Mayor Sandra Goudie leaves office at Thames-Coromandel District Council

Hauraki deputy mayor Toby Adams has been re-elected after running unopposed.

Outgoing Thames-Coromandel District mayor Sandra Goudie was "sitting back relaxing with a beer" after taking "not much interest in the election" held in the region on October 8 that indicated Len Salt would inherit the civic regalia she had worn since 2016.

In terms of achievements while in office, Goudie said she was most "proud of the steady ship we [the TCDC] had steered", and the balancing act of using rates money to "take care of things we needed to do versus the 'nice to haves'" coupled with "what the community wants".

Goudie believes Thames-Coromandel punches above its weight considering it is one of "the three poorest districts in New Zealand, that cater for four times the regular [resident] population during the summer surge".

"We do an amazing job as a small area - it's a cracker little district," she said.

Goudie also said she was disappointed in the average 45 per cent voter turnout across the Thames-Coromandel District, given New Zealand's history of pioneering suffragettes and war heroes.

" We owe it to all of them to vote after what our forebears did for democracy."

The former MP came to national media attention in late 2021 over her objection to being vaccinated with the Pfizer jab for Covid-19, at a time when the Omicron outbreak was thought to be centred on the Star and Garter Pub in Coromandel Town.

Goudie said she " actually enjoyed" the media firestorm that was created, and still maintains that "people need to be questioning - they shouldn't be made to be afraid of the choices they make."

Now moving on to other things, Goudie said she intends to spend time with family and friends and working on various projects she has on the go - "like upcycling and painting".

However, she says will make herself available to "pass on institutional knowledge" to anyone who asks for it.

She predicts a bright future for Thames-Coromandel, as is excited by the council's "fabulous new chief executive", Aileen Lawrie, someone Goudie describes as " a smart cookie with a wonderful personality".

Meanwhile, the Hauraki District Council elections have concluded, and mayor Toby Adams was returned unopposed.

In speaking with the HC Post in August, Adams said he was "'very humbled" that nobody put their name against him in the mayoral race.

"This for me feels like I'm doing an okay job, but I have to keep up the same level of workload. It would have been easy to step back and let it all roll, but I got into the job because I'm passionate about the community I live in."

The full results of the local board elections (as of October 8) for Hauraki District are below with rankings:

Paeroa Ward - 4 vacancies

BENNETT, Michael Williams 790
DALEY, Carole Anne 1293, 3
MILNER, Paul Armstrong 1437, 1
PAKINGA, Melba 527
TILSLEY, Jo 1286, 4
WILKINSON, Rino 1390, 2

Plains Ward - 4 vacancies

BROAD, Ray 1214, 2
BUCKTHOUGHT, Phillip 979, 3
CROOYMANS, Stephen 920, 4
GRAY, Neil (Independent) 1309, 1
MARTIN, Peter (Independent) 226
SARGENT, Megan (Independent) 673
VAN VLIET, Luke 735

Waihi Ward - 5 vacancies

HOLMES, Sarah 1598, 2
HOWELL, Sara-Ann 930
MARTYN, Josh 1319, 4
RANCHHOD, Bhavesh 1575, 3
RATTRAY, Austin (Independent) 1310, 5
RYAN, Amanda May 768
SPICER, Anne Marie (Independent) 1723, 1