2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election

2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Council election
Incumbents before election:
Affiliation Seats Change
  Independents 8
  Green 3
  Labour 1
First preference vote share of elected councillors by constituency

The 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the Wellington Region of New Zealand, as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system will be used.[1][2]

The Greater Wellington Regional Council makes decisions about environmental management, flood protection and land management, the provision of regional parks, public transport planning and funding, and metropolitan water supply for Greater Wellington.[3]

Key dates

  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
  • 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
  • 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
  • 16-19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1]

Background

Referendum

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

In October 2023, the Greater Wellington Regional Council voted to create a Māori constituency for the 2025 & 2028 elections.[4][5]

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 constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.[6][7]

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • David Bassett, councillor for the Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt constituency[8]
  • Ken Laban, councillor for the Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt constituency, instead seeking election for mayor in Lower Hutt[9]
  • Thomas Nash, Green Party councillor for the Pōneke/Wellington constituency[10][11]

Te Upoko o te ika a Māui Māori constituency

Te Upoko o te ika a Māui Māori constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[12]

Kāpiti Coast constituency

The Kāpiti Coast constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[12]

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Sam Ferguson Incumbent Horizons Regional councillor[14][15]
Penny Gaylor Incumbent councillor[11][15]

Porirua-Tawa constituency

The Porirua-Tawa constituency will return two councillors to the regional council.[12]

Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt constituency

Te Awa Kairangi ki Uta/Upper Hutt constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[12]

Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt constituency

Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai/Lower Hutt constituency will return three councillors to the regional council.[12]

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Nigel Elder ACT Local Business owner and former New Zealand Defence Force serviceman[16]
Gabriel Tupou Incumbent Hutt City councillor[17][18]

Pōneke/Wellington constituency

The Pōneke/Wellington constituency will return five councillors to the regional council.[12]

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Tom James Labour[19]
Henry Peach Green[20]
Daran Ponter Labour[19] Incumbent councillor and council chair[21][11][15]
Yadana Saw Green[22] Incumbent councillor[11]

Wairarapa constituency

The Wairarapa constituency will return one councillor to the regional council.[12]

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Alistair Plimmer Incumbent South Wairarapa District councillor[23][15]
Adrienne Staples Independent Incumbent councillor since 2016[24][15]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d 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. Greater Wellington Regional Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b "Elections". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  2. ^ "STV Information". www.stv.govt.nz. Department of Internal Affairs. Archived from the original on 5 May 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  3. ^ "Our role and activities". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Māori constituency coming to Greater Wellington". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  5. ^ Hickman, Bill (26 October 2023). "Greater Wellington Regional Council approves Māori Constituency for 2025". RNZ. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Māori constituency affirmed by Greater Wellington; poll triggered". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Greater Wellington to vote on Māori ward in 2025 elections". RNZ. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  8. ^ "Wellington election diary: Switching teams and switching biscuits". The Post. 28 June 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  9. ^ "League veteran and councillor Ken Laban to run for Lower Hutt mayor". rnz.co.nz. RNZ. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  10. ^ Hunt, Tom (2 April 2025). "Greater Wellington Regional councillor Thomas Nash won't run again". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d "Councillors". gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g "Determination of representation arrangements to apply for the election of the Greater Wellington Regional Council to be held on 11 October 2025" (PDF). www.lgc.govt.nz. Local Government Commission. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  13. ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitono Pōti | Candidate Handbook" (PDF). www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. p. 15. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Sam Ferguson set to rep Kapiti at Regional Council". KC News - News from the Kāpiti Coast. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e "2025 Triennial Elections | Greater Wellington Regional Council". www.electionz.com. electionz.com. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Nigel Elder Selected as Candidate for Greater Wellington Regional Council". www.actlocal.nz. ACT Local. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  17. ^ Tupou, Gabriel (7 July 2025). "Gabriel Tupou standing for Regional Council" (Press release). Scoop. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  18. ^ Afemata, Mary (8 July 2025). "Gabriel Tupou pushes for Pacific voices in regional politics". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  19. ^ a b Manera, Ethan (17 March 2025). "Labour Party extends nominations for Wellington Mayoral candidate". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  20. ^ "Henry Peach for Greater Wellington Regional Council". www.greens.org.nz. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  21. ^ James, Nick (4 February 2025). "Are Wellington's council leaders running for the top jobs again this year?". RNZ. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  22. ^ "Yadana Saw for Greater Wellington Regional Council". www.greens.org.nz. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  23. ^ Cooper, Lucy (7 March 2025). "Alistair Plimmer throws hat in the regional ring". Wairarapa Times Age. The Post. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  24. ^ Ireland, Emily (10 July 2025). "Staples Eyes Up Unfinished Business In Re-election Bid". Scoop. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
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