South Taranaki District Council kicks off new term, Rob Northcott gets deputy mayoralty again

Leanne Horo, Steffy Mackay, Celine Filbee, Bryan Roach, Brian Rook, Aarun Langton, Robert Northcott, Phil Nixon, Mark Bellringer, Andy Beccard, Tuteri Rangihaeata, Diana Reid and Te Aroha Hohaia.

South Taranaki District Council's inaugural meeting for the new term was held on Thursday at Kānihi Mawhitiwhiti Pā.

A pōwhiri welcomed the newly elected members, their friends and family, and council staff on to the marae.

Then council chief executive Waid Crockett opened the meeting where re-elected mayor Phil Nixon, councillors and community board members were sworn into their roles.

It's the first time an inaugural meeting has been held at a marae in South Taranaki, which was particularly significant given the introduction of the two new Māori wards.

Nixon says he's incredibly excited by the new council and the calibre of the elected members.

"With a huge raft of government reforms and the effects of Covid-19 still impacting it's a challenging time, but also one which provides a unique opportunity to be involved in the changing face of local government," he said.

"The rewards certainly outweigh the challenges, and our council's success has always been our ability to work together for the good of all South Taranaki residents."

All up the election saw three new councillors (Te Aroha Hohaia, Tuteri Rangihaeata and Leanne Horo) and five new community board members (Monica Willson, Heather Brokenshire, Andrew Blanche, Owen Savage and Cheryl Rook) join sitting members.

At the meeting Nixon also announced that councillor Rob Northcott would be his deputy for a second term.

Two byelections are required early in the New Year for a Te Hāwera general ward councillor and a Pātea community board position which remain vacant.

Nominations for both positions will open on November 24 with voting opening on January 26 next year.

Mayor
Phil Nixon

Councillors
Andy Beccard, Mark Bellringer, Tuteri Rangihaeata, Celine Filbee, Aarun Langton, Steffy Mackay, Robert Northcott, Leanne Horo, Diana Reid, Bryan Roach, Brian Rook, Te Aroha Hohaia

Community Boards

Eltham-Kaponga Community Board
Karen Cave, Sonya Douds, Alan Hawkes, Lindsay Maindonald

Pātea Community Board
Jacq Dwyer, Owen Savage, Cheryl Rook

Taranaki Coastal Community Board
Sharlee Mareikura, Liz Sinclair, Andy Whitehead, Monica Willson

Te Hāwera Community Board
Heather Brokenshire, Raymond Buckland, Andrew Blanche, Nikki Watson