Sutherland rules out recount after missing Tararua District Council seat by slim margin

Returned north ward Tararua District councillor Jim Crispin, with unsuccessful candidate Kerry Sutherland.

Despite being just 11 votes short of a seat on the Tararua District Council, Dannevirke's Kerry Sutherland won't be going for a recount.

With the final election results for the four north ward seats giving Allan Benbow 1962 votes, Jim Crispin 1951, Ernie Christison 1772 and Carole Isaacson 1764, they were elected on to council. But Mr Sutherland was close behind Mrs Isaacson on 1753.
However, he has told the Dannevirke News he isn't seeking a recount.

"I'll take my punishment and really my petrol tank ran out just before the finish line [of the campaign] and I'm more than happy with the four people elected on to council from the north ward, and I'll be very supportive of those people representing us.

"I wouldn't grizzle about anything other than I came fifth and I've got to take that on the chin. And actually my wife Jill said standing was the silliest thing I'd done. She reckoned I should be selling a bit of real estate and going fishing and whitebaiting."

Mr Sutherland said he thought community support for candidate meetings had been fantastic.

"I could have probably spent a bit more time on the campaign trail, but it came at a very busy time for me in the real estate industry," he said.

"All-in-all, we got a pretty good council and the Dannevirke Community Board looks strong."

Impressed by the turnout at meet-the-candidate meetings, Mr Sutherland said discussions following those meetings saw people put their point of view to candidates quite strongly.

"They got their messages across," he said. The voting turnout for Tararua was 53.47 per cent, with 6449 votes cast, excluding special votes.