New mayor Jason Smith keen to roll out welcome mat to Kaipara

Dr Jason Smith has been elected as Kaipara mayor. Photo / Supplied

Newly elected Kaipara mayor Dr Jason Smith wants to roll out the welcome mat to invite people and business into the region.

After votes were counted on Saturday Mr Smith won the byelection to replace former mayor Greg Gent, who resigned last year.

Mr Smith beat seven other candidates for the top job - Peter Wethey, Brian McEwing, Bruce Rogan, Christian Simon, Stephen Soole, Jay Ben Tane, and Craig Woollam.

The 46-year-old beef and sheep farmer is a fifth-generation Kaipara local with a doctorate in economic development. He is also the former chief executive of the Kaipara Development Agency.

Mr Smith said economic development is part of what Kaipara needs.

He wants to increase the amount of industrial, commercial and residential zoned land so there are more places to invest in or live in Kaipara.

"It's about growth, but managing our growth."

He also wants to look at tourism opportunities. "How do we better share beautiful Kaipara with people?"

Mr Smith is also looking forward to working with Northland's other mayors and Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones.

He will be sworn in as mayor on Friday in Dargaville.

Forty-two per cent of the 15,898 eligible voters in Kaipara voted in the byelection, which was conducted using the single-transferable vote (STV) system.

Meanwhile, Kelly Stratford has been elected to represent the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa ward on the Far North District Council.

Both byelections closed at noon on Saturday.

The Far North byelection was a closely run affair, with fewer than 200 votes separating all four candidates.

Mrs Stratford garnered 1693 votes, followed by Peter Gill with 1612, Harko Brown with 1541 and David Clendon with 1528.

Just over 30 per cent of the 20,364 eligible voters cast a vote. The official figure will be confirmed when the final result is announced today.

Mrs Stratford was on her way to a fundraising event for the Kaikohe Women's Refuge on Saturday when she got the call from Far North mayor John Carter about 5.45pm.

She was with close friend and extended family member Willow-Jean Prime - whose elevation to Parliament as a Labour list MP forced the byelection - at the time. Mrs Stratford said Mrs Prime screamed, while she was speechless.

Mrs Stratford said she looked forward to getting into some of the issues she had campaigned on - "doing something about reducing waste and in partnership with that, stopping illegal dumping".

"Another thing that's important to me is our roading and in particular our unsealed and dusty roads."

Mrs Stratford said she is also passionate about community empowerment and community-led development.

A swearing-in ceremony will be held on Wednesday February 28.

A byelection to fill Mrs Stratford's seat on the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board is likely to be held on May 24.