Family and friends of the newly elected councillors celebrated with a few beers and a live band at a Hastings bar this afternoon.
Tom Belford, Rick Barker and Rex Graham revelled together after all getting re-elected on to the Hawke's Bay Regional Council as part of the Hastings ward.
"It is wonderful to be able to relax with my team. We are such a tight knit group so when we all found out we were on together we definitely had to celebrate," Mr Belford said.
He spent three hours this morning taking down his signs so felt a few beers this afternoon were well earned.
"It is just a big long exhale. I am so relieved and my daughter has also come down from Auckland so it is lovely," he said.