Such are the changes round the Wanganui District Council table that Saturday's 2004 election has produced a bulldozer rather than a proverbial new broom. On the provisional voting count electors have ousted long-serving Stephen Palmer, high-profile first-termer Ross Mitchell-Anyon and quiet first-termer Margaret Campion. Storming into office under the Vision Wanganui bannerare Dot McKinnon, Murray Hughes, Marty Lindsay, Sue Pepperell and Graeme Taylor (all in the urban ward) and Nicki Higgie (rural ward). With Michael Laws taking the mayoralty, this means Vision people have seven of the 13 seats. In the urban ward the durable Randhir Dahya again topped the poll, endorsing the old story that being popular and keeping your head down during controversy is electorally helpful. Remarkably, the next four berths are filled by Vision candidates. Mrs McKinnon, the group's co-leader, managed second place and is in line for the deputy-mayor's job. She was unsuccessful several years ago in her local body election debut. Next, in order, are Mr Lindsay, a broadcaster, Mr Hughes, a businessman, and Mrs Pepperell, a journalist. In sixth place is Barbara Bullock, a lively first-term councillor who made little impression in her bid for the mayoralty. Rangi Wills, the Ratepayers' Association's sole representative, is ranked seventh, ahead of Vision's Graeme Taylor. Subject to final figures, experienced councillor Sue Westwood has snatched the final spot. The special votes still to be counted shouldn't be a problem for her. Mrs Campion is at the top of the beaten group, followed by Ratepayers' president Graham Adams, former city missioner David Day, businessman David Bennett, Vision's Joan Street and former councillor Mike Green. Mr Mitchell-Anyon, a controversial councillor, had taken over the economic development chair following the death of John Lithgow. Mr Palmer has been chairing the council's environment committee. Those who failed to get traction included former councillor Ormie Andrews and the New Energy duo of John Milnes and Keely Smith. Urban ward representation was always going to change this election because of the retirement of councillors Pat Bullock and Ailsa Stewart and the vacancy left by Mr Lithgow's death. In the rural ward the poll is headed by Don McGregor, who almost unseated Chas Poynter in the mayoralty three years ago. He chairs the works and transport committee. The other rural seats are taken by outspoken Ray Stevens, a mayoralty minnow, and Vision's Nicki Higgie. Not wanted were sitting councillor Ian Brown, one of the heroes in the February storm aftermath, and Vision's Alan Taylor.
