Hana Montaperto-Hendry and Heather Te Au-Skipworth win Hastings byelections

Heather Te Au-Skipworth is on course to win the Takitimu Māori ward seat after preliminary results from a Hastings byelection were announced Photo / Paul Taylor

Two candidates appear to have had landslide victories in separate Hastings District Council byelections for which voting closed at midday Friday.

Sweeping into office are Hana Montaperto-Hendry and Heather Te Au-Skipworth, according to preliminary results.

Montaperto-Hendry was one of seven candidates seeking the Heretaunga general seat which became vacant in March when third-term councillor Ann Redstone resigned because of illness. Te Au-Skipworth replaces Renata Nepe, who was less than 18 months into a term as the council’s first Maori ward councillor when he announced his resignation because of a new career opportunity.

Hana Montaperto-Hendry has won the byelection for the Heretaunga general ward seat. Photo / Paul Taylor

The results are based on the counting of about 90 per cent of the returned votes and do not include special votes or votes returned today but still in transit to the processing centre.

Montaperto-Hendry had received 55.21 per cent of the 2063 votes counted in the Heretaunga ward and had a majority of 760 over second-placed Brendan Grant, while Te Au-Skipworth had 68.6 per cent of the 1330 votes recorded in Takitimu, with a 655-vote majority over second-placed Jason Whaitiri.

Preliminary results:

Heretaunga general ward (one vacancy)

MONTAPERTO-HENDRY, Hana 1139

GRANT, Brendan 379

DOWNER, Geoff 166

PETROWSKI, Melanie Lorraine 149

CHADWICK, Tāwhana 118

BREWER, Shona Independent 81

GREENING-SMITH, Sarah 21

INFORMAL 7

BLANK 3

Voter return 26.9 per cent, being 2063 votes.

Takitimu Māori ward (one vacancy)

TE AU-SKIPWORTH, Heather 913

WHAITIRI, Jason Independent 258

NGAHUKA, Michael 151

INFORMAL 6

BLANK 2

Voter return 14.9 per cent, being 1330 votes.