Fuel or bread: Māngere volunteers step up as leaders ‘fail’ to act on cost-of-living support

While politicians and councils talk about the cost-of-living crisis, Māngere residents say they aren’t seeing enough action in their streets.

Now, a community network of volunteers is taking matters into their own hands.

Ngā Manga o Māngere has organised a free “Manage Your Money” event at the Māngere Town Centre Library on Thursday night.

The goal is simple: connect families with the banks, power companies, and government agencies that can help them survive the week.

Vicky Hau, Māngere Town Centre Manager and a volunteer for Ngā Manga o Māngere, said the event was born out of frustration.

“I’m not seeing any work done by local leaders that are mobilising something like this,” Hau said.

“There’s a lot of talk about the cost of living and the impact it has on our community, but I don’t see the action that follows through,” she said. “By doing something like this, we’re putting solutions in place for our community.”

The crisis is no longer just hitting those on benefits; it’s squeezing working families who are doing everything right but still falling behind.

“There are hardworking residents out there working nine to five, but that’s still not going a long way for this current cost of living,” Hau says. “Do you pay fuel or do you buy bread and milk?”

Ngā Manga o Māngere Network hosts its “Manage Your Money” event at Māngere Town Centre Library, bringing together banks, government agencies and community providers to help locals navigate rising living costs. Photo/supplied.

Eti, a Māngere father of two, said the pressure is constant. Like many in the area, he didn’t even know there was help available for things like water bills until this event was organised.

“Any chance to save money or help relieve any costs will make a difference to my family,” he said.

The volunteers say mainstream financial advice often fails to understand the specific pressures on Pacific families.

While a standard bank might tell a family to cut costs, they don’t account for the cultural and spiritual commitments that are non-negotiable in the community.

“From a Pacific lens, it’s even tougher because we have more obligations to our church, to our families, to our villages, that a financial literacy class doesn’t actually cover,” Hau says.

Te’o Harry Fatu Toleafoa, who is part of the Ngā Manga steering committee, said the event aims to catch people before they hit rock bottom.

Te'o Harry Fatu Toleafoa, a volunteer with the Ngā Manga o Māngere Network, helped organise the “Manage Your Money” event to connect locals with financial support and cost-of-living assistance. Photo/File.

“People seek help right towards the end. The earlier you can seek assistance, the better it is,” he said.

“We can talk all we want, but unless there’s something tangible for the community to walk away with, that was a big driver for us.”

In response to the criticism, Auckland Council says it supports various initiatives including food-growing projects and financial resilience courses.

Kim Taunga, Head of Community Delivery South, said the Māngere Town Centre Library is a “trusted space” that allows people to connect with information.

Kaea Walter Inoke-Togiamua, Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chair, also praised the event, calling it “real action”.

But for the volunteers on the ground, the fact that they had to organise this themselves proves there is a gap in leadership.

Thursday’s event is the first of three. Future sessions will focus on the two biggest hurdles facing Southside families: the rising cost of food and the skyrocketing price of fuel.

Event Details:

• What: Manage Your Money - Community Expo

• Where: Māngere Town Centre Library

• When: Thursday night (30 April)

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