Over the weekend I received a reminder email from the Whanganui Tech Network. It was about tomorrow night’s meet-up — the usual mix of conversations, updates, and encouragement that keeps our small but lively tech community ticking along. Buried in that reminder was a detail that stopped me in my tracks: Mark Aue, the CEO of Chorus, grew up here in Whanganui.
For me, that connection felt like a moment of serendipity — almost a touch of magic. Here we are, working on the hard, sometimes frustrating questions of digital equity at the local level, while one of the central figures shaping the national fibre network began life in the same town. It sharpens the sense that Whanganui is not on the margins of this national conversation, but woven right into it.
A purpose statement that speaks to Whanganui
When Mark Aue first stepped into the CEO role at Chorus two years ago, one of the first things he did was contribute to a refreshed purpose statement for the organisation:
“Unleashing potential through connectivity, enabling better futures for Aotearoa.”
That purpose is not just a corporate slogan. It is a commitment that resonates deeply here in Whanganui. Connectivity is more than technology — it is the enabler of futures: for seniors keeping in touch with whānau, for jobseekers accessing opportunities, for young people learning online, for businesses reaching markets beyond our district.
And the alignment with Digital Inclusion Whanganui’s own mahi is clear. Our work is about making sure the potential that connectivity unleashes is available to everyone — not just those who can afford the latest device or live in the right street.
Leadership lessons through books
Earlier this year Mark shared a set of book recommendations that resonated strongly with me: Purpose Incorporated by John Wood and Amalia McGibbon, and Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. Both are leadership texts, but they’re more than just business advice. They are roadmaps for how organisations can align purpose, values, and practical action.
Purpose Incorporated argues that cause and commercial success are not opposites. In fact, organisations that embed purpose into their strategy consistently outperform those that treat it as a marketing add-on. That message lands squarely in Digital Inclusion Whanganui’s kaupapa. Our mahi in bridging the digital divide is not “charity work.” It is an economic and wellbeing strategy for this community.
The book also underlines the importance of partnerships. Success comes when government, industry, and community actors work together around shared goals. That validates the convening role we are trying to play here in Whanganui. And just as importantly, Wood and McGibbon stress measurement: showing the return on purpose. That is exactly why we are building Whanganui-specific ROI models, where we can say clearly: “for every dollar invested in digital inclusion, this is the value returned.”
Let My People Go Surfing provides the mindset. Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, describes how values-driven leadership can thrive in a commercial world. His mission — “We’re in business to save our home planet” — is a reminder of how clarity attracts supporters, partners, and allies. For DIW, it pushes us to keep sharpening our own “why”: equity, wellbeing, and community.
Chouinard also champions flexibility. Patagonia famously allowed staff to go surfing when the waves were good. The underlying principle is that organisations should flex with people’s lives, not the other way around. That resonates in digital equity: whether we are supporting seniors, whānau, or jobseekers, we must create pathways that adapt to people, not force people to adapt to rigid systems.
Finally, Chouinard insists that leadership requires courage. Sometimes it means taking a stand that may be inconvenient or unpopular. For us in Whanganui, it may mean pushing digital equity issues even when they don’t fit neatly into commercial plans or government strategies.
Taken together, these two books sketch a powerful template: one shows the framework of purpose, partnerships, and measurement; the other shows the mindset of courage, persistence, and values.
The national dashboard
Chorus itself has laid out a set of strategic KPIs — a kind of dashboard of progress and ambition. Right now:
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87% fibre coverage is available nationwide.
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72% connection rate, strong by global standards.
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9th best globally for fibre penetration.
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A bold vision for 2030: 100% of New Zealanders connected.
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Next phase: expand from 87% to 95% coverage, bringing fibre to another 160,000 homes and businesses.
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Estimated $17 billion in economic benefits unlocked over the next decade.
These are national numbers, but it doesn’t take much to start translating them into Whanganui terms. If the next phase is about 160,000 more homes and businesses, then perhaps 1,600–1,800 of those could be here in our district. If the national economic uplift is $17 billion, Whanganui’s slice might be measured in the tens of millions. These are not exact calculations — more like heuristics — but they show the scale of what’s at stake.
And that’s why it matters for Whanganui to be a player, not a passenger. If connectivity is expanding, we want to make sure our most vulnerable households are not left until last. If economic benefits are being unlocked, we want to ensure they are felt locally, not just in the big cities.
Mark Aue’s wider vision
Mark has been outspoken about purpose in leadership. His goal of 100% of New Zealanders connected by 2030 is not just a technical ambition. It is a social one. Because connectivity without affordability, or without digital skills, is not real inclusion.
He has emphasised that piecemeal projects won’t close the gap. What is needed is a national approach: sustainable low-cost options, scaled skills support, and integration of digital infrastructure into national planning, the way we plan for roading or energy.
That emphasis on integration and sustainability matches the challenges we see on the ground. It’s not enough to get fibre past the gate; people need the confidence, the affordability, and the skills to make use of it.
Local realities and sensitivities
Here in Whanganui, connectivity is complicated. Chorus may be the benchmark setter nationally, but Tuatahi Fibre is the regional player. That introduces commercial sensitivities. Tuatahi has every right to manage its plans carefully, and not share details openly with Chorus or others. Similarly, Whanganui District Council will rightly hold its cards close, balancing responsibilities to multiple partners.
For Digital Inclusion Whanganui, that means walking carefully. We are not here to play Machiavelli. We are here to add value, to help join the dots, and to ensure our community is not left behind. We don’t need to second-guess commercial strategies. What we need is to keep advocating for local needs — for seniors, for whānau, for jobseekers, for schools with high EQI ratings.
That is why our first principles work matters. Connectivity is not just another box to tick. It is the foundation. Without it, all the other aspirations — skills, safety, motivation — are harder to achieve.
Where this leaves us
So where does this blog land?
First, it’s an acknowledgement. It matters that the CEO of Chorus, the person setting the pace for fibre in Aotearoa, grew up in Whanganui. That connection deepens the sense of purpose in what we are doing locally.
Second, it’s a reflection on leadership. The books Mark has highlighted are not random. They are roadmaps for exactly the kind of leadership we need: purpose-driven, values-led, courageous, and accountable.
Third, it’s a reminder of our role. Digital Inclusion Whanganui may not control fibre rollout plans. We may not sit at the commercial decision-making table. But we have an indispensable role as convenor, advocate, and bridge. We can measure impact, make the case, and ensure the voices of our community are not drowned out by the noise of infrastructure debates.
Fourth, it’s a framing of the opportunity. Those KPIs are not just numbers. They are signals of what is possible. For Whanganui, they translate into real households, real businesses, real savings, and real growth.
Finally, it’s a step along the way. We do not expect all the cards to be on the table yet. We respect the integrity of commercial players and councils. But we are preparing ourselves — guided by first principles, grounded in trust, and inspired by leadership lessons — to be ready when opportunities arise.
Closing thought
In Purpose Incorporated, the authors remind us that “trust is currency.” In Let My People Go Surfing, Chouinard reminds us that “business can serve life, not the other way around.” Both principles feel made for Whanganui right now.
And in Chorus’s own words: “Unleashing potential through connectivity, enabling better futures for Aotearoa.”
That’s a purpose statement we can take to heart in Whanganui. Because at the end of the day, that’s why these principles are so important.
This blog post is a collaborative creation by Alistair Fraser, with the innovative assistance of OpenAI’s ChatGPT 5 highlighting the synergy of human creativity and advanced AI technology.