Meng Foon convincingly retains Gisborne mayoralty

Meng Foon has been re-elected as Gisborne's mayor. Photo / NZ Herald

Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon has been convincingly confirmed for his fifth term as mayor of the city and welcomes three new councillors on his team.

Mr Foon was a clear winner of the local body mayoral election yesterday with 9512 votes - about double the 4781 votes his nearest challenger Gary Hope got.

The third mayoral candidate Te Nguha Huirama-Patuwai finished with 323.

There will be three new councillors. Former councillor Larry Foster finished with 5145 votes, the fourth highest amount of votes, while the youngest councillor, 37-year-old Amber Dunn had 4373 to place seventh and Meredith Akuhata-Brown 4368 votes and eighth in the top nine polling councillors.

Now entering her second term Rehette Stoltz was the top-polling councillor with 6160 votes with long-standing councillor Brian Wilson, last year's top poller, only just behind with 5790 votes.

Manu Caddie was the third highest polling candidate with 5552 votes, Andy Cranston finished fifth with 5042 votes, Craig Bauld sixth with 4802 votes and this election Alan Davidson was the ninth with 4153 votes.

These results are preliminary and could change with special votes but results are not close enough for any changes to alter placings

City ward councillor Allan Hall has lost his seat and placed 10th with 4075 votes and the next two candidates were Clive Bibby with 3939 votes and Tina Karaitiana with 3867 votes.

The other sitting councillor to lose her seat was former Waikohu ward representative Pamela Murphy. She was running for the Waipaoa ward, which has been amalgamated since the last election. This seat has been won by sitting councillor Graeme Thomson, formerly Cook ward council representative, with 523 votes. Mrs Murphy got 357 votes.

Bill Burdett wins the newly formed Matakaoa-Waiapu ward with 340 votes. Second was Kerry Kururangi with 255 votes. Third runner Pierre Henare finished with 154 votes.

In the Taruheru-Patutahi ward incumbent councillor Roger Haisman beat Steve Scragg 812 votes to 610.

Pat Seymour was elected unopposed in the Tawhiti-Uawa ward.

Preliminary results for the Tairawhiti District Health Board elections are yet to be released.

Craig Little has been elected mayor of Wairoa.

Mr Little, a farmer, won a four-man race, including runner-up and former mayor Derek Fox and incumbent Les Probert.

On preliminary votes, Mr Little's 1632 in the smallest Hawke's Bay constituency gave him an election-day majority of 743 over Mr Fox's 889.

Mr Probert, who at the age of 79 made a late-decision to seek another term, polled 328 votes.

Wairoa Council of six includes three new members in Chris Joblin, who got 1768 votes, Mike Bird 1733 and Hine Flood with 1143 votes makes it because highest polling candidate Craig Little was elected mayor.. Incumbents Denys Caves with 983 votes and Dave Evans 865, were both defeated, a result unlikely to change when special votes are counted.

Denise Eaglesome-Karekare 1720, Min Johansen 1455, Benita Cairns 1313 are the other three Wairoa councillors elected.