Final results for local government elections
Five new faces join incumbents at Stratford District Council
The final numbers are in and the results have been officially declared for local government elections across the country. Stratford District Council will feature a total of five new faces at the council table, joining seven incumbents.
Mayor Neil Volzke, who was elected unopposed, will be joined by newcomer Clive Tongaawhikau who stood unopposed for the Stratford Ma¯ori Ward, along with six urban councillors who were also unopposed in the election. They are newcomers Annette Dudley, Ellen Hall and Mathew Watt, and incumbents Jono Erwood, Min McKay and John Sandford. The Stratford rural ward was the only Stratford council ward to have an election this year, with final results putting newcomer Steve Beck at the table alongside incumbents Grant Boyde, Amanda Harris and Vaughan Jones.
The Stratford seat for Taranaki Regional Council puts Alan Jamieson at the TRC table who will be joining three other newly elected members. They are Susan Hughes (New Plymouth), Donna Cram (South Taranaki), and Bonita Bigham (Taranaki Ma¯ori). The four councillors are joining incumbents Charlotte Littlewood, Tom Cloke, Craig Williamson and David Lean who are all in the New Plymouth Constituency,
Mike Davey and Donald McIntyre from the North Constituency and Neil Walker from the South Taranaki Constituency.
In South Taranaki, Mayor Phil Nixon saw off a challenge from Walter Smith to keep the top job, while the one seat on the Te Ku¯rae Ma¯ori Ward has gone to Leanne Horo. Tuteri Rangihaeata has been elected to the Te Tai Tonga Ma¯ori Ward. Voters in the Te Ha¯ wera General Ward will face a by-election next year, with only four candidates having stood for the five available seats. Those candidates were Andy Beccard, Celine Filbee and Te Aroha Hohaia.
Also elected unopposed were Mark Bellringer and Steffy MacKay in the Eltham-Kaponga ward, Robert Northcott and Brian Rook in the Pa¯ tea ward and Aarun Langton and Bryan Roach in the Taranaki Coastal ward.
New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom also kept his job, facing off challenges from seven other candidates. He will be joined by Marie Pearce who was elected unopposed to the Ko¯hanga Moa General Ward, and Sam Bennett, Max Brough, Amanda Clinton-Gohdes, Harry Duynhoven and Dinnie Moeahu who were elected councillors at-large. Also taking their seat at the New Plymouth Council table are Gordon Brown, David Bublitz, Anneka Joyce Carlson, Murray Chong, Bali Haque and Bryan Vickery in the KaitakeNga¯motu ward, Te Waka Mcleod in the Te Purutanga Mauri Pu¯manawa ward, and Tony Bedford in the North General ward.