Cocurullo told the Northern Advocate he had been a supporter of NZ First for many years, backing its policies on things such as regional development.
“Making sure the regions are able to look after themselves is important to me and important to Northland.
“Over the years I’ve seen Northland miss out on many things and it really upsets me.”
In his time as mayor, Cocurullo backed infrastructure projects that fell into the realm of central government, including four-laning State Highway 1, building a rail spur to Marsden Point and dry dock in Whangārei.
He also backed an expansion of Northport, despite his council’s independent commissioners turning down resource consent.
Cocurullo said as mayor he was passionate about all of those projects and he wanted to see them through.
Former Whangārei Mayor Vince Cocurullo says he will take his passion for Northland and the city into his role as NZ First’s candidate. Photo / Susan Botting LDR
He pointed to the four-laning of SH1, saying while it was good the project had been approved, the timeframe was too long.
“It’s 12 years before it gets to Whangārei: that’s unacceptable for Northland.”
Cocurullo also criticised the slow pace of the Whangārei Hospital rebuild, which he said should have been completed by now. Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora only applied in May for resource consent for the key part of the project, the acute services building.
Boosting Whangārei’s construction sector would give people jobs and help the overall economy, he said.
Cocurullo said he developed good relationships with central Government during his time as mayor, which also included leading the Northland Mayoral Forum.
Vince Cocurullo (from left) – pictured with Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey, Health Minister Simeon Brown and Health NZ tikanga pou Malcolm Robson at the opening of Manaia House in 2025 – says he built key central Government relationships as his time as mayor. Photo / Denise Piper
He thought standing for central Government was a logical next step.
“At the end of the day, if you’re a passionate mayor like myself, passionate about Northland, passionate about Whangārei and wanting to see it excel, the next step is national government.”
But Cocurullo accepted there would still be a learning curve if he became an MP.
His trademark waistcoats would remain part of his attire, as people “loved it”, he said.
Since missing out on the mayoral race in October, Cocurullo had been busy with waste-to-fuel company GoNorth Limited, which was turning plastics into diesel in Whangārei.
Vince Cocurullo, right, pictured with Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, says he will bring his trademark waistcoats to his new role.
“Diesel is desperately needed for the construction sector, farming and keeping trucks on the road.
“We’re not going to get hydrogen up here: realistically, diesel is the only alternative for the industry and you might as well make it out of plastic. At the moment, there’s lots of it going into landfill.”
Cocurullo was vague on manufacturing details, simply saying it was done in industrial Whangārei and had all the correct consents.
He called himself a “man of action”, collecting and removing more than 50 tonnes of e-waste from Whangārei this year.
Cocurullo will compete for the Whangārei seat against political novices this year, with incumbent National’s Dr Shane Reti retiring from politics.
Candidates included outspoken ED doctor Gary Payinda for Labour and real estate expert Lloyd Budd for National.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.