COMMENT: Wondering what to do with your new mayor now they've been elected? Paul Little makes some suggestions.

Congratulations to all the new mayors, councillors and members of local and community boards elected in cities and districts around the country yesterday.

The race for Hamilton's top job proved one of the tightest, with progress results suggesting the mayoralty had swung by a whisker to underdog Andrew King.

Can online voting turn around our dreadful local body election voter turnout?

Former Air NZ bosses could be installed in Auckland Council to rebuild public confidence in the failed institution, says new Auckland Mayor Phil Goff.

Greg Brownless talks to Local Focus for the first time about winning the mayoralty and plans for Tauranga. Made with funding from NZ on Air

• North Island: Local election results AUCKLAND COUNCIL - RUAPEHU DISTRICT COUNCIL • North Island: Local election results

Three current Napier City councillors - Mark Herbert, Mark Hamilton and Michelle Pyke - appear to have lost their seats with 98% of the vote counted in the local government elections.

Full preliminary results for 2016 local body elections for the North Island.

Hamish McDouall is Whanganui’s new mayor winning almost 40 per cent of the vote and nearly the twice the number of his nearest rival. Made with funding for NZ on Air.

The success of Labour-aligned candidates in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch mayoral contests will give party members a boost, Labour leader Andrew Little says.

National will need to make history to capture Phil Goff's Mt Roskill seat in an upcoming byelection, the party's president Peter Goodfellow says.

The mayoral race in the Far North was lacklustre in comparison with some others around the country with only an 11th-hour nomination by Waipapa motoring writer Peter Gill stopping incumbent John Carter from being elected unopposed.

Celebrations are taking place up and down the country as local body elections results roll in.

Vic Crone has hinted at another stint at the Auckland mayoralty race after finishing second behind winner Phil Goff.

• North Island: Local election results AUCKLAND COUNCIL - RUAPEHU DISTRICT COUNCIL • North Island: Local election results

Auckland mayoral candidate Chloe Swarbrick has already been approached by political parties.

Unopposed Napier Mayor Bill Dalton says he has conflicting emotions about the new Napier City Council table.

Justin Lester was getting a haircut when he took the phone call telling him he had won the race to become Wellington mayor.

Garry Webber has been elected Western Bay of Plenty mayor in a tightly contested race.

Lianne Dalziel has thanked voters for placing their trust in her as she romped to a landslide re-election victory today and pledged: "I won't let you down".

Labour MP Phil Goff has been elected the new Mayor of Auckland.

Defeated Auckland Council candidate Bill Ralston said voting results show that the people on the right of the political spectrum "just

Northern Hawke's Bay farmer Craig Little has been elected to a second term as Mayor of Wairoa in an expected result despite a strong challenge from departing three-term councillor Benita Cairns.

Today's local body election result is a resounding victory for CHB mayoral candidate Alex Walker, who in the preliminary count has come in with about twice the vote of rival Sally Butler.

Incumbent mayor Tony Bonne looks to have regained his position.

With the progress results now in, representing an approximate 95 per cent of all votes received, all incumbant councillors at Stratford District Council have retained their seats.

Taupo mayor David Trewavas has been returned to the top job with over a 5500 vote margin at the progress stage.

Preliminary results are in for most parts of the country in today's local council elections.