Final results were published today. The voter return was 24.01%, or 815 votes.
The byelection was triggered when only three nominees stood in last year’s elections, then one – former board chairman Phill Thomass – died before election day.
Collins is the former chairman of the Lake Ōkāreka Community Association and told Local Democracy Reporting he would be pursuing the role of Lakes chairman.
He planned to speak with other members in the coming days.
“I want to clearly outline my vision for the remainder of this term,” Collins said.
“We need to pivot to strategic advocacy, sustainability, and long-term resilience for our lakes.”
He acknowledged the other candidates who missed out and thanked his nominators, while outlining a desire to ensure active work alongside mana whenua.
His “immediate goal” was to establish “robust reporting lines” to the council and work on devolving funding and projects directly to lake communities.
“Ultimately, I propose we audit the board’s effectiveness now, with a view towards the next council representation review,” he said.
The newly elected Mitch Collins. Photo / NZME
“If we empower our local community associations directly, they can advocate for themselves far more effectively.”
Gilmour said it was an “honour and privilege” to get the vote.
“It’s very exciting, and I am looking forward to getting to work and meeting all the fantastic communities I am going to be representing.”
He wants to ensure the Lakes community has its “voice heard” on all projects affecting them.
“In the past, we’ve just been steamrolled, and things have happened in our backyard that we just haven’t known about or haven’t talked about,” he said.
“I want to keep the greatest lake district in the country pristine for generations to come.”
New Rotorua Lakes Community Board member George Gilmour.
The newcomers will join on the board Peter MacMillan and Jennifer Rothwell, who were elected unopposed in November as part of the nationwide local government elections.
This byelection is the first time since 2019 that new people have been voted on to the board. In 2022, only four candidates were standing, so they were automatically elected.
Marion Dixon, Joe Tahana and Mariana Morrison were the remaining unsuccessful candidates.
Turnout was low, with just 815 votes cast, about 24% of eligible voters.
The board represents lakeside communities including Hamurana, Rotoiti, Rotoehu, Rotomā, Ōkāreka and Tarawera, advocating for them to the Rotorua Lakes Council and giving residents a voice in community priorities.
Mathew Nash is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. He has previously written for SunLive, been a regular contributor to RNZ and was a football reporter in Britain for eight years.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
