Evolving Greymouth
One of the longest serving Mayors in New Zealand, 15 years is no small feat for Anthony Francis Kokshoorn. Born on 13 February 1955 from 2004 to 2019 he served unopposed as the Mayor of Greymouth. Through his candidacy, he dealt with storms, tornados, a struggling economy and of course the Pike River Mine disaster which claimed the lives of 29 men. What he has done to move Greymouth’s economy along, and to preserve the world for the future generation is immeasurable.
Right off the bat, his primary moral compass is driven by the ten commandments, an instance of how his leadership is driven by faith. What is more, Kokshoorn believes in leading by example, a principle he displays. A quick Google will bring up oodles of things he has done for the community. Not everything needs to be big and showy. Ask around and many people will provide their personal stories of how he has helped them.
Eg; When a West Coaster posted on a Facebook page that an elderly neighbour's winter firewood had been stolen, he responded "Give me a ring,", and paid for a load of wood to be delivered to her door. Giving, rather than taking, gives us greater happiness. In his case, it is obvious that he is right.
This leadership was only exemplified during the Pike River mine explosion. The minute he heard about it, he was off to the scene, even getting stopped and released by law enforcement on the way. With how connected we have become in recent years, the impact of this tragedy was felt around the country and even the world. Kokshoorn states he remembers being on TV, imploring the Australian prime minister for help. Less than 24 hours later a mining robot had been prepped and was ready to send. Kokshoorn himself was one of the main advocates for Pike River in the first place. I doubt I could comprehend the sheer devastation that the explosion caused.
“There is no handbook for navigating a mine accident.”
Arriving at Pike River, he didn’t sleep for two nights. Already he was determined to stick with the families of the entombed miners and look after their welfare. "I wanted to do my best for the families. When you sign up for mayor you've got to expect these types of things, and when they come along you've got to step up to the mark." Through ensuing legal chaos, he remained steadfast in his belief. Now with the recovery efforts, hopefully, closure for those families will finally be achieved.
Kokshoorn has also been instrumental in ensuring Greymouth has a future. In his own words, Greymouth is half a decade behind Hokitika in terms of progress. Greymouth hasn’t quite been able to replace mining and move on to a more sustainable source of economy. However, the little things add up. A Grey Star Newspaper article by Tui Bromley, titled ‘Mayor gets Bolder and Boulder’ refers to how Kokshoorn, for the 150th West Coast anniversary acquired serpentine boulders and placed them around Greymouth done completely of his own initiative, brightening it up and adding interest to the area. I recall my family and I tracking them all down to take photos of them as a child. Building onto this, he was also an instrumental part of the construction of the town square and Westland Recreation Centre. The two facilities are some of the most used and attractive in Greymouth. These are only a few of the many parts of Greymouth that Tony has touched. It is undeniable, without his constant advocacy for sustainability, change, and his down-to-earth nature, we would not have the Greymouth we know and love.