Background
Roche was born in 1963 in Helensville.
Roche was born in 1963 in Helensville.
She has an extensive background in union-related work and in 2000 completed a diploma in labour studies. In 2007 she completed a graduate diploma in not-for-profit management.
From 2004 to 2010, she was on the board of trustees for Te Huruhi School. She had previously worked for the Waste Resource Trust, promoting responsible waste disposal and recycling on Waiheke Island. She was the Auckland City Councillor for the Hauraki Gulf Islands from 2007 to 2010.
In the 2010 Auckland local election for the Waiheke Local Board, she received the highest number of votes.
She was the candidate of the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand for Auckland Central in the 2008 general election. The Auckland Central electorate includes the whole of Waiheke Island.
She received 13% of votes cast in the electorate and was not elected.
Placed in eleventh place on the Green Party list for the 2011 election, Roche was elected to Parliament, with the Greens gaining 14 positions based on the final results.