Northland Regional Councillor Bill Shepherd has nervous wait after slim majority

Bill Shepherd has been provisionally re-elected to the Northland Regional Council, but he will have a nervous wait for special votes to be counted. He leads Joce Yeoman by 61 votes.

Northland Regional Councillor, and last-term chairman, Bill Shepherd has a nervous wait to see if he will keep his place at the council table.

In the Coastal North constituency GE Free Northland spokesman Marty Robinson won at his first attempt with 5589 votes. Shepherd was second with 4939 votes, to take the second spot. But he's only 61 votes ahead of another incumbent Joce Yeoman who had 4878 votes. Former councillor and MP Dover Samuels with 3670 votes.

With Saturday's results provisional from 95 per cent of votes cast, Yeoman could yet make up the gap and dump Shepherd out after two terms.

Regardless of that outcome, the NRC has four new councillors. Before the votes were even cast in the elections two regional councillors, Justin Blaikie in the Hokianga-Kaikohe constituency and Penny Smart in the Kaipara constituency, were elected unopposed.

In the Whangārei Urban Constituency. John Bain came first in the constituency with 5114 votes, and newcomer Jack Craw taking the other place in the constituency with 4956 votes. Two-term councillor David Sinclair was third with 4334 votes and misses out.

In the Coastal Central constituency first time candidate Amy MacDonald won the sole seat with 1926 votes, pushing incumbent Paul Dimery into second with 1493 votes. He was followed by former District Councillor Jeroen Jongejans with 1210 votes; Maggie Buxton with 746; Maureen Adair with 495 and Colin Thew with 341.

The Coastal South constituency saw incumbent Rick Stolwerk returned with 3204 votes, ahead of second place getter David Lourie with 2010.

Colin Kitchen took out the Te Hiku constituency seat with 3084 votes, beating incumbent Mike Finlayson who got 2240 votes.

The council is expected to bed sworn in later this month and the councillors will then elect a chairman. It is expected the inaugural meeting and a powhiri for the new council will be held from 9am on Tuesday, October 29.