2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election

2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Council election
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]

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

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.[5]

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.[6]

Councillors

Ahuriri/Napier general constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Hayley Browne Independent Incumbent Napier city councillor[8]
Neil Kirton Independent Incumbent councillor[9][5]
Hinewai Ormsby Independent Incumbent chairperson[9][5]

Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Jock Mackintosh Independent Incumbent councillor[9][5]
Sophie Siers Independent Incumbent councillor[9][5]
Conrad Waitoa [10]

Wairoa general constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes

Ngaruroro general constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes
Jerf van Beek Independent Incumbent councillor[9][5]

Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes

Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes

Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency

Candidate Affiliation[a] Notes

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.[7]

References

  1. ^ "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. ^ a b c d e f Hall, Linda (11 February 2025). "HB elections … which incumbents standing?". Bay Buzz.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "PUKAPUKA ARATOHU KAITONOPŌTI | CANDIDATE HANDBOOK" (PDF). www.hbrc.govt.nz. Hawke's Bay Regional Council. p. 15. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  8. ^ Hall, Linda (20 May 2025). "Local elections 2025: Napier councillor Richard McGrath running for mayor". Hawke's Bay Today.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Hawke's Bay Regional Council - Our Councillors". Hawke's Bay Regional Council. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  10. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections | Hawke's Bay Regional Council". www.electionz.com. electionz.com. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
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