2001 New Zealand local elections

The 2001 New Zealand local elections (Māori: Nga Pōtitanga ā-Rohe 2001) were triennial elections that were held ending 13 October 2001 to elect local mayors and councillors, regional councillors, and members of various other local government bodies.

2001 New Zealand local elections

← 1998 13 October 2001 2004 →
Turnout	1,197,829 (47.04%[a])
Regional council elections
134 regional councillors across 12 regions
Control	No groups have majority control on any council
Councillors	118 Independents   8 Conservative groups[b]   5 Progressive groups[c]   3 Labour
Territorial authority elections
865 local councillors across 74 territorial authorities
Control	65 no majority   7 missing info   2 Progressive groups[d]
Councillors	684 Independents   77 missing info   37 Conservative groups[e]   23 Labour   22 Progressive groups[f]   17 Other local groups[g]   2 Alliance   1 Green   1 vacant
Mayoral elections
74 mayors
Re-elected	42 / 74(57%)
Affiliation	70 Independents   2 Progressive groups[h]   2 Conservative groups[i]
Notes  Total voters / registered voters in contested wards, for territorial authorities. Auckland:   3 Citizens and Ratepayers   2 Advancing Auckland Waikato:   1 Hamilton First Wellington:   1 City Vision – Terris' Team Canterbury:   1 Independent Citizens Auckland:   1 Team West Wellington:   1 Hutt 2020 Canterbury:   2 Christchurch 2021 Waitakere:   1 Team West Christchurch:   1 Christchurch 2021 Kaipara:   1 Residents and Ratepayers Auckland City:   9 Citizens & Ratepayers   1 Team Auckland Waitakere:   2 Independent Ratepayers and Residents Manukau:   3 Howick Community Spirit   3 Papatoetoe Independents   1 Independent Ratepayers   1 PR&RT Hamilton:   3 Hamilton First   3 Proudly Independent Tauranga:   1 Ratepayers Action Lower Hutt:   5 City Vision – Terris' Team Christchurch:   4 Independent Citizens Waitakere:   9 Team West Manukau:   4 Manurewa Residents Lower Hutt:   1 Hutt 2020 Christchurch:   4 Christchurch 2021 Far North:   3 The Proven Team   1 Community First Papakura:   3 Papakura Vision   1 Your Team Western BOP:   2 Resource Users Association   1 Democracy Network in ActionGisborne:   1 Rates Reform Wellington:   3 Three 4 North Waitakere:   1 Team West Christchurch:   1 Christchurch 2021 Manukau:   1 Residents and Ratepayers Lower Hutt:   1 City Vision – Terris' Team

Key dates

Key dates relating to the local elections were as follows:^[1]

27 July	Nominations open
24 August	Last day of candidate nominations and withdrawals, closed at noon. Unopposed candidates are declared nominated to office.
21–26 September	Postal ballots to be sent out where required.
13 October	Polling day – Polls open 9am to 7pm. Postal ballots must be returned to returning officer before poll close.

Background

Voting system

The 2001 local elections were the last occasion when first-past-the-post voting (FPP) was used exclusively. From the 2004 elections onwards, territorial authorities and regional councils could choose betw26 een FPP and the single transferable vote (STV) method.^[2] District health board elections had to use STV from 2004 and were changed to at-large elections.^[3]

Campaign

Results

Regional councils

The regional level of government in New Zealand is organised into areas controlled by regional councils.

Council	Electoral System	Seats	Councillors		Turnout[4]	Details	Sources
			1998	Result
Northland	FPP	8	? missing info	8 Independents	42,081 (44.6%)		[5]
Auckland	FPP	13	13 missing info	6 Independents   3 Citizens & Ratepayers   2 Advancing Auckland   2 Team West	340,999 (43.4%)		[6][7][8]
Waikato	FPP	14	? missing info	13 Independents   1 Hamilton First	98,613 (40.4%)		[9][10]
Bay of Plenty	FPP	12	11 missing info	12 Independents	71,011 (43.3%)		[4]
Hawke's Bay	FPP	9	? missing info	9 Independents	48,730 (49.9%)		[4]
Taranaki	FPP	10	10 missing info	10 Independents	32,136 (44.0%)		[11][4]
Manawatu-Wanganui	FPP	11	? missing info	11 Independents	42,678 (27.9%)		[12]
Wellington	FPP	13	? missing info	11 Independents   1 Hutt 2020   1 City Vision – Terris' Team	119,467 (39.5%)		[13]
West Coast	FPP	6	6 missing info	6 Independents	17,858 (78.5%)		[4]
Canterbury	FPP	14	14 missing info	7 Independents   3 Labour for Christchurch 2021   3 Independents for Christchurch 2021   1 Independent Citizens	168,228 (48.1%)		[4][14][15]
Otago	FPP	12	12 missing info	12 Independents	81,383 (60.6%)		[16][17]
Southland	FPP	12	11 missing info	12 Independents	34,840 (55.5%)		[4]
All 12 councils		134

Territorial authorities

The city and district level of government in New Zealand is organised into areas controlled by territorial authorities. Some of these also have the powers of regional governments and are known as unitary authorities. The Chatham Islands have their own specially legislated form of government.

Council	Electoral System	Seats	Councillors		Turnout[4]	Details	Sources
			1998	Result
Far North	FPP	10	? missing info	6 Independent   3 The Proven Team   1 Community First	16,479 (48.1%)		[18][19]
Whangarei	FPP	13	? missing info	13 Independents	23,873 (49.7%)		[5]
Kaipara	FPP	10	? missing info	9 Independents   1 Residents & Ratepayers	5,275 (44.1%)		[20][21]
Rodney	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents			[22]
Auckland City	FPP	19	? missing info	9 Citizens & Ratepayers   4 City Vision   3 Independents   2 Labour   1 Team Auckland	109,703 (43.2%)		[23]
North Shore	FPP	15	15 missing info	15 Independents	49,418 (37.8%)		[24][25][4][26]
Waitakere	FPP	17	13 missing info	9 Team West   3 Independents   2 Independent Ratepayers and Residents	41,614 (38%)		[27][28][4][29]
Manukau	FPP	20	? missing info	4 Independents   4 Labour   4 Manurewa Residents   3 Howick Community Spirit   3 Papatoetoe Independents   1 Independent Ratepayers   1 PR&RT	62,899 (35.0%)		[7][4][30]
Papakura	FPP	8	? missing info	4 Independents   3 Papakura Vision   1 Your Team	11,536 (41.9%)		[31]
Franklin	FPP	14	? missing info	14 Independents	9,017 (26.8%)		[32][33]
Thames-Coromandel	FPP	9	? missing info	9 Independents	10,946 (54.3%)		[34][35]
Hauraki	FPP	13	? missing info	13 Independents	5,392 (45.5%)		[4]
Waikato	FPP	13	? missing info	13 Independents	7,611 (29.3%)		[4]
Matamata-Piako	FPP	11	11 missing info	11 Independents	10,557 (52.2%)		[36][4]
Hamilton	FPP	13	13 missing info	7 Independents   3 Hamilton First   3 Proudly Independent	37,104 (47.2%)		[37][4][38]
Waipa	FPP	12	12 missing info	12 Independents	12,397 (45.0%)		[4]
Otorohanga	FPP	7	? missing info	6 Independents   1 vacant	1,308 (23.8%)		[39][4]
South Waikato	FPP	13	13 missing info	13 Independents	6,096 (39.6%)		[4]
Waitomo	FPP	6	? missing info	6 Independents	1,663 (27.7%)		[4]
Taupo	FPP	12	? missing info	10 Independents   2 Taupo Concerned Citizens	12,752 (58.0%)		[40][41]
Western Bay of Plenty	FPP	12	? missing info	9 Independents   2 Resource Users Association   1 Democracy Network in Action	13,744 (50.3%)		[42][43]
Tauranga	FPP	13	13 missing info	12 Independents   1 Ratepayers Action	33,161 (51.2%)		[44]
Rotorua Lakes	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	20,941 (48.7%)		[45]
Whakatane	FPP	13	? missing info	13 Independents	12,342 (57.8%)		[46][4]
Kawerau	FPP	8	? missing info	8 Independents	2,348 (56.6%)		[4]
Opotiki	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	3,515 (63.4%)		[47][48]
Gisborne	FPP	14	14 missing info	13 Independents   1 Rates Reform	16,991 (59.8%)		[49]
Wairoa	FPP	9	? missing info	9 Independents	3,031 (53.2%)		[4]
Hastings	FPP	15	14 Independents	15 Independents	19,647 (43.6%)		[50][51][4]
Napier	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	21,486 (55.9%)		[52]
Central Hawke's Bay	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	1,809 (21.1%)		[4]
New Plymouth	FPP	16	16 missing info	16 Independents	28,531 (58.7%)		[11][4]
Stratford	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	3,053 (49.8%)		[4]
South Taranaki	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	8,032 (43.5%)		[53][4]
Ruapehu	FPP	11	10 missing info	11 Independents	4,524 (49.4%)		[54]
Wanganui	FPP	12	12 missing info	12 missing info	19,557 (65.2%)
Rangitikei	FPP	11	? missing info	11 Independents	5,827 (55.7%)		[4]
Manawatu	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	10,005 (51.6%)		[4]
Palmerston North	FPP	15	? missing info	15 Independents	24,471 (48.0%)		[55]
Tararua	FPP	8	? missing info	8 Independents	6,922 (56.9%)		[4]
Horowhenua	FPP	10	? missing info	10 missing info	12,796 (62.0%)
Kapiti Coast	FPP	14	? missing info	14 Independents	19,942 (63.1%)		[56][4]
Porirua	FPP	13	7 Independents   6 Labour	7 Independents   6 Labour	12,807 (42.8%)		[57][58]
Upper Hutt	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	14,614 (57.6%)		[59]
Lower Hutt	FPP	11	7 Independents   5 City Vision - Terris' Team	5 City Vision - Terris' Team   4 Independents   1 Hutt 2020 - Labour   1 Hutt 2020	29,772 (45.8%)		[citation needed][60]
Wellington	FPP	19	? missing info	12 Independents   3 Three 4 North   2 Labour   1 Alliance   1 Green	58,642 (47.8%)		[61]
Masterton	FPP	10	? missing info	10 missing info	10,005 (51.6%)
Carterton	FPP	8	? missing info	8 Independents	3,341 (66.6%)		[4]
South Wairarapa	FPP	9	? missing info	9 Independents	2,859 (45.4%)		[62][4]
Tasman	FPP	13	? missing info	13 missing info	16,051 (55.4%)
Nelson	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	16,059 (52.7%)		[4]
Marlborough	FPP	13	13 missing info	13 Independents	18,910 (63.9%)		[63]
Buller	FPP	11	? missing info	11 missing info	5,039 (72.2%)
Grey	FPP	8	8 missing info	8 Independents	5,384 (54.3%)		[4]
Westland	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	4,011 (74.6%)		[64]
Kaikoura	FPP	7	? missing info	7 Independents	1,764 (72.1%)		[4]
Hurunui	FPP	9	9 missing info	9 missing info	3,816 (46.7%)		[65]
Waimakariri	FPP	14	? missing info	14 Independents	15,606 (58.8%)		[66][4]
Christchurch	FPP	24	7 Citizens   7 Labour for Christchurch 2021   4 Ind. for Christchurch 2021   3 Independents   2 True Independent   1 Alliance	8 Labour for Christchurch 2021   7 Independent Citizens   4 Ind. for Christchurch 2021   4 Independents   1 Alliance for Christchurch 2021	111,392 (48.8%)		[67][68]
Banks Peninsula	FPP	7	7 missing info	7 Independents	4,110 (64.5%)		[69][4]
Selwyn	FPP	11	? missing info	11 Independents	7,616 (39.1%)		[70][4]
Ashburton	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	10,271 (54.0%)		[4]
Timaru	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	16,196 (51.2%)		[71]
Mackenzie	FPP	10	? missing info	10 Independents	1,482 (54.5%)		[4]
Waimate	FPP	8	? missing info	8 Independents	1,750 (32.4%)		[72][4]
Waitaki	FPP	15	15 missing info	15 Independents	10,003 (65%)		[73][4]
Central Otago	FPP	13	? missing info	13 Independents	6,908 (62.1%)		[74][4]
Queenstown-Lakes	FPP	11	11 missing info	11 Independents	7,501 (59.6%)		[75][4]
Dunedin	FPP	14	? missing info	14 Independents	36,284 (43.2%)		[76][77]
Clutha	FPP	14	? missing info	14 Independents	5,242 (42.2%)		[78][4]
Southland	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	4,655 (22.8%)		[79][4]
Gore	FPP	11	? missing info	11 Independents	6,179 (68.5%)		[80][4]
Invercargill	FPP	12	? missing info	12 Independents	21,245 (58.8%)		[4]
Chatham Islands	FPP	8	8 missing info	8 Independents	uncontested		[4]
All 74 councils		865

Mayors

All territorial authorities (including the one unitary authority) directly elected mayors.

Territorial authority	Incumbent	Elected	Runner-up	Details	Sources
Far North	Yvonne Sharp (Ind.)		Carl Maria (Ind.)		[81][19][18][4]
Whangarei	Craig Brown (Ind.)		Calvin Green (People First – Green)		[82][5]
Kaipara	Graeme Ramsey (Ind.)		unopposed		[citation needed][4][20]
Rodney	(vacant)	John Law (Ind.)	Greg Sayers (Ind.)		[83][22]
Auckland City	Christine Fletcher (Ind.)	John Banks (Ind.)	Chris Fletcher (Ind.)	Details	[84][23]
North Shore	George Wood (Ind.)		Joel Cayford (Ind.)		[24][4][25]
Waitakere	Bob Harvey (Team West)		Vanessa Neeson (Ind.)		[85][27][29][4][28]
Manukau	Barry Curtis (Residents and Ratepayers)		Cliff McMahon (Ind.)		[citation needed][4][7][30]
Papakura	David Buist (Ind.)		T H Maxwell (Papakura Vision)		[86][31]
Franklin	Heather Maloney (Ind.)		Don Swales (Ind.)		[citation needed][33][4][32]
Thames-Coromandel	Chris Lux (Ind.)		Margaret Hawkeswood (Ind.)		[citation needed][35][4][34]
Hauraki	Basil Morrison (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][87]
Waikato	Angus Macdonald (?)	Peter Harris (Ind.)	? (?)		[4][88]
Matamata-Piako	Hugh Vercoe (Ind.)		Mark Troughton (?)		[89][4][36]
Hamilton	Russ Rimmington (?)	David Braithwaite (Ind.)	Russ Rimmington (Proudly Independent)		[90][37][91]
Waipa	John Hewitt (?)	Alan Livingston (Ind.)	? (?)		[92][4][93]
Otorohanga	Eric Tait (Ind.)		unopposed		[94][4][39]
South Waikato	Gordon Blake (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][95]
Waitomo	Steve Parry (?)	Allan Andrews (Ind.)	? (?)		[4][94]
Taupō	Joan Williamson (?)	Clayton Stent (Ind.)	? (?)		[96][4][97]
Western Bay of Plenty	Maureen Anderson (?)	Graeme Weld (Ind.)	? (?)		[98][4][99]
Tauranga	Noel Pope (?)	Jan Beange (Ind. )	Stuart Crosby (?)		[100][101]
Rotorua Lakes	Grahame Hall (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][102]
Whakatane	Colin Hammond (Ind.)		Christine Chambers (?)		[103][4][46]
Kawerau	Lyn Hartley (?)	Malcolm Campbell (Ind.)	? (?)		[104][4][105]
Opotiki	Don Riesterer (?)	John Forbes (Ind.)	Murray Thompson (?)		[106][4][47]
Gisborne	John Clarke (?)	Meng Foon (Ind.)	Geoff Swainson (Ind.)		[107][49]
Wairoa	Derek Fox (?)	Les Probert (Ind.)	? (?)		[4][108]
Hastings	Jeremy Dwyer (Ind.)	Lawrence Yule (Ind.)	Dinah Williams (?)		[50][4][51]
Napier	Alan Dick (?)	Barbara Arnott (Ind.)	Tony Reid (Ind.)		[109][52]
Central Hawke's Bay	Hamish Kynoch (?)	Tim Gilbertson (Ind.)	Hamish Kynoch (?)		[4][110]
New Plymouth	Claire Stewart (?)	Peter Tennent (Ind.)	Maurice Betts (?)		[111][4][11]
Stratford	Brian Jeffares (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][112]
South Taranaki	Mary Bourke (Ind.)		Jeffrey Ward (?)		[113][4][53]
Ruapehu	Weston Kirton (?)	Sue Morris (Ind.)	Weston Kirton (?)		[114][4][115]
Wanganui	Chas Poynter (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][116]
Rangitikei	John Vickers (?)	Bob Buchanan (Ind.)	? (?)		[citation needed][4][117]
Manawatu	Audrey Severinsen (Ind.)		? (?)		[118][4][119]
Palmerston North	? (?)	Mark Bell-Booth (Ind.)	Jill White (Ind.)		[55]
Tararua	Maureen Reynolds (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][120]
Horowhenua	Tom Robinson (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][121]
Kapiti Coast	Iride McCloy (?)	Alan Milne (Ind.)	Nigel Wilson (?)		[122][4][56]
Porirua	Jenny Brash (Ind.)		unopposed		[57][58]
Upper Hutt	Rex Kirton (?)	Wayne Guppy (Ind.)	Heather Newell (Ind.)		[123][59]
Lower Hutt	John Terris (City Vision – Terris' Team)		Scott Dalziell (Labour)	Details	[124][60]
Wellington	Mark Blumsky (Ind.)	Kerry Prendergast (Ind.)	Mary Varnham (Ind.)	Details	[125][61]
Masterton	Bob Francis (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][126]
Carterton	Martin Tankersley (Ind.)		? (?)		[citation needed][4][127]
South Wairarapa	John Read (Ind.)		Garrick Emms (?)		[citation needed][4][62]
Tasman	John Hurley (Ind.)		Colleen Marshall (?)		[4][128]
Nelson	Paul Matheson (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][129]
Marlborough	Gerald Hope (Ind.)	Tom Harrison (Ind.)	Gerald Hope (Ind.)		[130][63]
Buller	Pat O'Dea (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][131]
Grey	Kevin Brown (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][132][133]
Westland	John Drylie (Ind.)		Allen Hurley (Ind.)		[citation needed][64]
Kaikoura	Jim Abernathy (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][134]
Hurunui	John Chaffey (?)	Tony Arps (Ind.)	Fran Perriam (Ind.)		[citation needed][65]
Waimakariri	Janice Skurr (?)	Jim Gerard (Ind.)	Jo Kane (?)		[citation needed][4][66]
Christchurch	Garry Moore (Christchurch 2021)		George Balani (Ind.)	Details	[135][136]
Banks Peninsula	Noeline Allen (?)	Bob Parker (Ind.)	Val McClimont (?)		[4][69]
Selwyn	Michael McEvedy (Ind.)		Bill Woods (?)		[137][4][70]
Ashburton	Murray Anderson (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][138]
Timaru	Wynne Raymond (Ind.)		Richard Lyon (Ind.)		[139][71]
Mackenzie	Neil Anderson (?)	Stan Scorringe (Ind.)	? (?)		[140][4][141]
Waimate	David Owen (Ind.)		Peter McIlraith (?)		[4][72]
Waitaki	Duncan Taylor (?)	Alan McLay (Ind.)	Helen Brookes (?)		[142][4][73]
Central Otago	Bill McIntosh (?)	Malcolm MacPherson (Ind.)	Edna McAtamney (?)		[143][4][74]
Queenstown-Lakes	Warren Cooper (?)	Cleve Geddes (Ind.)	Simon Hayes (?)		[4][75]
Dunedin	Sukhi Turner (Ind.)		Peter Chin (Ind.)	Details	[144][145][76]
Clutha	Juno Hayes (Ind.)		Vanessa Robertson-Briggs (?)		[146][4][78]
Southland	Frana Cardno (Ind.)		unopposed		[147][4][79]
Gore	Mary Ogg (?)	Owen O'Connor (Ind.)	Mary Ogg (?)		[148][4][80]
Invercargill	Tim Shadbolt (Ind.)		unopposed		[149][4][150]
Chatham Islands	Patrick Smith (Ind.)		? (?)		[4][151]

District health boards

District health boards (DHBs) were established in January 2001 through the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000.^[152] At that time, the 21 DHBs had their boards appointed by the Minister of Health, Annette King. Each board has up to eleven members and seven of those are elected in local elections.^[152] As defined in section 7 of the Local Electoral Act 2001, board members for DHBs are to be elected as part of the local elections.^[153] The 2001 local elections were thus the inaugural elections for the country's then 21 DHBs. Elections were based on candidacies in local wards.^[3]

Aftermath