Western Bay election: Re-elected Mayor James Denyer begins second term focused on housing and infrastructure

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer has been re-elected to serve a second term. Photo / David Hall

Working with change will be the focus for re-elected Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer.

Denyer won Saturday’s election and will serve his second mayoral term.

He found out the result while on the maiden voyage of the Waihī Beach Coastguard’s new boat, after it was blessed on Saturday morning.

Local Water Done Well reform that was currently under way would be “quite big on the agenda”, he said.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council and Tauranga City Council would work together to form a joint water services organisation and due diligence for this was happening.

The role local government should have in future was also “looming large”, Denyer said.

In the short term, the council would choose a new chief executive to replace interim chief executive Miriam Taris.

The sub-region, including Tauranga, was in negotiations for a regional deal with the Government.

The Western Bay was one of three areas to enter into a memorandum of understanding for a deal in July.

Mayor James Denyer found out he was re-elected while out on the Waihī Beach Coastguard's new boat.

The first deal, which is expected to unlock funding and resource opportunities for councils, would be finalised by the end of the year.

If the region was successful, a deal would help Denyer achieve his priorities of housing and infrastructure.

State Highway 29 in Tauriko West and the Takitimu North Link were Roads of National Significance – but that did not mean they were “done and dusted”, he said.

“We need firm timing and we need the funding in place – neither of those exist at the moment.”

The planned housing developments of Te Tumu, Te Kāinga and privately owned Bell Road in the east needed Government assistance to get going, he said.

There wouldn’t be a “lump of money” with the regional deal but Denyer hoped it would include funding mechanisms and assistance with how the projects were achieved.

Denyer was still thinking about who his deputy would be and planned to sit down with each councillor in the coming days.

His former Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour stood for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and was elected to the Western Bay Consistency.

The deputy mayor needed to work in a close-knit team and represent the council strongly and having someone from a different ward could give a good spread across the district.

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor James Denyer and his partner Sarah-Jane Bourne. Photo / David Hall

Denyer was a Katikati/Waihī Beach councillor before becoming mayor in 2022. He lives in Katikati with his partner Sarah-Jane Bourne and their young son.

Bourne said she was “really excited and pleased” for Denyer and what most people didn’t see were the late nights and early mornings he put into the job.

Denyer said he had a good team of councillors to work with.

“I want to build a cohesive team at [the] council and work together for the betterment of the district.”

There are three new faces on the council.

It will also be the first term under new governance arrangements, with a mayor and nine councillors. Previously, there were 11 councillors.

Darlene Dinsdale will be the district’s first Maōri ward councillor, progress results show.

It will be her only term as the Waka Kai Uru Māori ward councillor. The district voted to remove the ward in a binding referendum.

Allan Sole and Rodney Joyce have been re-elected as Katikati-Waihī Beach Ward councillors.

Margaret Murray-Benge was runner-up for mayor and was re-elected to the Kaimai Ward.

Newcomer Graeme Elvin will join current councillors Margaret Murray-Benge and Tracey Coxhead in the Kaimai ward.

In the Maketu-Te Puke ward, Grant Dally and Laura Rae have been re-elected.

First-time councillor Shane Beech will take the third Maketu-Te Puke seat. He had to pull out of the 2022 election at the last minute for health reasons.

Former councillor Anne Henry has been elected to the Katikati Community Board alongside John Clements, James Sayer and Norm Mayo.

The Maketu Community Board members are Aleisha Waterhouse, Cecil Thomas, Sue Elliott and Ieni Walters.

Wayne Stevenson, Gail Kelly, Heather Guptill and Ross Goudie are the Waihī Beach Community Board members.

Under the new representation arrangements, two community boards now have subdivisions.

The new Ōmokoroa members of the Ōmokoroa-Kaimai Community Board are Chris Dever and Murray Marshall.

The Kaimai West members of the Ōmokoroa-Kaimai Community Board are Tina Akuhata and Tania Tuhakaraina.

Kaimai East members of the Ōmokoroa-Kaimai Community Board are Bevan Rakoia and Keith Wisnesky.

Te Puke members of the Te Puke–East Community Board Subdivision are Dale Snell, Karen Summerhays and Marara Williams.

The east members are Sally Benning and Manvir Singh Mann, who were elected unopposed because two people stood for the two vacant seats.

Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell was re-elected in a landslide victory. Photo / Alan Gibson, Gibson Images

Across the region

Based on progress results, all of Bay of Plenty’s mayors have been re-elected.

They include Tania Tapsell in Rotorua, Faylene Tunui in Kawerau and David Moore in Ōpōtiki. Whakatāne’s Victor Luca has about 20 votes over councillor Nándor Tánczos.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Bay of Plenty Regional Council progress results are in and there is a mix of new and familiar faces.

Current councillor Stuart Crosby is joined by Tim Maltby, Kate Graeme and Glenn Dougal in the Tauranga Constituency.

Two current councillors are in a tight race for the final Tauranga spot - Andrew von Dadelszen has a five-vote lead over Kat Macmillan, so this result may change.

Former Western Bay of Plenty Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour has been elected to the Western Bay constituency alongside current regional councillor Ken Shirley.

Matemoana McDonald has been re-elected to the Mauao Māori Constituency.

Voter turnout

Voter turnout for the Western Bay is 33.98%. For the regional council’s Tauranga constituency, voter turnout was 22.88% as of 6.50pm on Saturday.

Tauranga City Council did not have an election, with the council elected last year serving a special four-year term. Tauranga voters could still vote in the regional council election.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.