Note: These are “Progress Results” (e.g., not including Saturday votes in-transit), but outcomes are unlikely to change other than possibly in the tightest of races. Final votes are not declared until Thursday the 16th. We will update this article as final results arrive.
In a nutshell, as HB local government faces huge challenges, some remarkable changes at the top coupled with mainly status quo maintenance amongst councillors.
Looking first at mayors
Only one incumbent held on to their chains – Craig Little in Wairoa.
CHB, Napier and Hastings each have new mayors.
Richard McGrath prevailed in Napier by near-majority (48.6%), upsetting incumbent Mayor Kirsten Wise by 3,422 votes. Conventional wisdom here was that Wise would benefit from the ‘two malcontents’ splitting her opposition.
Will Foley handily defeated incumbent Mayor Alex Walker in CHB, winning 3,854 votes to her 2,209.
In Hastings, winning by small plurality was Wendy Schollum with 27% of the vote (7,212 votes), defeating runner-up Marcus Buddo by 599 votes. With five candidates standing for Hastings mayor, there was no way this was going to be a runaway for the winner.
Incumbent councillors did well
Across the councils, all but two re-standing incumbents retained their seats.
In Hastings, this was the case with Michael Fowler, Kevin Watkins, Simon Nixon, Kellie Jessup and Heather Te Au-Skipworth. As well as Alwyn Corban and Hana Montaperto-Hendry, who were unopposed.
Incumbents Damon Harvey and Marcus Buddo did not run for council seats. As a consequence, HDC will have 7 returnees serving out of 15 seats. Two of these representing a Maori ward that will be dissolved given the adverse referendum outcome).
In Napier, mayoral candidate Simpson regained his council seat as a consolation prize and will be joined by re-elected incumbents Keith Price, Sally Crown, Ronda Crystal, Graeme Taylor and Greg Mawson. They will constitute a majority on the council.
At the Regional Council, incumbents Hinewai Ormsby, Neil Kirton, Jock Mackintosh, Sophie Siers, Jerf van Beek, Di Roadley and Thompson Hokianga were re-elected. They constitute a majority of the 11-person Regional Council. Now Hinewai Ormsby’s follow-on campaign amongst her colleagues for re-election as HBRC Chair will ensue.
In Central Hawke’s Bay, incumbents Kelly Annand, Brent Muggeridge, Pip Burne, Gerard Minehan, Jerry Greer, Kate Taylor and Amiria Nepe-Apatu won re-election. Nepe-Apatu won the Māori ward, which CHB voters rejected, so will serve one term.
In Wairoa, incumbents Jeremy Harker, Roz Thomas and Benita Cairns return, joining Mayor Little to fill four of the seven seats.
Newbies
Respectable, given the advantages of incumbency (at least normally) … 22 in total out of 54 councillors across HB.
Hastings District Council will have the most, and with a new mayor (albeit experienced councillor) taking office, that council might experience the most ‘bedding in’ pains. New faces at HDC are: Elisha Milmine (who was unopposed), Henare O’Keefe (hardly a new face), Nick Ratcliffe, Yvonne Lorkin, Callum Ross, Steve Gibson, Derek Nowell-Usticke, and Siiam Daniel.
Of note, top vote getter for a council seat, Steve Gibson, with 7,618 votes, slightly out-polled new mayor Schollum. Totally opposite candidates in every respect … who’s got the mandate?
Newbies for NCC are: Roger Brownlie, Craig Morley and Te Kira Lawrence. Shyann Raihania and Whare Isaac-Sharland were elected to the new Māori ward, but voters also rejected creation of the ward, so they will serve a single term.
Newbies for HBRC are: Tony Kuklinski (CHB), Louise Parsons (Napier) and Conrad Waitoa (Heretaunga Hastings). And Michelle McIlroy (nee Lewis) won the Māui ki te Raki Māori Constituency (to be dissolved for 2028 by referendum result).
Newbies for CHBDC are: Todd Chote and Kirsty Lawrence.
Newbies for Wairoa are: Sarah Bird, Trevor Waikawa and Michelle Tahuri.
Māori Wards
Legislation required Māori Wards to be re-affirmed by referenda for CHB, HDC, HBRC and NCC.
Hastings voted to remove, with 13,327 voting to remove, 12,216 voting to keep.
Napier voted to remove, with 11,656 voting to remove, 8,844 voting to keep.
CHB voted to remove, with 3,502 voting to remove, 2,371 voting to keep.
In total, 27,914 voted to remove (55%), 22,682 to keep (45%).
The same voters effectively got a second bite at this apple with respect to Māori seats on the Regional Council. Mirroring the territorial councils’ outcome, 27,629 (54%) voted to remove, 23,615 (46%) to keep.
The Turnout
With all votes counted, across Hawke’s Bay 47.2% of the voters have spoken. That’s 57,266 ballots cast out of 121,229 eligible electors.
CHB has the highest return, at 56.0%, followed by Wairoa at 53.5%, Napier at 45.8%, and Hastings at 45.6%.
No one can afford sophisticated polling in Hawke’s Bay, so there’s no real data on voter attitudes – which segments voted, which didn’t and why, or what actually drove the choices of those who did vote. Turnout, ward boundaries, wards versus at-large seats, and the voting process are all issues deserving follow-up attention.
So, thanks to the 47% who did their part to make local democracy work. And to the 53% who sat on their hands … ahem! Think of it this way … you got the outcome you deserve.
A fantastic result for Napier – with a couple of exceptions !
The race based Maori wards are gone region wide as are the incumbent mayors who publicly supported them.
There is a lesson here !
A vote for democracy, it’s just a shame that napier will be saddled with them for a term All because the previous administration lied when they said they had polled the public and had overwhelming support for maori wards. Obviously they didn’t, they never polled the public at all.
Considering anti ward billboards were blocked by threats to the company and there was no MSM or council support I’m surprised the defeat was so overwhelming
A very sad and poor outcome re the Maori wards. Very disappointing.
Thanks for the article. Now I’m abreast of it all. Love your last paragraph. Dismal turnout wasn’t it.
I’m happy that Trevor Waikawa got in for a Māori seat in Wairoa. Not much else to be happy about, especially the votes against Māori representation.
Maori now have equal representation.
Thank you for your excellent Election coverage, Bay Buzz!
Love your comment Good day, Sunshine – must repeat https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/richard-mcgrath-becomes-napier-mayor-ousts-kirsten-wise/FRHJMJUEBVHTNEZ6JQNKPQSJ7Q/
Well done Richard. Well done Napier voter’s. The time for change has come.
P.s. well done Louise for the HBRC win, keep them in check. You can do it.
A fantastic day for Napier. Enjoy the sunshine.
And yes, bye bye Maori wards. Let’s end the division and start afresh.
So gutter that the Maori Wards are gone
McGrath wants fewer roundabouts and fewer speed bumps.
So faster traffic.
Children (and responsible motorists) may disagree.
Hi Angus, did you know that the police is responsible for managing people going excessive speeds in vehicles (cars, trucks, motorbikes). The Council has no authority to issue fines. Hence, it makes sense that the Police manage faster traffic rather than the ratepayer. Most accidents occur due to inebriated drivers (drunk/on drugs) rather than speed. People need to start taking responsibility fot their own actions in society, rather than the majority of ‘responsible motorists’ paying for a few. If people can’t function in society without harming others, there’s a place for them and the ratepayer can’t send them there. Interested to hear your thoughts.
Congratulations, Richard, looking forward to being able to drive the speed limit on Napier streets, responsibly.
Agree, Phil – Kirsten, Annette, Maxine, Chad and Sally are a major supporters of Mana Ahuriri and iwi items. The amount of things that have been pushed through and the ratepayers have paid for over the last two terms is mind-boggling. Looks like only Sally Crown is back in. Her past is questionable, trying to push through Housing NZ housing in Parklands which when found out was done with no consultation and major conflicts of interest (her company stood to benefit) got quashed.
Richard, I suggest in the next few months you go through the books and anything that can be undone or seems a sniff questionable should be investigated. Look forward to having someone who sees us as all equal on Council. Unfortunately, Hine got back in at HBRC, so the culture there is likely to remain that ‘minority rule’. Prove us wrong, Hine. Louise, suggest you ask for the same thorough scrutiny at HBRC. Make change within.
Tom, you forgot to mention any contentious issue they will ‘fail to mention’ in public until it’s past the point of no return. Case in point, based on NCCs PDP, drones and rural aircraft can fly over your house day and night ‘temporarily’. Mmm, spray and no privacy for you all. Plus you have no say to a 3-storey, 6-storey, childcare, prison reform or papakainga development happening next door. Thanks, Kirsten, see you next Tuesday to chat.
Quite a few changes at the top….maybe the returning councillors need to take ‘the hint’; we don’t want ‘business a usual’ to return. The rate-pressures faced by many (not just pensioners on a fixed income) require bold, gutsy and creative solutions! Just sharpening your pencils will NOT be good enough. Forget about re-election in 3 years – the wellbeing of ratepayers (and other citizens) is your job now – you just stuck up your hand to get that job and got it, so get on with it!
There will be no impact until leaders become servants.