Hinewai Ormsby elected unopposed, becomes youngest regional council chairperson in the country

Tears were shed as second-term Ahuriri councillor Hinewai Ormsby was elected to the position of Hawke's Bay Regional Council chairperson unopposed on Wednesday. Photo / Warren Buckland

As her peers chose her for chair, Hinewai Ormsby couldn't help but shed a few tears.

At what quickly became an historic meeting of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council on Wednesday, Ormsby notched a raft of firsts with her ascendency to the top role on the council.

The second-term Ahuriri councillor will guide the council into a new future after her nomination for chairperson by councillors Martin Williams and Neil Kirton went unopposed.

A haka followed, with Ormsby then embracing supporters and whānau present, including husband Cam and their two tamariki, son Kipa and daughter Kaea, who was reluctant to let go of her mum.

The 39-year-old, of Ngāti Paaru, Ngāti Hinepare, Ngāti Mahu and Ngai Tawhao descent with affiliations to Waiohiki, Wharerangi and Moteo marae, becomes the first Māori Hawke's Bay Regional Council chair and just the second female chair.

She's also the youngest in council history and the youngest regional council chairperson in the country, according to a regional council spokesperson.

She is only the second Māori wāhine ever to be selected as a regional council chairperson across the motu, with her nomination coming roughly 24 hours after Northland Regional Council selected the country's first, Tui Shortland.

"We are in a new era, and it's an exciting one where we can challenge perceived assumptions about how success can be achieved together," Ormsby said in a speech at the meeting.

"We must be brave and confront these challenges for our people and region and for the benefit of our taiao [environment]."

Will Foley was elected as deputy chair unopposed, nominated by councillor Charles Lambert with councillor Jerf van Beek seconding.

Councillor van Beek noted that two of the youngest councillors had been elected to the two top roles.

10 of the 11 councillors elected to Hawke's Bay Regional Council in the 2022 local elections were being sworn in on Wednesday morning, including five new faces.

The regional council's first meeting since the local elections began in Napier's War Memorial Centre at 9am.

Ormsby embraces regional council CEO James Palmer as Hawke's Bay's first Māori regional council chair and the youngest chair in the council's history. Photo / Warren Buckland

Sophie Siers, councillor for the Heretaunga/Hastings General Constituency, was late for her first meeting as a regional councillor due to a flight disruption, according to regional council CEO James Palmer.

He said she would have to be sworn in during the afternoon before she would be able to exercise her responsibilities as a councillor.

Returning were Charles Lambert for the Māui ki te Raki Māori Constituency, Neil Kirton, Martin Williams and Hinewai Ormsby for the Ahuriri/Napier General Constituency, Jerf van Beek for the Ngaruroro General Constituency, and Will Foley for the Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay General Constituency.

New faces were Di Roadly for the Wairoa General Constituency, Jock Mackintosh, Sophie Siers and Xan Harding for the Heretaunga/Hastings General Constituency and Thompson Hokianga for the Māui ki te Tonga Māori Constituency.

Previous chairperson Rick Barker stepped up as chairman in June 2021 after Rex Graham, another Hastings representative and the chair since 2016, stood down for health reasons.

Barker, an MP from 1993 to 2011, decided not to run for a position on the council again for the 2022 local elections.

With Hinewai Ormsby selected as regional council chairperson, Wairoa mayor Craig Little becomes the only male local body leader in Hawke's Bay.

Longest-serving Wairoa councillor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare returns to the role of Deputy Mayor after an announcement at the swearing-in of district councillors on Tuesday night.

The decision by Mayor Little was made after 2019 - 2022 Deputy Mayor Hine Flood lost her seat on the council at the elections.

Longest-serving Wairoa councillor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare returns to the role of Deputy Mayor, in her third decade at the table. Photo / Supplied

Entering her third decade at the table, she was first elected to the council in a 2002 byelection and became deputy mayor for the first time just two years later, remaining in the role until 2019.

"Being elected to Council is a privilege and I am very grateful to the community who have demonstrated their faith in me," she said. "I love Wairoa and I will continue to work as hard as I can to get the best results for our district."

The Tararua District Council is sticking with North Ward member Erana Peeti-Webber as its deputy to Mayor Tracey Collis, who, like Little in Wairoa, was re-elected in the Local Elections which ended on October 8.

North Ward member Erana Peeti-Webber has been re-elected deputy mayor of Tararua District Council, after first getting the role in her first council meeting in 2019. Photo / Supplied

Peeti-Webber was first elected to the council as the highest-polling North Ward member in 2019 and became deputy mayor at her first meeting.

The announcement that she would continue also came at the ceremonial introduction to the 2022-2025 term on Tuesday, the swearing-in of councillors including that of first-ever Māori Ward member Naioma Chase, who won the Tamaki nui-a-Rua seat with a majority of just three votes over the runner-up.

The Napier City Council ceremony is next Tuesday evening and the Hastings District Council's two days later, with respective deputy mayors Annette Brosnan and Tania Kerr each retaining their council positions at the elections.