‘Diversity burst’ for councils
More women are now mayors, and younger people also taking up roles
Young people and women have finally started to gain more influence in local councils across the country — with a number taking out the top seat and donning the mayoral chains.
Of the 63 local councils which have declared results so far, 25 per cent of the mayors are women — up from 19 per cent last time — and five of the 63 mayors are aged under 40.
One of them, new Hutt mayor Campbell Barry, is one of the youngest mayors ever elected in New Zealand, at just 28.
Barry said age would not affect his ability to lead the council, because he already has six years’ experience as a councillor under his belt.
“At the end of the day, people have voted for change and a new approach,” he said.
Labour-aligned Barry ousted Conservative sitting mayor Ray Wallace, 58.
Political scientist Bryce Edwards said local councillors had traditionally been old, white and male, but this year has seen “a diversity burst”.
“The election has been a modernising one — throughout the country the results appear to have produced a re-balancing of the councils and the mayoralties, with voters choosing to elect more women and youth than ever before,” he said.
“It does seem to be the zeitgeist — people are wanting to see greater change in our local representatives.”
Two-fifths of the 63 councils elected so far have new mayors — seven women and 18 men.
The biggest upset seems likely to be in Wellington, where Sir Peter Jackson-backed councillor Andy Foster was last night 715 votes ahead of Labour incumbent Justin Lester, with 10 per cent of the votes yet to be counted.
Foster has made two unsuccessful bids for Wellington’s mayoralty before this election.
“This is the first time I’ve had the resource come behind me. Clearly I’m seen as the person who represented a chance for change and getting things done and hopefully that carries through to the finish line,” he said.
A key issue for Foster has been the controversial housing development proposed for Shelly Bay on the Miramar Peninsula
— which both Jackson and Foster strongly oppose.
There was a stunning upset in Tauranga where businessman Tenby Powell convincingly defeated incumbent Greg Brownless. Powell said voters had clearly decided: “It’s time for the old guard to let go.”
Powell only moved back from Auckland to the city where he grew up, in May.
“I have said for years this city is the epicentre for entrepreneurship and innovation. Something special is happening here,” he said.
Whanga¯rei’s mayor Sheryl Mai said she was “ecstatic” to be elected for her third term in office — saying it was clear from the results that, while most people were happy with the direction the council was taking, many were not.
“My challenge now is to meet the
needs of those people more than we have been.”
“But this is a big vote of confidence and support for the direction we are heading in.
“We are definitely on a roll in the district and we have some exciting things ahead of us.”
Hastings’ Sandra Hazlehurst was also re-elected after becoming mayor in 2017 when Lawrence Yule stood down to run for Parliament forcing a byelection.
“I’m incredibly proud and honoured actually that our people have confidence in me,” she said.
Hamilton’s new mayor Paula Southgate beat incumbent Andrew King.
Steve Chadwick was elected for a third term as mayor of the Rotorua district which she described as an enormous relief.
“We hold the majority too and that’s important. It’s not a bloc, it’s those that see we’ve got to keep this district moving.”
Thirty-eight of the 63 councils that had declared by last night, re-elected sitting mayors, including Lianne Dalziel in Christchurch and Sir Tim Shadbolt, who won a record 11th term as mayor, ninth in Invercargill, to become the current longest-serving mayor of any New Zealand city.
Edwards said it was hard to see any clear ideological trend in the results, but “if anything, it seems to me that it moved more to the leftwing”.
“Certainly there is a more liberal direction, and by that I mean those candidates that stood on more progressive and environmental platforms seem to have done better than in the past,” he said.
Local Government NZ said the overall voter turnout was 44 per cent, up slightly from 42 per cent in 2016 and 41.3 per cent in 2013.
The final election results are expected to be announced between October 17 and October 23.
It does seem to be the zeitgeist — people are wanting to see greater change in our local representatives. Bryce Edwards, political scientist