two lines pop up on the pregnancy test.
“We were so overwhelmed with joy when I placed it in front of him. When you look at the photos on election week, people understand now my extra-big smile was not only because I was the new mayor but because I was also about to become a
