The make-up of the new council shows Mayor Len Brown has 11 councillors in his camp on most issues, an opposition camp of seven councillors - the most effective of whom is Orakei councillor Cameron Brewer - and two new councillors Linda Cooper and Bill Cashmore, whose positions are unclear.
Ms Cooper won one of two Waitakere ward seats with the backing of deputy mayor Penny Hulse. Mr Cashmore won the rural Franklin seat with the backing of outgoing councillor Des Morrison, who quit the Communities & Residents ticket and became a big fan of Mr Brown.
Mr Brown has lost two of his most loyal lieutenants and former Labour MPs, Richard Northey and Ann Hartley.
Mr Northey fell to the right-leaning C&R candidate Denise Krum in the Maungakiekie-Tamaki ward, while Mrs Hartley was the victim of a lottery in the North Shore. Her seat went to the progressive and energetic Chris Darby.
In Whau, councillor Noelene Raffills held the single seat by 89 votes after the first progress report, but the vote swung in favour of Labour's Ross Clow by 48 votes in the preliminary vote released yesterday. Following the counting of special votes, the final election results will be declared on Thursday.
