No by-election for Nicola Patrick's Whanganui Horizons Regional Council seat

Rachel Keedwell will take on Nicola Patrick's roles for the period leading up to the election. Photo / Bevan Conley

There will not be a by-election for Nicola Patrick's empty Whanganui Horizons Regional Council seat.

Instead, the Council's chairwoman Rachel Keedwell will take over any matters or issues in the Whanganui constituency until local government elections on October 8.

David Cotton is Whanganui's other representative at Horizons.

On Tuesday the Regional Council decided not to fill the vacancy left by Nicola Patrick, who has left for a job in Wellington, as it is now less than four months before the local government elections.

"Cr Patrick's departure [was] five months prior to the next local body elections, which meant councillors were not able to request a by-election," Horizons said in a statement.

Patrick served almost two terms as a councillor at Horizons after first being elected in 2016.

Nicola Patrick's resignation from Horizons came into effect on June 4. Photo / Bevan Conley

Keedwell said she would take Patrick's seat on the Whanganui River strategy group Te Kōpuka as well as join the Whanganui passenger transport governance group.

She said councillors made a declaration when they were sworn in to serve the entire region, despite also being elected to serve constituencies.

That meant she was well-placed to understand what Whanganui needed in the interim.

"I do have an understanding of the issues that are facing them," Keedwell said of the Whanganui constituents.

The Council could have appointed someone to Patrick's seat, but Keedwell said they chose not to, with her being informally put into the void left by a "very active councillor".

Keedwell said according to council rules, there needed to be two representatives for the Whanganui area.

She, along with Cotton, now made up those numbers.

Patrick's resignation became effective on June 4, allowing her to move to Wellington, where she joined the Ministry for the Environment in the role of Senior Advisor, Strategic Partnerships.

Keedwell acknowledged Patrick's contribution to local government, which included the adoption of Horizons' 2022-23 Annual Plan, an item which was part of Tuesday's agenda.

"I will miss Nicola's enthusiasm, skillset and valuable contributions to council decisions," Keedwell said.

"During her almost six years at the governance table, Cr Patrick has been a member of Council's Kanorau Koiora Taketake - Indigenous Biodiversity Community Grant's decision panel, and steering groups for two of Horizons' Jobs for Nature projects - Fencing and Riparian Planting, and Enhancing Native Fish Populations through Fish Passage Remediation.

"In 2019, she was elected by her peers as chair of Environment Committee, a position she held until her recent departure."

Keedwell said she and Patrick were good friends.

"On a personal level, I will miss her immensely.

"For me, she was a valuable ally and we spent a lot of time strategising together about how to get maximum benefits for environmental sustainability across all areas of business. The council table is definitely a quieter place without her passionate arguments and sense of humour."

Wiremu Te Awe Awe will act as Horizons' Environment Committee chairman for the time until the October elections.