2004 New Zealand local elections

The 2004 New Zealand local elections (Māori: Nga Pōtitanga ā-Rohe 2004) were triennial elections that were held ending 9 October 2007 to elect local mayors and councillors, regional councillors, and members of local boards.

2004 New Zealand local elections

← 2001 9 October 2004 2007 →
Turnout	1,189,787 (43.89%) 3.15 pp[a]
Promotional logo for the local elections
Regional elections
136 regional councillors across 12 regions
Control	10 No majority   2 missing info
Councillors	92 Independents   34 missing info   5 Progressive groups[b]   4 Conservative groups[c]   1 Labour
Territorial authority elections
819 local councillors across 74 territorial authorities
Control	63 No majority   9 missing info   2 Other local groups[d]
Councillors	643 Independents   102 missing info   25 Conservative groups[e]   16 Progressive groups[f]   15 Other local groups[g]   15 Labour   2 vacant   1 Alliance   1 Green
Mayoral elections
74 mayors
Re-elected	43 / 74(58%)
Affiliation	67 Independents (3)   3 Other local groups (3)[h]   2 Progressive groups ()[i]   2 Conservative groups ()[j]
Notes  Total voters / registered voters in contested wards, for territorial authorities. Auckland:   2 Team West ()   1 City Vision (1)   1 Residents Actions Movement (1) Wellington:   1 Hutt 2020 () Auckland:   3 Citizens & Ratepayers()   1 Advancing Auckland (1) Wanganui:   1 Vision Wanganui Banks Peninsula:   1 Positive Future Rodney:   3 Taking Action Team (3) Auckland City:   6 Citizens & Ratepayers (3) Waitakere:   4 Residents & Ratepayers (2)   2 Massey Community Team (2) Manukau:   1 Peoples Choice (1)   1 Papatoetoe Independents (2) Waitakere:   1 Hamilton Citizens (1) Wanganui:   1 Wanganui Ratepayers Association Lower Hutt:   3 City Vision – Terris' Team (2)   2 Our City, Our Future (2) Christchurch:   2 Independent Citizens (5) Auckland City:   6 City Vision (2) Waitakere:   4 Team West (5) Manukau:   4 Manurewa Residents () Lower Hutt:   1 Hutt 2020 () Auckland City:   2 Action Hobson (2) Papakura:   1 Papakura Vision (2) Wanganui:   6 Vision Wanganui Kapiti Coast:   1 Affordable Kapiti (1) Wellington:   1 1-2-3 for North (1) Banks Peninsula:   4 Positive Future (4) Tauranga:   1 Team Tauranga (1) Wanganui:   1 Vision Wanganui (1) Banks Peninsula:   1 Positive Future (1) Waitakere:   1 Team West () Waitakere:   1 Christchurch 2021 () Manukau:   1 Residents and Ratepayers () Lower Hutt:   1 Our City, Our Future (1)

Key dates

Background

Voting system

All district health boards and ten district or city councils (Kaipara, Papakura, Matamata-Piako, Thames-Coromandel, Kāpiti Coast, Porirua, Wellington, Marlborough, Dunedin, and the Chatham Islands) used the single transferable vote (STV) method for the 2004 local elections.^[1] All other councils used first past the post (FPP).

A private company, elections.com and its subsidiary Datamail, had been engaged by seven councils, eighteen DHBs, and one licensing trust with operating the STV elections. During the weekend of the elections, it was discovered that when voting papers were transferred to computer-readable data, not all data were correctly recorded. The Office of the Auditor-General became involved and tasked with confirming the election results. The final results for these elections became available in early November, nearly one month after the local election. The government initiated a select committee inquiry.^[2]

Campaign

Elections

Regional councils

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

Council	Electoral System	Seats	Councillors		Turnout[3]	Details	Sources
			2001	Result
Northland	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 missing info	40,942 (43.2%)	Details	[4][3][5]
Auckland	FPP	13	6 Independents   3 Citizens & Ratepayers   2 Advancing Auckland   2 Team West	5 Independents   3 Citizens & Ratepayers   2 Team West   1 City Vision   1 Advancing Auckland   1 Residents Action Movement	351,833 (41.9%)	Details	[6][7][8][9]
Waikato	FPP	14	13 Independents   1 Hamilton First	14 Independents	100,640 (40.0%)	Details	[10][11][12]
Bay of Plenty	FPP	14	12 Independents	14 Independents	66,421 (39.0%)	Details	[13][3][14]
Hawke's Bay	FPP	9	9 Independents	9 Independents	21,628 (21.7%)	Details	[13][3][15]
Taranaki	FPP	10	10 Independents	10 Independents	29,378 (39.7%)	Details	[16][13][3][17]
Manawatu-Wanganui	FPP	11	11 Independents	11 missing info	68,491 (44.7%)	Details	[18][3]
Wellington	FPP	13	11 Independents   1 Hutt 2020   1 City Vision – Terris' Team	11 Independents   1 Hutt 2020   1 Labour	109,026 (34.9%)	Details	[19][20]
West Coast	FPP	6	6 Independents	6 Independents	15,337 (68.1%)	Details	[13][3]
Canterbury	FPP	14	7 Independents   3 Labour for Christchurch 2021   3 Independents for Christchurch 2021   1 Independent Citizens	14 missing info	155,756 (43.0%)	Details	[13][21][22]
Otago	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	62,096 (45.4%)	Details	[23][24][3][25]
Southland	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	31,406 (47.5%)	Details	[13][3]
All 12 councils		136

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[3]	Details	Sources
			2001	Result
Far North	FPP	9	6 Independent   3 The Proven Team   1 Community First	9 Independents	15,354 (45.3%)		[26][27][28]
Whangarei	FPP	13	13 Independents	13 Independents	25,612 (52.1%)		[4][29]
Kaipara	STV	10	9 Independents   1 Residents & Ratepayers	10 Independents	6,073 (51.1%)		[30][31][32]
Rodney	FPP	12	12 Independents	9 Independents   3 Taking Action Team	27,086 (45.5%)		[33][34]
Auckland City	FPP	19	9 Citizens & Ratepayers   4 City Vision   3 Independents   2 Labour   1 Team Auckland	6 Citizens & Ratepayers   6 City Vision   3 Labour   2 Action Hobson   2 Independents	132,505 (49.2%)		[35][36]
North Shore	FPP	15	15 Independents	15 missing info	49,226 (35.2%)		[37][13][38][39]
Waitakere	FPP	14	9 Team West   3 Independents   2 Independent Ratepayers and Residents	4 Team West   4 Residents & Ratepayers   4 Independents   2 Massey Community Team	42,391 (35.7%)		[40][13][41][42]
Manukau	FPP	17	4 Independents   4 Labour   4 Manurewa Residents   3 Howick Community Spirit   3 Papatoetoe Independents   1 Independent Ratepayers   1 PR&RT	7 Independents   4 Labour   4 Manurewa Residents   1 Peoples Choice   1 Papatoetoe Independents	79,095 (39.8%)		[7][13][43][44]
Papakura	STV	8	4 Independents   3 Papakura Vision   1 Your Team	7 Independents   1 Papakura Vision	11,354 (40.2%)		[45][46]
Franklin	FPP	12	14 Independents	12 Independents	16,883 (45.9%)		[47][48][49][3]
Thames-Coromandel	STV	9	9 Independents	8 Independents   1 vacant	10,144 (50.2%)		[50][51][52][53]
Hauraki	FPP	13	13 Independents	13 Independents	4,569 (38.3%)		[13][54][3]
Waikato	FPP	13	13 Independents	13 Independents	7,869 (29.1%)		[13][3][55]
Matamata-Piako	STV	11	11 Independents	11 Independents	8,663 (42.2%)		[56][13][57][3]
Hamilton	FPP	13	7 Independents   3 Hamilton First   3 Proudly Independent	12 Independents   1 Hamilton Citizens & Ratepayers Assoc. Inc.	37,852 (45.1%)		[58][13][59][60]
Waipa	FPP	12	12 Independents	10 Independents   2 missing info	9,942 (35.1%)		[13][61]
Otorohanga	FPP	7	6 Independents   1 vacant	7 Independents	1,824 (33.4%)		[62][13][63][3]
South Waikato	FPP	10	13 Independents	10 Independents	5,535 (37.3%)		[13][3][64]
Waitomo	FPP	6	6 Independents	6 Independents	3,167 (55.8%)		[13][3][65]
Taupo	FPP	12	10 Independents   2 Taupo Concerned Citizens	12 Independents	9,853 (44.6%)		[66][67][3][68]
Western Bay of Plenty	FPP	12	9 Independents   2 Resource Users Association   1 Democracy Network in Action	12 Independents	7,833 (27.2%)		[69][70][71][3]
Tauranga	FPP	10	12 Independents   1 Ratepayers Action	10 missing info	32,727 (46.4%)		[72]
Rotorua Lakes	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	21,037 (48.8%)		[73][74]
Whakatane	FPP	11	13 Independents	10 Independents   1 vacant	10,465 (48.3%)		[75][13][76]
Kawerau	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	1,343 (31.6%)		[13][77]
Opotiki	FPP	6	10 Independents	6 missing info	1,482 (26.7%)		[78][79]
Gisborne	FPP	14	13 Independents   1 Rates Reform	14 Independents	13,451 (47.2%)		[80][81]
Wairoa	FPP	9	9 Independents	9 missing info	3,001 (56.2%)		[13][82]
Hastings	FPP	15	15 Independents	15 Independents	17,774 (37.9%)		[83][13][84][3]
Napier	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	18,645 (47.8%)		[85][86][3]
Central Hawke's Bay	FPP	10	10 Independents	10 Independents	4,751 (54.8%)		[13][3][87]
New Plymouth	FPP	14	16 Independents	14 Independents	27,579 (55.2%)		[16][13][3]
Stratford	FPP	10	10 Independents	10 Independents	2,922 (46.4%)		[13][3][88]
South Taranaki	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	7,840 (43.5%)		[89][13][3]
Ruapehu	FPP	11	11 Independents	11 Independents	3,402 (40.1%)		[90][91][3]
Wanganui	FPP	12	12 missing info	6 Vision Wanganui   5 Independents   1 Wanganui Ratepayers Association	20,154 (66.8%)		[92]
Rangitikei	FPP	11	11 Independents	11 Independents	5,438 (53.5%)		[13][3][93]
Manawatu	FPP	10	10 Independents	10 Independents	6,143 (31.1%)		[13][3]
Palmerston North	FPP	15	15 Independents	15 missing info	25,679 (49.8%)		[94]
Tararua	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	6,200 (51.5%)		[13][3]
Horowhenua	FPP	10	10 missing info	10 missing info	11,336 (53.3%)
Kapiti Coast	STV	10	14 Independents	9 Independents   1 Affordable Kapiti	17,111 (51.2%)		[95][13][96]
Porirua	STV	13	7 Independents   6 Labour	8 missing info   5 Labour	13,426 (42.7%)		[97][98][3]
Upper Hutt	FPP	10	10 Independents	10 Independents	11,933 (45.4%)		[99][100]
Lower Hutt	FPP	11	5 City Vision – Terris' Team   4 Independents   1 Hutt 2020 – Labour   1 Hutt 2020	5 Independents   3 City Vision – Terris' Team   2 Our City, Our Future   1 Hutt 2020	26,018 (38.9%)		[101][102]
Wellington	STV	14	12 Independents   3 Three 4 North   2 Labour   1 Alliance   1 Green	10 Independents   1 Alliance   1 1-2-3 for North   1 Labour   1 Green	53,483 (42.2%)	Details	[103][104][105]
Masterton	FPP	10	10 missing info	10 Independents	10,480 (65.2%)		[3][106]
Carterton	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	3,197 (61.0%)		[13][107]
South Wairarapa	FPP	9	9 Independents	9 Independents	2,478 (38.7%)		[108][13][3]
Tasman	FPP	13	13 missing info	13 Independents	15,156 (49.0%)		[109][3]
Nelson	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	15,253 (48.5%)		[13][3][110]
Marlborough	STV	13	13 Independents	13 Independents	19,185 (62.4%)		[111][112]
Buller	FPP	11	11 missing info	11 Independents	4,915 (69.7%)		[3]
Grey	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	4,133 (42.4%)		[13][113][3]
Westland	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	3,276 (57.0%)		[114][115][3]
Kaikoura	FPP	7	7 Independents	7 Independents	1,672 (65.2%)		[13][116][3]
Hurunui	FPP	9	9 missing info	9 Independents	3,034 (40.7%)		[117][118][3]
Waimakariri	FPP	10	14 Independents	10 Independents	11,309 (39.1%)		[119][13][120][3]
Christchurch	FPP	12	8 Labour for Christchurch 2021   7 Independent Citizens   4 Ind. for Christchurch 2021   4 Independents   1 Alliance for Christchurch 2021	9 Independents   2 Independent Citizens   1 Labour for Christchurch 2021	91,572 (38.8%)		[121][122]
Banks Peninsula	FPP	7	7 Independents	4 Positive Future   3 missing info	3,271 (51.9%)		[123][13][124][3]
Selwyn	FPP	10	11 Independents	10 Independents	6,405 (30.5%)		[125][13][126][3]
Ashburton	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	9,579 (49.8%)		[13][127]
Timaru	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	18,878 (58.6%)		[128][3]
Mackenzie	FPP	6	10 Independents	6 Independents	1,811 (66.3%)		[13][129]
Waimate	FPP	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	2,852 (53.4%)		[130][13][131][3]
Waitaki	FPP	10	15 Independents	10 missing info	9,555 (62.9%)		[132][13][3]
Central Otago	FPP	13	13 Independents	13 Independents	4,655 (39.0%)		[133][13][134][3]
Queenstown-Lakes	FPP	11	11 Independents	11 Independents	7,262 (50.3%)		[135][13][3]
Dunedin	STV	14	14 Independents	14 missing info	34,961 (41.4%)		[136][137][138]
Clutha	FPP	14	14 Independents	14 Independents	3,548 (29.3%)		[139][13][140][3]
Southland	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	3,966 (19.8%)		[141][13][3]
Gore	FPP	11	11 Independents	11 Independents	650 (7.1%)		[142][13][143][3]
Invercargill	FPP	12	12 Independents	12 Independents	20,311 (54.8%)		[13][144]
Chatham Islands	STV	8	8 Independents	8 Independents	253 (67.8%)		[13][3]
All 74 councils		819

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.)		Danny Simms (Ind.)		[27][26][13][28]
Whangarei	Craig Brown (Ind.)	Pamela Peters (Ind.)	Phil Halse (Ind.)		[4][29]
Kaipara	Graeme Ramsey (Ind.)	Peter King (Ind.)	Pauline Rose (Ind.)		[13][30][32]
Rodney	John Law (Ind.)		Larry Mitchell (Ind.)		[33][34]
Auckland City	John Banks (Ind.)	Dick Hubbard (Ind.)	John Banks (Ind.)	Details	[35][36]
North Shore	George Wood (Ind.)		Tony Holman (?)		[13][37][3][39]
Waitakere	Bob Harvey (Team West)		Vanessa Neeson (Ind.)		[41][13][40][42]
Manukau	Barry Curtis (Residents and Ratepayers)		Len Brown (Ind.)		[13][7][43][44]
Papakura	David Buist (Ind.)	John Robertson (Ind.)	Rick Pickard (Ind.)		[145][45][46]
Franklin	Heather Maloney (Ind.)	Mark Ball (Ind.)	Graeme Deighton (?)		[48][13][47][3][49]
Thames-Coromandel	Chris Lux (Ind.)	Phillipa Barriball (Ind.)	Sally Christie (Ind.)		[51][13][50][52]
Hauraki	Basil Morrison (Ind.)		Michael Hayden (Ind.)		[13][146][3][54]
Waikato	Peter Harris (Ind.)		Lesley Syme (?)		[13][147][3][55]
Matamata-Piako	Hugh Vercoe (Ind.)		Noel Harvey-Webb (Ind.)		[13][56][57]
Hamilton	David Braithwaite (Ind.)	Michael Redman (Ind.)	Martin Elliott (Ind.)		[58][148][60]
Waipa	Alan Livingston (Ind.)		Stephen Lee (Ind.)		[13][149][61]
Otorohanga	Eric Tait (Ind.)	Dale Williams (Ind.)	Sonya Hetet (Ind.)		[13][62][3][63]
South Waikato	Gordon Blake (Ind.)	Neil Sinclair (Ind.)	Frances Campbell (?)		[13][150][3][64]
Waitomo	Allan Andrews (Ind.)	Mark Ammon (Ind.)	Christine Chaplow (?)		[13][147][3][65]
Taupō	Clayton Stent (Ind.)		Christine McElwee (?)		[13][151][3][68]
Western Bay of Plenty	Graeme Weld (Ind.)		Margaret Murray-Benge (?)		[13][152][3][71]
Tauranga	Jan Beange (Ind.)	Stuart Crosby (Team Tauranga)	Jan Beange (?)		[153][154][155][156][157]
Rotorua Lakes	Grahame Hall (Ind.)	Kevin Winters (Ind.)	Trevor Maxwell (Ind.)		[13][158][3][74]
Whakatane	Colin Hammond (Ind.)	Colin Holmes (Ind.)	Colin Hammond (Ind.)		[13][75][3][76]
Kawerau	Malcolm Campbell (Ind.)		unopposed		[13][159][77]
Opotiki	John Forbes (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][78][3][160]
Gisborne	Meng Foon (Ind.)		Tony Evans (Ind.)		[80][81]
Wairoa	Les Probert (Ind.)		Gordon McIntyre (?)		[13][161][3][82]
Hastings	Lawrence Yule (Ind.)		unopposed		[13][83][84]
Napier	Barbara Arnott (Ind.)		Robin Gwynn (Ind.)		[85][86]
Central Hawke's Bay	Tim Gilbertson (Ind.)		unopposed		[13][162][87]
New Plymouth	Peter Tennent (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][16][163]
Stratford	Brian Jeffares (Ind.)		Milan Vukovich (?)		[13][164][88]
South Taranaki	Mary Bourke (Ind.)	Ross Dunlop (Ind.)	Jeffrey Ward (?)		[165][3][166]
Ruapehu	Sue Morris (Ind.)		Weston Kirton (Ind.)		[13][167][91]
Wanganui	Chas Poynter (Ind.)	Michael Laws (Vision Wanganui)	John Martin (Ind.)		[13][168][92]
Rangitikei	Bob Buchanan (Ind.)		John Vickers (Ind.)		[13][169][93]
Manawatu	Ian McKelvie (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][170][3][171]
Palmerston North	Mark Bell-Booth (Ind.)	Heather Tanguay (Ind.)	Mark Bell-Booth (Ind.)		[94][172][173]
Tararua	Maureen Reynolds (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][174]
Horowhenua	Tom Robinson (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][175]
Kapiti Coast	Iride McCloy (?)	Alan Milne (Ind.)	Nigel Wilson (Affordable Kapiti)		[13][95][96]
Porirua	Jenny Brash (Ind.)		Gregory Fortuin (?)		[97][98]
Upper Hutt	Wayne Guppy (Ind.)		Nicholas Kelly (Anti Capitalist Alliance)		[99][100]
Lower Hutt	John Terris (City Vision – Terris' Team)	David Ogden (Our City, Our Future)	John Terris (City Vision – Terris' Team)	Details	[101][102]
Wellington	Kerry Prendergast (Ind.)		Bryan Pepperell (Ind.)	Details	[103][104][105]
Masterton	Bob Francis (Ind.)		Rod McKenzie (?)		[13][176][3][106]
Carterton	Martin Tankersley (Ind.)	Gary McPhee (Ind.)	Martin Tankersley (Ind.)		[13][177][107]
South Wairarapa	John Read (Ind.)	Adrienne Staples (Ind.)	? (?)		[13][108][178]
Tasman	John Hurley (Ind.)		Richard Johns (?)		[13][179][109]
Nelson	Paul Matheson (Ind.)		Gary Watson (Ind.)		[13][180][3][110]
Marlborough	Tom Harrison (Ind.)	Alistair Sowman (Ind.)	Tom Harrison (Ind.)		[111][112]
Buller	Pat O'Dea (Ind.)	Martin Sawyers (Ind.)	? (?)		[13][181][3][182]
Grey	Kevin Brown (Ind.)		Kevin Brown (Ind.)		[183][3][113]
Westland	John Drylie (Ind.)	Maureen Pugh (Ind.)	Margaret Moir (Ind.)		[114][3][115]
Kaikoura	Jim Abernathy (Ind.)	Kevin Heays (Ind.)	Jim Abernathy (Ind.)		[13][184][3][116]
Hurunui	Tony Arps (Ind.)	Garry Jackson (Ind.)	Tony Arps (Ind.)		[117][3][118]
Waimakariri	Jim Gerard (Ind.)		unopposed		[13][119][3][120]
Christchurch	Garry Moore (Christchurch 2021)		Aaron Keown (Ind.)	Details	[185][186]
Banks Peninsula	Bob Parker (Positive Future)		Jo Rolley (?)		[13][123][3][124]
Selwyn	Michael McEvedy (Ind.)		unopposed		[13][125][3][126]
Ashburton	Murray Anderson (Ind.)	Bede O'Malley (Ind.)	Murray Anderson (Ind.)		[13][187][127]
Timaru	Wynne Raymond (Ind.)	Janie Annear (Ind.)	? (?)		[128][188]
Mackenzie	Stan Scorringe (Ind.)	Joel O'Neill (Ind.)	John Gallagher (Ind.)		[13][189][3][129]
Waimate	David Owen (Ind.)	John Coles (Ind.)	David Owen (Ind.)		[13][130][3][131]
Waitaki	Alan McLay (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][132][3][190]
Central Otago	Malcolm MacPherson (Ind.)		Edna McAtamney (?)		[13][133][3][134]
Queenstown-Lakes	Cleve Geddes (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][135][191]
Dunedin	Sukhi Turner (Ind.)	Peter Chin (Ind.)	Malcom Farry (?)	Details	[192][136][3][138]
Clutha	Juno Hayes (Ind.)		Bryan Cadogan (?)		[13][139][3][140]
Southland	Frana Cardno (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][141][3][193]
Gore	Owen O'Connor (Ind.)	Tracy Hicks (Ind.)	Jeffrey Cunningham (?)		[13][142][3][143]
Invercargill	Tim Shadbolt (Ind.)		Alan Swallow (Ind.)	Details	[13][194][3][144]
Chatham Islands	Patrick Smith (Ind.)		? (?)		[13][3][195]

District health boards

Elections for the 21 district health boards (DHBs) were first held alongside the 2001 local elections. The government had hoped to use the STV voting method from the start but this could not be achieved and in 2001, first-past-the-post voting (FPP) was used based on local wards.^[196] For the 2004 elections, the STV method was used. From 2004 onwards, DHB candidates have been elected at large (i.e. across the whole voting area).^[197]

Analysis

Aftermath