One race widens, another narrows as last-minute Far North votes counted

Kaitaia publican David Collard - seen here at left with Far North Mayor John Carter and wife Leoni on election day - will have to wait for the final results to be sure he's won a council seat. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Updated results in the local government elections have confirmed John Carter's third term as Far North Mayor.

The preliminary results — which include last-minute votes cast on Saturday morning but were released too late for Monday's Advocate — give Carter 5690 votes, widening his lead over his closest rival and former deputy Tania McInnes to 1912 votes.

Normally the preliminary results are published on Sunday morning but an unprecedented 2500 last-minute votes meant counting was not completed until evening.

The five top vote counts in the mayoral race are now Carter (5690), McInnes (3778), Dave Hookway (3420), Monty Knight (2289) and Jay Hepi (1163).

The addition of Saturday's votes did not change any council or community board results, but new Kaikohe-Hokianga Ward councillor Moko Tepania will be able to sleep more soundly after he expanded his lead over long-time councillor Sally Macauley from a mere 16 votes to 81.

The 28-year-old teacher also won a place on the Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board but that will be filled instead by the next highest polling candidate, Mike Edmonds.

The results so far don't include special votes. The final results will not be known until Thursday at the earliest but more likely early next week.

While the last-minute votes cemented Tepania's lead, other council contests have narrowed.

The winners so far in the Te Hiku Ward are Felicity Foy (2584 votes), Mate Radich (1853) and David Collard (1852).

However, Hazely Windelborn is now only 33 votes behind Collard with the special votes yet to be counted.

Meanwhile, a date has yet to be set for the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board byelection.

Rachel Smith has had to give up her community board position after also winning a seat at the council table, but because only three candidates stood for the three Kerikeri seats there's no one to step up and take her place.