Wellington City Councillor Andy Foster with Sir Peter Jackson at his announcement about his run for mayor of Wellington. Photo / Georgina Campbell
Wellington City Councillor Andy Foster with Sir Peter Jackson at his announcement about his run for mayor of Wellington. Photo / Georgina Campbell
Andy Foster - whose campaign is supported by filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson - has a narrow lead over Justin Lester according to the progress result in the race for Wellington City Mayor.
The result shows Foster, who has been a Wellington City Councillor since 1992, has received 24,108 votes compared to incumbent Justin Lester who has received 23,393 votes. This is a margin of 715 votes.
Wellington City Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp said approximately 90 per cent of the votes received have been counted but a large number of last minute votes meant a preliminary result wouldn't be available until Sunday.
"Today, we collected 5,563 votes, including special votes.
"This is the first time I've had the resource come behind me. Clearly I'm seen as the person who represented a chance for change and getting things done and hopefully that carries through to the finish line," he told the Herald.
Foster said he would start ringing some councillors straight away.
"I want to get on with knowing what the councillors want to do telling them what I want to do, talking about positions and portfolios and things of that nature."
It was revealed this week that Weta Digital staff in Wellington expressed concern about being asked to support the campaign launch of Foster.
The messages show some replied to an all-staff message - saying they weren't sure it was ethical for the company to be suggesting staff support the campaign launch last month.
The launch was at the site of a controversial housing development proposed for Shelly Bay on the Miramar Peninsula - which both Jackson and Foster strongly oppose.
Lester said he was realistic about Foster's margin.
"There's a good chance he'll win so I'd say congratulations on a good campaign. Perhaps we should have knocked on a few more doors and phone called some more people or spent more money on advertising.
"But I've really enjoyed the last three years as mayor."
When asked whether he thought Foster was capable of leading Wellington, Lester said that was interesting question.
"Andy's a good guy and he loves Wellington- he's been on council 27 years. He'll have to step up to the mark, he'll have to build a majority around the council table and I think that will be really difficult for him but I wish him the best of luck."
Meanwhile Hutt City has been shaken up with a new mayor taking the reins.
Campbell Barry has rolled three-term mayor Ray Wallace sparking a new era in Lower Hutt.
Barry ran on the Labour ticket and campaigned on a full review into the operation of Silverstream Landfill, to get a Cross Valley Link road underway, to double the council's social housing stock, and an extra $5m annually for basic infrastructure.
At age 28, he is the country's youngest mayor.
But he didn't think his age would affect his ability to lead the council with six years' experience as a councillor already behind him.
"At the end of the day, people have voted for change and a new approach."
That change would be transparency and accountability, and there would have to be very good reasons for conducting business behind closed doors, Barry said.
Wallace said he was naturally disappointed.
"It's been a good nine years, we've achieved a lot as a city, there has been a lot of rejuvenation but obviously that didn't quite gel as much.
"I think people were thinking maybe it was time for a change and I was up against a major political party so that's the way the cookie crumbles."
Wayne Guppy is in for another term as mayor of Upper Hutt after first taking the top job in 2001.
