Less pale but still quite male: Hawke's Bay Regional Council will look a little more diverse

Hawke's Bay's new regional council looks a little less pale, but it's still quite male.

The region is celebrating electing two Māori councillors, a first for the region.

Based on progress results, Hinewai Ormsby and Charles Lambert will become regional councillors, although there are only 40 votes between Lambert and incumbent Fenton Wilson. Special votes are still to come.

Hawke's Bay Today understands in the 30-year history of the council, there has only been one Māori councillor previously.

Ormsby, who won 10,685 votes, said she was blown away by the result.

"I'm so joyous, I know I worked extremely hard on this campaign."

She said it was great to see more diversity on the regional council, having been asked during the campaign whether Napier is ready for a young, Māori, female representative on the regional council.

"What I thought about, is the voters will tell us that."

With the results in, it appeared Napier was overwhelmingly ready.

Ormsby received the second highest number of votes, only 12 fewer than Neil Kirton, and 1165 more than the third Napier representative, Martin Williams.

"I think it's tremendous if both Charlie and I get on, and it changes the dynamic slightly."

"That's a fantastic result, not only for me, but for Hawke's Bay and our communities, to really start thinking very differently and acknowledging the value of diversity."

On the campaign trail you have to either "go hard or go home", and the result showed she did that.

"I'm really looking forward to the position, and I will just work as hard as I can, like I do with everything."

Current chair of the regional council, Rex Graham said it was great to see some more diversity.

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"We need that diversity, it's really important to us."

However, he noted the Māori voice had not been absent from the regional council, as there was a very "dynamic" Māori committee and a Regional Planning Committee (which is made up of regional councillors and Post Settlement Governance Entity representatives).

"What is really good is that Māori in Hawke's Bay have proven they can stand in a general ward and get voted in."

"Hastings (District Council) lead the way of course, and is still leading the way in this, but I am very pleased that the regional council is also right up there now."

Gender diversity remains an issue for the HBRC.

Ormsby is destined to be the only woman on the council. The 2016-2019 council also only had one woman, Debbie Hewitt.

Another major change to the regional council is the loss of the block vote by the so called "Romans."

Over the past three years, the pro-port and pro-horticulture collective of Rex Graham, Rick Barker, Neil Kirton, Peter Beaven and Tom Belford, colloquially known as the Romans, have voted together on a significant number of issues. Paul Bailey has also been a friend of the collective,

Beaven stood down from the Ngaruroro constituency at this election, and the progress vote suggests Belford and Bailey will also lose their seats.

Graham said he was pleased for the new councillors, but disappointed to lose Bailey and Belford.

"They are two very hard-working councillors, so there is a sadness there, but that's politics I guess."

"It's the way sometimes it falls, I can't help but be sad for them, they are friends of mine, and they have been incredibly hard-working people."

The regional council will elect its new chair at a meeting on October 30, and Graham will be putting his hand up for the job again.

As the results stand, Will Foley will represent Central Hawke's Bay, having won 3,316 votes.

Hinewai Ormsby, Neil Kirton and Martin Williams will represent Napier.

Rex Graham, Rick Barker and Craig Foss have the Hastings seats.

Jerf van Beek won the Ngaruroro election with 3,837 votes.

In the tightest race at for the Wairoa seat, Charles Lambert is winning by 40 votes, 1,119 compared to Fenton Wilson's 1,079.