Melanie Tavendale

Melanie and her husband Steve raise their two kids in Kakanui, and are actively involved in the local community. 

Mel is third-term Councillor in Waitaki, the past two as Deputy Mayor, and is also Chair of the Community, Culture and Regulatory Committee, appointed councillor on the Waitaki District Youth Council and member of the Waitaki Housing Taskforce. 

Mel was co-opted for one year onto LGNZ National Council as inaugural participant of their Governance Development Programme, and is also a Trustee on the Waitaki Whitestone Geopark Trust and the Oamaru Opera House Charitable Trust. 

Prior to Council, Mel was Community Relations Representative for TrustPower, running the Trustpower Community Awards across most of the South Island. Her background in governance, journalism and community relations alongside her interest in community wellbeing and local democracy is a great fit with Waitaki District Health Services.