Drop in number of women politicians for Northland local government

There was an absence of women candidates in some WDC wards and only one woman among seven WDC 2022 Mayoral candidates. Photo / Michael Cunningham

The number of women politicians across Northland local government leadership has shrunk by almost a quarter in the wake of this year's local elections.

There are 24 per cent fewer women in Northland's new term local politicians' lineup.

Former Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai and Northland Regional Council (NRC) Chair Penny Smart were part of 17 women among Northland's 42-strong elected councillors and local government heads for the 2019-2022 term – making up 40 per cent of its cohort.

After the October 8 elections, there are only 13 women in Northland's new 44-person local government councils' political leadership – making up 29.5 per cent of its cohort for the new three-year 2022-2025 term. At edition time none of these women headed their council.

Northland's third woman Mayor WDC's Sheryl Mai, along with her WDC Mayoral predecessors enshrined in art - from left Mai, Pamela Peters and Joyce Ryan Photo / Tania Whyte

Mai and her 2013-2016 deputy mayor Sharon Morgan were New Zealand's first female mayor/deputy-mayor team. Smart was Northland's first regional council chair.

Massey University associate professor of feminist history Dr Jenny Coleman said the reduced presence of women in Northland local government political representation was of concern.

"It's appalling. There's a huge difference," Coleman said.

"It's pretty serious for everyone in terms of representation on behalf of their (council) population," she said.

"What does that mean to the power balance around the council table."

The decline in new-term Northland women politicians is part of the regional leadership change.

Whangārei District Council (WDC) has experienced the biggest women-on-council decline, headed with Mai's departure. Women now make up only 28.5 per cent of its 14 elected representatives – down from 42.85 per cent in the previous term.

Northland has had three women mayors and one regional council chair.

Mai said there had been a "pretty even" gender split between women and men on WDC during her nine years at the helm. That had provided important balance.

She said it was important to look at what had caused a drop in women standing for council in the 2022 elections. There had been an absence of women candidates in some WDC wards and only one woman among seven WDC 2022 mayoral candidates.

Northland's first woman Mayor Joyce Ryan tries on the council's Mayoral robes for old times sake in 2009. Ryan was Mayor from 1983-1989. Photo / NZME

The number of women in politics has also declined at Kaipara District Council. Women make up only 30 per cent of elected representatives, down from 44 per cent in the previous term. This decline includes the departure of three-term KDC deputy mayor Anna Curnow.

Outgoing KDC chief executive Louise Miller has been Northland's only woman council chief executive through the last council term. Hers is the fourth and final departure in a 100 per cent clean sweep of Northland councils' chief executive changeover in the past year.

Incoming WDC Whangārei Urban General Ward councillor Marie Olsen Photo / Supplied

Meanwhile, women now make up only 36 per cent of Far North District Council (FNDC)'s elected representatives, down from 40 per cent in the previous term. FNDC has four women in its now 11-person lineup – re-elected former deputy-mayor Ann Court, Felicity Foy, Kelly Stratford and newly elected Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward representative Hilda Halkyard-Harawira.

Incoming WDC Whangārei District Māori Ward councillor Deb Harding Photo / Supplied

Meanwhile, at NRC, women now make up 22.2 per cent of its elected representatives, down from 33.3 per cent in the last term. NRC's nine councillors will choose the new council chair at their inaugural October 25 council meeting. Smart failed in her 2022 bid to be re-elected.

Just two of NRC's nine elected representatives are women – re-elected Amy Macdonald and new Te Raki Māori Constituency representative Tui Shortland.

Knife-edge voting in NRC's Bay of Islands – Whangaroa General Constituency meant former FNDC Deputy Mayor Tania McInnes had a 55-vote majority. That flipped in updatedpreliminary results and previous incumbent Marty Robinson being 71 votes ahead, pending confirmed results.

Northland's 13 new-term women politicians are split roughly evenly between returning elected representatives and newcomers. Four of the six newcomers are from Northland's new Māori wards and also include Te Moānui o Kaipara Māori Ward's Pera Paniora (KDC), Whangārei District Māori Ward's Deb Harding (WDC) and Te Raki Māori Constituency's Tui Shortland (NRC).