Election candidate tightlipped on future after job loss win

A NZ First candidate has won her role back as Māngere Town Centre manager on an interim basis, but won't confirm if she's still in the job.

Vicky Hau took her case to the Employment Relations Authority after she was made redundant from the position.

She started as Māngere Town Centre’s manager in July 2024, with a mission to transform the South Auckland centre into a premier shopping destination for the Pacific.

“I did a lot of work for the town centre and how it ended was just really abrupt,” she told Local Democracy Reporting.

Hau said she loved her job as it kept her connected to the community.

Māngere Town Centre BID Incorporated was her employer. The association receives a grant from Auckland Council to help support local economic development.

In May, the association confirmed its decision to disestablish Hau’s role to reduce fixed costs, according to the Employment Relations Authority decision.

Hau was placed on gardening leave on 15 May, and her employment ended on 12 June. The association formally engaged a management services contractor the following day.

Hau, who is running for NZ First in Māngere, took her case to the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) on the basis her dismissal was unjustified.

Māngere Town Centre’s business association says its employment matter with Vicky Hau has been resolved. Photo/File.

The ERA decision

Māngere Town Centre BID opposed her reinstatement, citing its financial position, the closure of its office and difficulties in the relationships between Hau and some executive committee members.

Hau challenged the redundancy and whether financial pressure was the genuine reason for the decision.

She had previously complained about an executive committee member, and then raised a personal grievance over how that complaint was handled.

Authority member Simon Greening accepted the association had faced “financial headwinds” but found insufficient evidence to support its argument that reinstating Hau would threaten its financial viability.

He found Hau had a “strong arguable case for unjustified dismissal”. His findings were provisional, based on untested affidavit evidence, and did not determine her substantive claims.

In the August decision, the Authority ordered Hau to be reinstated into her role on an interim basis from 8 September.

Māngere Town Centre, where Vicky Hau worked on improvements during her time as manager. Photo/Auckland Council.

Employment matter resolved

Before the employment matter was resolved, Hau told Local Democracy Reporting her departure had been difficult.

She said people asked where she was, but she was careful about how she responded because she did not want to damage the town centre’s reputation.

“It’s still a reflection of our community,” she said.

On Monday, Hau told LDR the employment matter had been resolved and declined to comment further.

Neither Hau nor Māngere Town Centre BID would comment on the resolution terms or confirm whether Hau remains employed by the association.

Gerard Elwell, the lawyer representing Māngere Town Centre BID Incorporated, says all employment matters between the association and Vicky Hau have been resolved. Photo/ELINZ.

The Māngere BID association’s lawyer, Gerard Elwell, said all employment matters between the parties had been resolved and the interim reinstatement arrangements were no longer an ongoing matter.

He said Māngere BID would not litigate historical allegations through the media or make adverse comments about Hau.

Elwell said the Authority had made no determination on Hau’s substantive claims.

Asked again whether Hau remained employed, Elwell said the association was not prepared to comment further and suggested contacting her directly.

Hau could not be reached for further comment on her employment status by publication.

Vicky Hau began as Māngere Town Centre manager in July 2024, working to revitalise the centre. Photo/Auckland Council.

Auckland Council aware of employment matter

The association receives funding through Auckland Council’s Business Improvement District programme.

Council collects a targeted rate from properties in the area, which provides the association a grant for its work.

Auckland Council’s head of CCO Governance and Investment Areas, Claire Gomas, said council was aware of the Māngere BID employment situation and had received regular updates from the association’s executive committee.

Gomas said council did not employ BID staff and had no role in employing or managing the association’s staff or contractors.

She said Māngere BID was currently compliant with council’s policy and was due to receive its 2026/27 quarterly targeted-rate grant payment. BID associations must provide annual accountability and financial reports to council, including an audit.

-LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.