Youngest councillor keen to get things started

Tania Tapsell

Rotorua's youngest district councillor says she is eager to get into her new role.

At 21, Tania Tapsell will become the district's youngest councillor and is one of just three changes on the Rotorua District Council this election.

She polled as fifth highest candidate, receiving 8234 votes.

Joining her will be Peter Bentley, husband of former councillor Maggie Bentley, along with mayoral candidate Rob Kent.

"It was a great result and I was very humbled by the response," Miss Tapsell said.

"The first thing I want to do is learn the process and policy of council, so I can become an effective councillor.

"I also want to make sure our people are looked after well," she said.

Mr Bentley polled eighth highest candidate with 7746 votes and said he was looking forward to working with new Mayor Steve Chadwick.

"Let's hope some progress can be made."

Mr Bentley said he wanted to work on making Castlecorp a much more efficient organisation.

Mr Kent received 6462 votes, coming in 11th.

He said without his mayoral profile he would not have had a "hope in hell" of making it on to the council.

"We did the right thing in running for both."

Mr Kent said he supported Rotorua's new mayor 100 per cent. "I would like to sit down with Steve and see where she wants to go."

He said his first order of business would be to take a good look at the council's financial situation.

The only incumbent councillor to miss out this election was Julie Calnan.

Mrs Calnan said she was gutted to have lost after polling in 13th place with 6177 votes.

"It was a bit of a shock but never mind, that's how the cookie crumbles."

She said she probably would not run again in three year's time.

"I think I would have moved on a bit by then. But I was very passionate about the job."

Voter numbers were slightly higher than in the 2010 election, with 19,836, or 43.44 per cent of Rotorua's 45,663 registered voters having their say.

These are preliminary results and are subject to change.