Rotorua has re-elected Tania Tapsell as mayor in a landslide, according to progress results.
Tapsell saw off competition from Don Paterson, Robert Lee, Haehaetu Barrett and Takeina Fraser to retain her position.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting, Tapsell said she is “incredibly humbled” for the support from the city and is looking forward to “continuing to lead” Rotorua.
“I’m ambitious and energised for the next three years and look forward to building a strong and high-performing new council,” she said.
While subject to change, progress results have Tapsell holding a giant lead over her two nearest candidates, Don Paterson in second and Robert Lee in third.
Paterson congratulated Tapsell on her win, saying she had some “bright policies” he looks forward to seeing “come to fruition”.
Paterson has been re-elected to council and said he is looking forward to working with Tapsell again.
Lee also offered congratulations to Tapsell: “Democracy has spoken and good on you,” he said.
Tapsell has been a Rotorua councillor on three occasions and was elected mayor for the first time in 2022. Her campaign saw her seek re-election based on “unfinished business” from her first term including the reopening of the Rotorua Museum and delivery of core services.
Tapsell confirmed that Sandra Kai Fong will return as deputy mayor, following her re-election to the general ward.
“Together we gave the previous term our all, I’m so proud of the progress we achieved for this great place we call home.”
Council seats
Paterson and Kai Fong will be joined on Rotorua’s council by new faces Ben Sandford and Te-Rika Temara Benfell.
Initial results place Sandford, a former winter Olympian, third in the voting for Rotorua’s general ward,
He will be joined by returning councillors Fisher Wang, Gregg Brown, Paterson and Lee from the general ward, although it is close between Lee and Conan O’Brien for the sixth seat.
In the Māori ward, Temara Benfell has come out on top in the early tally for the three seats.
Trevor Maxwell is in second and set to crack a half-century as a councillor, setting an outright New Zealand record for his service.
Maxwell, who is in his late 70s, will have 51 years of service by the end of his term.
“I’m quite proud and very, very honoured,” he told the Rotorua Daily Post at the playground near his Ohinemutu home this afternoon.
He said he was also pleased that Rotorua had voted to keep Māori wards.
“That is also a wonderful thing for us here, because it could easily have gone the other way.”
The third Māori ward seat is currently going to former Rotorua Lakes councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, but her narrow lead over sitting councillor Rawiri Waru could easily change in the final wash-up.
Karen Barker was elected unopposed to the rural ward.
Full progress results
Mayor
Tania Tapsell
General ward
Fisher Wang
Sandra Kai Fong
Ben Sandford
Gregg Brown
Don Paterson
Robert Lee
Māori ward
Te Rika Temara-Benfell
Trevor Horowaewae Maxwell
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
Rural ward
Karen Barker
Rotorua Rural Community Board
Colin Guyton
Tina Marshall
Karen Forlong
Tina Rose
Bay of Plenty Regional Council - Rotorua constituency
Raj Kumar
Anna Grayling
Bay of Plenty Regional Council - Ōkūrei Māori constituency
Allan Iwi Te Whau
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
