Dannevirke Community Board likely to stay the same

Dannevirke Community Board is unchanged, left Ross Macdonald, Kim Spooner-Taylor, Tararua mayor Tracey Collis, Terry Hynes and Pat Walshe. Photo / File

Preliminary local body election results show an unchanged Dannevirke Community Board.

Ross Macdonald, who chaired the board last term, topped the voting with 2305.

Pat Walshe, who was deputy chairman, gained 2175 votes, Kim Spooner-Taylor gained 2134 and Terry Hynes 1761.

Malia Hema was just 102 votes behind the successful candidates, although this could change after special votes are counted.

Former deputy mayor for Tararua Allan Benbow topped the poll for the one seat for the Tararua Constituency on the Horizons Regional Council.

Benbow gained 2365 votes, ahead of Andrew Day on 1458 votes and Lorraine Stephenson close behind with 1434 votes.

The outcome could change but at this stage 95 per cent of the votes have been counted.

Tracey Collis romped home to win a second term as Tararua mayor beating her two challengers by a huge majority.

Collis gained 4831 of the votes while James Harold polled 290 and Mitch McHardy 255.

From the initial results it would appear Tararua District will have a strong female representation with six women councillors and two men leading the vote count.

There are likely to be two new faces representing the northern ward in Erana Peeti-Webber, who topped the poll with 1704 votes, and Sharon Wards who gained the third highest number with 1217 votes.

Kerry Sutherland was second highest poller with 1273 votes and Carole Isaacson came in fourth with 1076.

At this stage Shirley Hull, Alison Franklin and Peter Johns look to have retained their seats representing the southern with newcomer Raylene Treder gaining the most votes with 1589. Hull received 1423. Franklin 1301 and Johns 1219.