Andrew Tripe wins Whanganui mayoralty

First time contender Andrew Tripe has been elected mayor of Whanganui. Photo / Bevan Conley

Whanganui will have a new mayor with progress results showing Andrew Tripe with a nearly 2000-vote margin over incumbent Hamish McDouall.

With about 90 per cent of the vote counted Tripe has 6901 votes with McDouall on
4981 and DC Harding on 545.

As results stand Tripe will be joined by five new and seven returning councillors.

Tripe was celebrating at home with his family on Saturday afternoon and expecting guests for drinks and nibbles on Saturday night.

"I was prepared for it to go either way," he said.

"Hamish ran a good campaign and I'm proud of my own campaign and my team. It was good, clean, and fun."

Tripe is a first-time council candidate who owns Whanganui-based management consulting business SamePage Group based in the historic Treasury building on Victoria Ave.

He had also led strategy development for Palmerston North, Manawatū, and Tararua councils as well as the Whanganui District Council's Leading Edge Strategy which is now scheduled for review.

McDouall said although he was disappointed by the result, he was pleased for the returning and new councillors elected.

"There are some very good, experienced hands and some new councillors who will serve the district well," he said.

"I am pleased that seven of the eight previous councillors have been re-elected because that will provide the experience needed to help guide the next term."

McDouall said his last term had been challenging but that he could look back on his two terms as mayor with a lot of satisfaction.

He said he had enjoyed serving the community as deputy mayor and councillor over the last decade.

"I felt that I had unfinished business but I will be able to focus on other things now."

Two-term Whanganui mayor Hamish McDouall has been beaten. Photo / Bevan Conley

Helen Craig received the most votes of the 12 councillors to be elected with 7592.

Incumbents Kate Joblin, Rob Vinsen, Josh Chandulal-Mackay, Charlie Anderson, Jenny Duncan, and Philippa Baker-Hogan will be returned.

Michael Law, Charlotte Melser, Glenda Brown, Peter Oskam and Ross Fallen are the new councillors, based on progress results.

However, Ross Fallen, currently in 12th place is only 152 ahead of James Newell in 13th spot with 10 per cent more of the vote to be counted.

One-term councillor James Barron could miss out. Progress results have him in 14th place, 230 behind Fallen.

New councillor Charlotte Melser who had received 5597 votes in the progress results said she was delighted.

"It is an honour to be elected," she said.

"I'm looking forward to working with a diverse and dynamic team."

As a first-time candidate, she said she is unsure what it means to be ready at this stage.

"I am ready to serve my community to the best of my ability and I'm looking forward to doing a lot of listening and learning."

Former district councillor gets regional seat

Meanwhile, incumbent David Cotton and former Whanganui District councillor Alan Taylor will represent the Whanganui constituency on Horizons Regional Council.

Progress results show Cotton on 7050 votes with Taylor on 6080, ahead of Allan Wrigglesworth on 5166 with about 95 per cent of the vote counted.

The progress results indicate they will be joined by Howowhenua's Emma Clarke and Sam Ferguson, Manawatū-Rangitīkei's Bruce Gordon and Gordon McKellar, Palmerston North's Jono Naylor, Rachel Keedwell, Fiona Gordon and Wiremu Kingi Te Awe Awe, Ruapehu's Nikki Riley and Allan Benbow who was elected unopposed in Tararua.

Turuhia Edmonds was elected unopposed to the Raki Māori constituency while Te Kenehi Teira won the Tonga Māori seat.