Mackenzie District Mayor Anne Munro steps down after cancer diagnosis
Photo:
RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
Mackenzie District Mayor Anne Munro is stepping aside due to her cancer diagnosis.
Munro
shared the news last year
and testing has confirmed the cancer is metastatic.
She said while treatment was ongoing, her prognosis remained uncertain, and she had made the decision in the interest of continuity and stable leadership.
"Although I've stayed up to date with council business, the work we do is complex and fast-moving. I'm simply not across the level of detail needed to provide the leadership our council and community deserve at this critical time," she said.
Munro said the council was navigating a time of significant change - including determining how to implement the government's Local Water Done Well reforms.
She said she would not be seeking re-election in October.
"Given the uncertainty surrounding my health, I cannot fully commit to serving our community in the years ahead," she said.
Munro served two terms as a councillor from October 2016, before being elected in 2022.
She was diagnosed with cancer shortly before Christmas last year.
Deputy Mayor Karen Morgan would continue acting in the role until the election, she said.
Munro said Morgan had led with "calm and capable hands" in her absence.
Munro thanked the management and staff of the council for their "expertise, dedication, and adaptability".
"Without your efforts, many of us would have no water in our taps, no roads to drive on, and no shared community spaces to enjoy. Few outside the organisation truly appreciate the breadth and complexity of the responsibilities council carries every day," she said.
She thanked her fellow elected members for their "time, energy, and unwavering commitment" to the community.
"Your insight and shared purpose have helped keep council focused on what matters most," she said.
Munro also thanked the residents and ratepayers whose support "meant so much".
"Needless to say, this is not where I expected to be, nor how I imagined my time in local government would come to an end. But perhaps it's a reminder that change is life's only constant. We can't always control what comes our way, but we can choose how we respond," she said.
"Politics, even at the local level, can at times be divisive. My hope is that, as a community, we continue to meet challenges with open minds, respectful debate focused on the issues not the individuals, and a spirit that celebrates both our differences and the values we share."
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These oral liquids may also be more suitable for certain adults, for example, people who are unable to swallow tablets. "Whether or not a medicine is manufactured in an oral liquid formulation is a commercial decision for pharmaceutical companies." Pharmac was always happy to consider funding medicines in an oral liquid form, one of our factors for consideration is suitability," Dr Ngawati said. While in hospital Bellamere's mum, Tempest Puklowski gave Bellamere her drops for Vitamin D. Nurses also administered her phosphate. When they left hospital they were given some Vitamin D in a little bottle, and a prescription for iron and Vitamin D. The following day Bellamere's father, Tristan Duncan went to a Manawatū pharmacy with the prescriptions. He was given the iron, but said the pharmacy refused to give the Vitamin D as the staff thought the dosage was "too high for her age and her weight". The staff said they would call the neonatal unit and follow-up. A few days later Puklowski received a call from the unit to organise a home care visit. During the call she was asked if she had any concerns, and Puklowski asked if they had been contacted about the Vitamin D. They had not, and said they would follow up and rewrite the prescription along with a prescription for phosphate. A day after the phone call, on 2 July, Duncan went to the pharmacy to collect the medication and came home with just the phosphate. Unbeknown to the parents they had allegedly been given an adult dosage of phosphate. The label on the medication directed them to dissolve one 500mg tablet of phosphate twice daily in a glass of water. That evening they gave Bellamere her first dose of the medicine in her formula water. They would give her three bottles in 24 hours as was recommended. The couple noticed in that period that her eating was off, and thought she was "extra gassy," Puklowski said. "She was still feeding fine. She just wasn't maybe going through a whole bottle compared to what she was," she recalled. Then, the day after she got her first dosage Bellamere suddenly stopped breathing. Bellamere was taken to hospital and rushed to the emergency department. Once she was stabilised she was taken to the neonatal unit where she stayed overnight before she was flown to Starship Hospital. The couple had taken a bottle of the medicine with them to Starship Hospital. She gave it to the staff who saw that they had been given an adult dose. The staff then requested the original prescription which confirmed the script had been written with the correct dosage, but somehow the pharmacy had given the wrong dosage Puklowski said. "I keep thinking about how much she ended up having and it just makes me feel sick." Tragically, Bellamere died at Starship Hospital on 19 July. The couple are adamant they want changes to the system for giving out medication. "It's the sort of thing that can't really be overlooked," Puklowski said. "There needs to be something better in effect, rather than just relying on one person to make sure you're getting the right prescription, having at least a few eyes." The owner of the Manawatū pharmacy that dispensed the medication said in a statement to RNZ the baby's death was "a tragedy". "Our sympathy is with the family and whānau. This is a very difficult time. "We are looking into what has happened to try to understand how this took place. There will also be external reviews which we will work with." RNZ asked the owner how the medication was given at the wrong dosage, whether they disputed the allegations, when the pharmacy became aware the wrong dosage had been given, and what confidence people could have about other medication received from the pharmacy. The owner said the pharmacy was "devastated about what has happened and are investigating to find out how this occurred". "It is not appropriate to comment further at this stage." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
