2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election

Hawke's Bay Regional Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Council election
All 11 constituency seats on the Hawke's Bay Regional Council
Incumbents before election
Affiliation Seats Change
  Independents 11
Popular vote share of elected councillors by constituency

The 2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the Hawke's Bay Region of New Zealand, as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system will be used.

The Hawke's Bay Regional Council will be made up of 11 councillors elected from 7 constituencies: Ahuriri/Napier (three councillors), Heretaunga/Hastings (three councillors), Wairoa, Ngaruroro, Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay and two Māori constituencies (Māui ki te Raki and Māui ki te Tonga).

Key dates

  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open.
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12pm.
  • 6 August 2025: Candidates announced.
  • 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open.
  • 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12pm and preliminary results will be released.
  • 16 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1]

Background

Referendum

See also: 2025 New Zealand local referendums on Māori wards and constituencies

In October 2021, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council voted to create two Māori constituencies for the 2022 & 2025 elections.[2]

In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. The council then voted unanimously in August 2024 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituencies, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituencies to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.[3][4]

Campaign

Referendum

A group called For Wards Hawke’s Bay formed to support the pro-ward position at the referendums in the wider Hawke's Bay region. The group will hold a meeting on 23 July in Clive chaired by regional council chair Rex Graham, with various speakers including local Presbyterian minister Jill McDonald, Hastings Māori ward councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth, HB Multicultural Society president Rizwaana Latiff and Hayley Whittaker from the Public Service Association.[5]

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Will Foley, incumbent deputy chair and second-term councillor for the Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay constituency[6]
  • Xan Harding, incumbent councillor for the Heretaunga/Hastings constituency[6]
  • Charles Lambert, incumbent councillor for the Māui Ki Te Raki Māori constituency[6]
  • Martin Williams, incumbent councillor for the Ahuriri/Napier constituency[6]

As of February, deputy chair Will Foley (Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay), Xan Harding (Heretaunga/Hastings), and Di Roadley (Wairoa) had not decided if they would run again.[7]

Hawke's Bay Today reported on 31 May that Foley would run for mayor of Central Hawke's Bay against incumbent Alex Walker, Foley saying his time on the regional council was up.[8]

Councillors

Ahuriri/Napier general constituency

The Ahuriri/Napier general constituency will return three councillors to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Paul Bailey Independent Former regional councillor[11][12]
Hayley Browne None Incumbent Napier city councillor[13][12]
Syed Khurram Iqbal None [12]
Neil Kirton None Incumbent councillor[6][7][12]
Hinewai Ormsby SAFER waterways. STRONGER communities. Incumbent chairperson[6][7][12]
Louise Parsons Independent [12]

Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency

The Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency will return three councillors to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Bruce Mackay None [12]
Jock Mackintosh None Incumbent councillor[6][7][12]
Sophie Siers None Incumbent councillor[6][7][12]
Conrad Waitoa None [12]

Wairoa general constituency

The Wairoa general constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Kiri Rangirangi-Hamlin None [12]
Di Roadley None Incumbent councillor[6][12]

Ngaruroro general constituency

The Ngaruroro general constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Marcus Ormond None Farmer[12]
Jerf van Beek None Incumbent councillor[6][7][12]

Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency

The Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Tim Aitken None Incumbent councillor for the Central Hawke's Bay District Council[14][12]
Tony Kuklinski Independent [12]
Keri Ropiha None [12]

Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency

The Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Thompson Hokianga None Incumbent councillor[6]

As the only candidate, Hokianga is elected unopposed.[12]

Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency

The Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[1]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[a] Notes
Michelle McIlroy None [12]
Shelton White None [12]

Results

Referendum

Choice Votes %
Keep Māori constituencies to be determined
Abolish Māori constituencies
Turnout

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party. Hawke's Bay Regional Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[10]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Voting in local elections". Hawke's Bay Regional Council. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  2. ^ ""Momentous" day for Regional Council". www.hbrc.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Hawke's Bay Regional Council votes unanimously to keep Māori wards". RNZ. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Hawke's Bay Regional Council unanimously votes to retain Māori constituencies". www.hbrc.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Announcements you missed – #39". BayBuzz. 18 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Hawke's Bay Regional Council - Our Councillors". Hawke's Bay Regional Council. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Hall, Linda (11 February 2025). "HB elections … which incumbents standing?". Bay Buzz.
  8. ^ Hall, Linda (31 May 2025). "Local Elections 2025: Race for Central Hawke's Bay mayor - Will Foley taking on Alex Walker". Hawke's Bay Today.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g "2025 Triennial Elections | Hawke's Bay Regional Council". www.electionz.com. electionz.com. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  10. ^ "PUKAPUKA ARATOHU KAITONOPŌTI | CANDIDATE HANDBOOK" (PDF). www.hbrc.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. p. 15. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Hawke's Bay Regional Councillor Paul Bailey has decided to stand for council again". BayBuzz. 6 July 2025. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Hall, Linda (5 August 2025). "Hawke's Bay elections guide: 114 candidates and some fierce competition ahead". Hawke's Bay Today. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  13. ^ Hall, Linda (20 May 2025). "Local elections 2025: Napier councillor Richard McGrath running for mayor". Hawke's Bay Today.
  14. ^ "Mayor and Councillors". www.chbdc.govt.nz. Central Hawke's Bay District Council. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
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