Campbell Barry has rolled three term mayor Ray Wallace. Photo / Supplied.
Campbell Barry has rolled three term mayor Ray Wallace. Photo / Supplied.
Campbell Barry has rolled three-term Hutt City mayor Ray Wallace, becoming the country's youngest mayor, at age 28.
He isn't the youngest in history however. Joseph George Ward became mayor of Bluff in 1882 and Prime Minister in 1906. Former prime minister Norman Kirk was 30 when he became mayorof Kaiapoi in 1953, aged 30. Nick Leggett was 31 when he won the Porirua mayoralty in 2010.
Barry ran on the Labour ticket and campaigned on a full review into the operation of Silverstream Landfill, to get a Cross Valley Link road underway, to double the council's social housing stock, and an extra $5m annually for basic infrastructure.
Joseph Ward was 25 when he became the mayor of Bluff.
But he didn't think his age would affect his ability to lead the council with six years' experience as a councillor already behind him.
"At the end of the day, people have voted for change and a new approach."
That change would be transparency and accountability, and there would have to be very good reasons for conducting business behind closed doors, Barry said.
Campbell Barry as a 16-year-old Wainuiomata High School student in 2008. Photo / Jamie Adams
Wallace said he was naturally disappointed.
"It's been a good nine years, we've achieved a lot as a city, there has been a lot of rejuvenation but obviously that didn't quite gel as much.
"I think people were thinking maybe it was time for a change and I was up against a major political party so that's the way the cookie crumbles."
Wayne Guppy is in for another term as mayor of Upper Hutt after first taking the top job in 2001.
Hutt City Mayor Ray Wallace, centre, and Campbell Barry far right in 2012. Photo / File
Over at Wellington City, Andy Foster - whose campaign is supported by filmmaker Sir Peter Jackson - has a narrow lead over Justin Lester according to the progress result in the race for Wellington City Mayor.
Justin Lester is facing two challenges from around his council table. Photo / Supplied.
The result shows councillor Foster, who has been a Wellington City councillor since 1992, has received 24,108 votes compared to incumbent Justin Lester who has received 23,393 votes -a margin of 715 votes.
Wellington City Electoral Officer Warwick Lampp says approximately 90 per cent of the votes received have been counted but a large number of last-minute votes meant a preliminary result wouldn't be available until Sunday.
Lester said he was realistic about Foster's margin.
"There's a good chance he'll win so I'd say congratulations on a good campaign. Perhaps we should have knocked on a few more doors and phone called some more people or spent more money on advertising.
"But I've really enjoyed the last three years as mayor."
Foster has made two unsuccessful bids for Wellington's mayoralty before this election.
"This is the first time I've had the resource come behind me. Clearly I'm seen as the person who represented a chance for change and getting things done and hopefully that carries through to the finish line," he told the Herald.
