Full house scoops $125,000

Warren Flaunty. Photo / Supplied

A Super City candidate has been elected to five positions - including three local boards - and is set to collect salaries totalling more than $125,000.

Warren William Flaunty was voted on to the Rodney, Henderson-Massey and Upper Harbour Local Boards, the Waitemata District Health Board and the Waitakere Licensing Trust.

After receiving more than 20,000 votes altogether - far more than any other local board candidate - he is entitled to receive $33,000 for Rodney, $36,900 for Henderson-Massey, $34,100 for Upper Harbour and a base salary of $25,000 for the health board.

The local board salaries alone add up to 25 per cent more than a Super City councillor's wage of $80,000.

But Mr Flaunty, a councillor for the soon-to-be-defunct Waitakere City Council, said there was no issue at all representing more than one local board, especially because his electorate had been cut in half.

He ran a pharmacy and money was never a consideration in standing - in the past he had donated his public salary to the West Auckland Hospice. Running for the local boards in his area was his alternative to running for the council, Mr Flaunty said.

"I would rather spend two hours driving around the electorate area than spend two hours on the motorway."

He was used to being busy and had stood for three local boards expecting to win them all, he said.

Another candidate, Lisa Whyte, has been picked for two local boards, Upper Harbour and Hibiscus and Bays East Coast Bays Subdivision.

Christine Rankin, who has been elected to the Upper Harbour local board, said it was great that local board members were taking up several roles.

"I think people are capable of doing far more," Ms Rankin said.

"I don't know what it is about New Zealand that thinks public servants must only do the one thing. If they want to be on more than one board, good on them."

Ms Rankin said she was feeling great despite missing out on a council seat and was particularly excited about working on the DHB.

Husband and wife Brian and Vanessa Neeson have been elected to two separate local boards, Upper Harbour and Henderson-Massey.

There would be a bit of contesting at home as they batted for the two areas, "but we always do", said Mrs Neeson. "There are some winners and some losers," she said, though she would not divulge who usually came out on top.

Meanwhile, Orakei Local Board independent candidate Troy Churton has squeaked through after Saturday's progress report put him just five votes behind with 5 per cent of votes still to count.

"The library boxes came in and made the difference. I woke up and checked the website and saw it up there ... then I jumped back into bed and hugged my wife," Mr Churton said. "I had a bottle of bubbly in the fridge ... now I can drink it tonight."

A total of 149 local board members have been elected in 21 areas.