The 2024 Tauranga City Council election was a local election held from 29 June to 20 July in Tauranga, New Zealand, following the end of the crown commission. Voters elected the mayor of Tauranga and 9 city councillors, for the unusually quadrennial 2024–2028 term of the Tauranga City Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system was used.
Key dates Key dates relating to the election were as follows: 26 April Nominations opened Preliminary electoral roll opened for inspection 24 May Nominations closed Inspection of preliminary electoral roll closed 29 June Voting papers sent out Start of voting period 20 July Final polling dayProgress result released21 JulyPreliminary result released23 JulyFinal result released
Background These were the first elections for the Tauranga City Council since 2019, following the appointment by the Minister of Local Government of a Crown Commission to oversee Tauranga City Council's governance responsibilities on 9 February 2021.
The Tauranga City Council used the single transferable voting system to elect the Mayor of Tauranga and city councillors for a term that will last until the 2028 local elections.
Tauranga City Council created nine electoral wards for these elections. There were eight general wards (Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Matua-Otūmoetai, Bethlehem, Tauriko and Te Papa) and one Māori ward (Te Awanui, covering the entire city) which each returned one councillor.
List of candidates Nominations for candidates opened on 26 April 2024 and closed on 24 May 2024. The following 86 candidates have been confirmed to be running for the positions of mayor and the nine city councillors:
Mayor
There were 14 candidates for mayor.
Councillors
Te Awanui Māori ward CandidateAffiliationSuaree Borell Learning, Leading and LeveragingAshley Hillis NoneMikaere Sydney Tauranga Moana Kōkiritia
Arataki general ward CandidateAffiliationSarah-Jane Bourne NoneRick Curach Pick Rick community needs over wantsAnthony Goddard NoneTeresa Killian NoneAdrienne Pierce NoneKim Renshaw Voice for AratakiJeroen Van der Beek A local for Arataki WardAndrea Webster IndependentHarris Williams NoneMike Williams Common sense on Council
Bethlehem general ward CandidateAffiliationCharlene Apaapa NoneShelley Archibald None Felicity Auva'a Forward with Experience Energy Action Darren Gilchrist None Gerry Hodgson None Jos Nagels Visionary Leadership, Not Repeatership Bevan Rakoia None John Robson Principled; Professional; Democratic Kevin (Herb) Schuler Constructive and Positive Leadership
Matua-Otūmoetai general ward CandidateAffiliation Notes Tanya Bamford-King Independent Ronald Chamberlain NoneGlen Crowther Accountability, Transparency, Community Suzie Edmonds Independent Cam Holden Independent Jim McKinlay None Ken Patterson None Basie Pikimaui Tauranga Moana Kōkiritia Tenby Powell Our City. Our Future. Together Mayor 2019–2020 Kim Pritchard Independent Mike Rayner For keeping our current facilitiesZach Reeder NoneDavid Tank NoneDavid Webb Tomorrow's thriving Tauranga, together
Mauao/Mount Maunganui general ward CandidateAffiliation Notes Heidi Hughes Community, environment, future Councillor 2019–2020 Garth Mathieson None Teresa Nichols Independent Michael O'Neill Independent Jacqueline Pointon None Jen Scoular Commercial acumen, community heart Peter Douglas Stanley None
Pāpāmoa general ward CandidateAffiliation NotesBryan Archer NoneJohn Bowden None Phillip Coleman None Ria Hall None Tim Maltby Our Rates are too High Steve Morris Championing Pāpāmoa on Council Former councillorMaaka Nelson NoneCraig Purcell Pāpāmoa Pāpāmoa ProudShelley Robb Independent
Tauriko general ward CandidateAffiliation NotesLarry Baldock Let's Keep Moving ForwardFormer deputy mayorMurray Guy Democracy for TaurangaMarten Rozeboom NoneStephen Wheeler None
Te Papa general ward CandidateAffiliationAndrew Caie IndependentMark Decke NoneChudleigh Haggett NoneReihana Marx NoneTerry Molloy NoneJim Smith Loyal and LocalRod Taylor Tauranga TrueBarbara Turley NoneAbraham (Bram) van Berkel None
Welcome Bay general ward CandidateAffiliationHautapu Baker Healthy Environment Thriving CommunityAureliu Braguta None Ethan Brinkman Ethan for ReasonRobert Coe IndependentDonna Hannah None Cameron Templer Action over Words Results The official results of the election were released on 25 July. Voter turnout was 38.77%, which compares with a turnout of 40.28% at the 2019 election. Only one woman, Jen Scoular for the Mauao/Mount Maunganui ward, was elected to the council. Two former councillors, Steve Morris and Rick Curach, were re-elected.
Mikaere Sydney was elected as councillor for Tauranga's first Māori ward Te Awanui, which the Tauranga commission had confirmed at a meeting in April 2021 following the passage of the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021. Te Awanui is at risk of dissolution due to the National-led coalition government requiring local councils to hold binding referendums on Māori wards.
Summary +Winning candidatePositionWardMahé DrysdaleMayorAt-largeJen ScoularCouncillorMauao/Mount MaunganuiGlen CrowtherCouncillorMatua-OtūmoetaiRod TaylorCouncillorTe PapaKevin "Herb" Schuler CouncillorBethlehemMarten RozeboomCouncillorTaurikoHautapu BakerCouncillorWelcome BayRick CurachCouncillorAratakiSteve MorrisCouncillorPāpāmoaMikaere SydneyCouncillorTe Awanui
Mayor
Mahé Drysdale was elected, defeating Greg Brownless after 14 iterations. Ria Hall came second on the primary vote but was eliminated in the 13th iteration. Tina Salisbury was the only other candidate to get over 10% of the primary vote.
Mauao/Mount Maunganui general ward +Mauao/Mount Maunganui general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentJen Scoular1,7572,025 IndependentHeidi Hughes8631,022 IndependentGarth Mathieson745950 IndependentMichael O'Neill192 IndependentJacqueline Pointon191 IndependentPeter Douglas Stanley192 IndependentTeresa Nichols97 Valid4,351 Informal37 Blank81 Total4,469 Registered10,933 Independent win
Matua-Otūmoetai general ward +Matua-Otūmoetai general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentGlen Crowther1,5822,523 IndependentTenby Powell1,3851,975 IndependentCam Holden808 IndependentDavid Matthew Webb686 IndependentSuzie Edmonds306 IndependentKen Patterson274 IndependentTanya Bamford-King262 IndependentMike Rayner241 Independent Jim McKinlay120 IndependentKim Pritchard80 IndependentZach Reeder74 IndependentBasie Pikimaui48 IndependentRonald Chamberlain46 IndependentDavid Tank38 Valid5,950 Informal35 Blank72 Total6,057 Registered13,219 Independent win Te Papa general ward +Te Papa general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentRod Taylor7261,287 IndependentAndrew Caie7651,182 IndependentTerry Molloy465 IndependentBarbara Turley404 IndependentJim Smith365 IndependentMark Decke323 IndependentReihana Marx205 IndependentChudleigh Haggett181 Independent Abraham van Berkel169 Valid3,603 Informal45 Blank123 Total3,771 Registered11,132 Independent win
Bethlehem general ward + Bethlehem general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentKevin "Herb" Schuler1,5442,349 IndependentDarren Gilchrist1,0421,763 IndependentJohn Robson1,033 IndependentFelicity Jane Auva'a459 IndependentShelley Archibald436 IndependentCharlene Apaapa332 IndependentJos Nagels280 IndependentBevan Rakoia248 Independent Gerry Hodgson157 Valid5,531 Informal29 Blank136 Total5,696 Registered12,923 Independent win Tauriko general ward +Tauriko general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentMarten Rozeboom1,8852,182 IndependentLarry Baldock1,0601,133 IndependentMurray Guy724800 IndependentStephen Wheeler636 Valid4,305 Informal56 Blank183 Total4,544 Registered12,071 Independent win Welcome Bay general ward +Welcome Bay general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentHautapu Baker2,1252,559 IndependentCameron Templer1,4571,909 IndependentAureliu Braguta801 IndependentRobert Coe390 IndependentEthan Brinkman226 IndependentDonna Hannah187 Valid5,073 Informal40 Blank146 Total5,259 Registered13,421 Independent win Arataki general ward +Arataki general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentRick Curach1,2001,894 IndependentKim Renshaw7941,724 IndependentHarris Williams615 IndependentMike Williams552 IndependentJeroen van der Beek418 IndependentAnthony Goddard359 IndependentAndrea Webster316 IndependentTeresa Killian202 IndependentSarah-Jane Bourne157 Valid5,224 Informal49 Blank69 Total5,342 Registered13,006 Independent win Pāpāmoa general ward +Pāpāmoa general wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote %Final vote IndependentSteve Morris1,2731,818 IndependentTim Maltby1,1221,616 IndependentRia Hall838 IndependentMaaka Nelson591 IndependentBryan Archer386 IndependentPhil Coleman272 IndependentShelley Robb109 IndependentJohn Bowden96 Valid4,687 Informal26 Blank69 Total4,782 Registered13,735 Independent win Te Awanui Māori ward +Te Awanui Māori wardAffiliationCandidatePrimary vote % IndependentMikaere Sydney1,515 IndependentSuaree Borell754 IndependentAshley Hillis207 Valid2,476 Informal82 Blank134 Total2,692 Registered8,941 Independent win
Notes
References