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The Hibiscus Coast subdivision of our local board features experienced member Janet Fitzgerald and three members of the Coast People and Penlink First team Andy Dunn, Gary Brown and Leanne Willis.
In an exact repeat of the 2016 local body election result, sitting councillors John Watson and Wayne Walker have been re-elected to represent Albany Ward and three of the four local board candidates (all new to politics) that were with them in the Coast People & Penlink First team have been elected also – with Janet Fitzgerald taking up the remaining spot.
This will be the third term on Auckland Council for Watson and the fourth for Walker. Both were previously on the former Rodney District Council and Watson also served a term on the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.
With special votes still to be counted, both councillors got significantly more votes than last election – Watson gained 28,073 votes – almost 9000 more than last time, and Walker 24,371 – around 6500 more. Nipping at their heels was former chair of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board, Julia Parfitt, with 19,884 votes. Parfitt was returned to represent the East Coast Bays subdivision of the local board.
New faces around local board table
There will be an interesting new dynamic on the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board, following a split in voter allegiances.
After more than a decade in local body politics, Janet Fitzgerald was returned again to serve on the Hibiscus Coast subdivision of the local board, with the highest number of votes – 7453. However, none of her supporting Positively Penlink team was elected to the board. Instead, three members of the opposing Coast People & Penlink First team will join Fitzgerald – Gary Brown (who had the second largest number of votes), Andy Dunn and Leanne Willis. All three are new to politics.
The other four members of the local board represent East Coast Bays. Julia Parfitt and Gary Holmes, who were previously on the board, will be joined by two new members, Alexis Poppelbaum and Victoria Short.
The new local board will be sworn in on October 30.
Note: As Hibiscus Matters went to print, a large number of special votes were still to be added to the totals. More than 6000 special votes were received – 2000 more than last election. Final figures, after Friday October 18, are at voteauckland.co.nz
Voter turnout slightly down
Local Government NZ figures show that nationwide turnout for the local body elections was around 41.4 percent.
Overall voter turnout in Auckland was slightly down on last election – 34.76 percent before special votes are counted, compared with just over 38 percent in 2016.
The Hibiscus Coast and Rodney local board electoral areas were among the highest for voter turnout – 41.1 percent for the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board area (Hibiscus Coast subdivision) and 46.6 percent in the Rodney Local Board area (Warkworth subdivision).
Both these are down on last election, when the figures were 45.2 percent for Hibiscus and 53.1 percent for Rodney.
Island voters again turned out in the highest numbers – Waiheke 52 percent and Aotea/Great Barrier 63.5 percent.
