Vote 2022: Lyall Thurston and Kevin Winters re-elected to Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Lyall Thurston has been elected to serve his fifth term as a Rotorua constituency representative on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Photo / Andrew Warner

Lyall Thurston and Kevin Winters have been re-elected as Rotorua's representatives at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

It will be Thurston's fifth term on the council, while Winters, who was Rotorua mayor from 2004 to 2013, is beginning his third term.

When the Rotorua Daily Post spoke to Kevin Winters, the highest-polling Rotorua constituency candidate, he said he was coming back down to earth.

"I'm humbled and privileged to be back at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council," Winters said.

"I can't wait to get back to work [today]."

Winters said he would be focused on continuing the regional council's lakes restoration work and ensuring compliance with new legislation coming out of the Crown.

"Be it Three Waters or the RMA issues, it will be about getting our heads around those.

"The changes may not be as fast as what we thought they were going to be, but those are going to be the issues for us."

Winters said he was looking forward to working alongside new colleagues, including Tauranga constituency representatives Ron Scott and Kat Macmillan.

This will be Kevin Winters' third term as Bay of Plenty Regional councillor. Photo / Andrew Warner

Lyall Thurston said he was both "thrilled and honoured" to have the continued endorsement of voters.

"I'm so delighted and honoured to be back," Thurston told the Rotorua Daily Post.

"We have some massive challenges ahead of us."

Climate change was the big issue Thurston believed needed to be addressed in the next three years.

"Also, I believe we have to put huge effort into building much closer relationships with our local councils, and I'm fully committed to that."

Thurston said he had floated the concept of regional committees made up of elected members from regional and local councils.

"It would be something I would need to sell to my fellow councillors."

Thurston looked forward to working with Kevin Winters again.

"Rotorua's representatives have had to work very closely with the other politicians at the table.

"We both work collaboratively and have a long list of experiences."

Thurston said Rotorua could be justifiably comfortable about their representation at the Bay of Plenty Regional Council table.

Progress results:

Rotorua General Constituency

• Kevin Winters - 6,361

• Lyall Thurston - 5,980

Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency

• Malcolm Campbell - 6,408

• Doug Leeder - 4,785

Western Bay of Plenty General Constituency

• Jane Nees - 7,162

• Ken Shirley - 5,546

Tauranga General Constituency

• Stuart Crosby - 11,798

• Ron Scott - 10,477

• Paula Thompson - 9,573

• Andrew von Dadelszen - 8,582

• Kat Macmillan - 8,281

Māuao Māori Constituency

• Matemoana McDonald - 1,102

Ōkurei Māori Constituency

• Te Taru White - 1,590

Kohi Māori Constituency

• Toi Kai Rākau Iti - Unopposed

As of 2.30pm, Sunday.