Tsunami of change in Northland leadership arrives: Up to 70 per cent council newcomers

Kaipara Mayor Craig Jepson is one of the council newcomers elected. Photo / Tania Whyte

By Susan Botting - Local Democracy Reporter for Northland

Northland local government leadership has had a major shakeup in this year's local body elections.

Newcomers – including mayor Craig Jepson – now make up 70 per cent of Kaipara District Council's (KDC) elected politicians.

The result is Northland's biggest leadership change in the wake of October 8's local election.

Northland Regional Council (NRC) has the next biggest leadership lineup change, where newcomers make up more than 40 per cent of its representatives – based on October 9 preliminary results.

At Whangārei District Council (WDC), newcomers form more than 40 per cent of its new lineup.

Far North District Council (FNDC) will see 27 per cent of its elected positions taken up by newcomers based on October 9 preliminary election results.

About 38 per cent of the 130,000 electors in Northland voted in this year's local elections.

The results could change once final votes are confirmed between October 13 and 19.

The region's 21 new political leaders overall make up 48 per cent of Northland's new local government lineup. This compares with 23 incumbent political leaders.

KDC mayor Jepson, Mike Howard, Gordon Lambeth, Ron Manderson, Ash Nayyar, Pera Paniora and Rachael Williams make up the seven-strong pack of newcomers among the council's 10 elected members.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Larsen, Mark Vincent and Eryn Wilson-Collins are KDC's three returning incumbents.

For NRC – based on October 9 preliminary returns - there are four newcomers among its nine elected representatives who have not sat on the regional council before. John Blackwell, Geoff Crawford, Peter-Lucas Jones and Tui Shortland are the newcomers.

The representatives will work alongside four returning 2019-2022 incumbents Jack Craw, Amy Macdonald, Marty Robinson and Rick Stolwerk.

Former NRC deputy chair Joe Carr has also been re-elected after a six-year regional council absence.

That NRC lineup could change by the time final results are confirmed between October 13 and 19.

Former FNDC deputy mayor and NRC newcomer Tania McInnes was announced as an elected representative in the council's Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Constituency when the progressive results were announced on October 8.

She had a 55-vote majority vote over incumbent Robinson. That changed with the next day's preliminary results when Robinson overtook with a 71 vote lead.

WDC's lineup of 14 elected representatives has six newcomers forming 43 per cent of those around the council table - Deb Harding, Patrick Holmes, Scott McKenzie, Marie Olsen, Phoenix Ruka, and Paul Yovich.

Mayor Vince Cocurullo has been a WDC councillor for nine of the past 15 years, while Gavin Benney, Nick Connop, Ken Couper, Jayne Golightly, Phil Halse, Carol Peters and Simon Reid were re-elected.

At FNDC, based on preliminary election results, newcomers will be 28 per cent of the council's new lineup.

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira is a Far North District Council newcomer. Photo / NZME

Hilda Halkyard-Harawira, Penetaui Kleskovic and Tāmati Rākena - all representing the council's first-time Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward - are the three new faces among the 11-person strong council.

This ratio of newcomers to returnees could change once confirmed final results are released on Friday evening.

Initial progress results on Saturday showed deputy mayor and long-time FNDC councillor Ann Court as the new Far North mayor. She had a 247-vote majority in the council's new single transferable vote (STV) system.

However, preliminary results switched the front-runner to FNDC councillor Moko Tepania, who instead was indicated as the council's new mayor with a 245 vote majority.

If Tepania is confirmed as mayor, his Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori ward seat will be taken by council newcomer Babe Kapa.

Preliminary results showed Far North District councillors Felicity Foy, Mate Radich, Kelly Stratford and John Vujcich as current councillors returning to the lineup. Past FNDC councillor Steve McNally was elected anew on October 8.

Court also stood as FNDC's Bay of Islands-Whangaroa ward councillor. If she officially becomes mayor then councillor Rachel Smith will return as the ward's representative.

The number of Northland councillors has increased by two in the 2022 local government elections with an additional politician each for FNDC and KDC.

There are 44 councillors across the four Northland councils' 22 wards or constituencies. Nineteen people are also sitting on three Far North community boards.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air