Local government stalwart dies

Dennis Bowman

One of the Far North's most successful and enduring local government politicians of recent years has died.

Dennis Earle Bowman was admitted to Kaitaia Hospital after being taken ill on Friday and died there on Sunday morning, just weeks after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary with wife Elaine. He was 82.

He began his local government career when he was elected to the Far North District Council in 1995 and was returned every election until 2010, when he lost his seat but was elected to Te Hiku Community Board, which he served for one term as chairman.

He retired from the board last year to contest a seat on the Northland Regional Council, which he won, and on the Northland District Health Board, which he did not.

A farmer, carrier and bus company operator for much of his life, Mr Bowman will be interred at Herekino cemetery tomorrow, after a funeral at Kaitaia's Te Ahu Centre starting at 11am.

He is survived by his wife Elaine, children Jack, Terry and Nancy, and seven grandchildren.

Northland Regional Council chairman Bill Shepherd said Mr Bowman's death was a loss to the Far North and the region as a whole.

He had represented the regional council's northernmost constituency, Te Hiku, since successfully contesting Te Hiku constituency in the 2013 local body elections.

"Dennis was very much an iconic member of the community he represented and his long-standing understanding of it - and the wealth of local knowledge he had accumulated over many years - was greatly appreciated and a great asset to council both locally and at a region-wide level over the past year."

His regional council roles had included membership of the Environmental Management Committee and Te Taitokerau Maori Advisory Committee, as well as important local river liaison committee work.

"Our sympathies and thoughts are with his family, including his wife Elaine and their children and grandchildren," Mr Shepherd said.

Mr Shepherd said a full regional council meeting scheduled in the Te Hiku constituency - which Mr Bowman had been keenly anticipating - would go ahead as planned at Taipa on October 21.

"Dennis was looking forward to that meeting and had been liaising with staff to include a familiarisation tour of an important Far North local industry prior to that meeting. That tour will go ahead too."

A by-election to fill the Te Hiku vacancy left by Mr Bowman's death is expected to be held in early 2015.