Mahé Drysdale to become mayor of the city

Tauranga’s new mayor, Mahé Drysdale, is “excited and intimidated” to be leading New Zealand’s fifth-largest city.

Preliminary results of the Tauranga local elections were published this afternoon, with 82% of the votes cast. The preliminary results are expected to be updated tomorrow afternoon, with the final results expected next week.

According to votes received by 5pm yesterday, Drysdale has 13,419 votes, Greg Brownless 8,577, Tina Salisbury 7,145 and Ria Hall 5,740.

As of Friday, the number of votes cast was 33,998, with special votes and those cast on Saturday still being counted.

Two former councillors have been re-elected to the wards, early results show. Pāpāmoa Ward Councillor Steve Morris served on the council that was recalled in 2019. Arataki Ward Councillor Rick Curach will serve his seventh term on the council after failing to do so in 2019.

Drysdale, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in rowing, said he was looking forward to working with the nine councillors he will lead.

“It’s a little bit different than usual, in the past when I achieved something that was the end of a journey, whereas in this case it’s more like the beginning.

“We have very good talent.”

The progress results showed people wanted Tauranga to move forward, Drysdale said.

“I’m very pleased that the voters have elected a group of very fine people. I look forward to working with them.”

“I’m excited to start from scratch and work in local government in a different way, interacting with the community and meeting their expectations.”

Drysdale said the campaign was different than he expected because he thought it would be “more offensive and negative.” This was despite concerns from some people about his Cambridge residency and accusations from fellow mayoral candidate and uncle Doug Owens that he was supported by the Urban Task Force (UTF), a local real estate group.

Drysdale previously told the Bay of Plenty Times that UTF had not contributed to his election campaign.

“What people tell me is that this is a great city and we just need to move forward and improve some of those little issues that can make the city great.”

These problems included traffic and congestion and the failure of the previous council to take action.

“We have made plans after plans, and now we are going to do something about it, so that we don’t keep putting off the problem any longer.”

Asked how he planned to celebrate, Drysdale said he would reunite the team that helped him win and hope to catch up with some of the other winning candidates.

“It won’t be a big celebration because we have a lot of work to do.”

Results of neighborhood progress

In district races, progress results indicate that the following candidates are leading:

Te Awanui: Mikaere Sydney, 1153 votes

Arataki:Rick Curach, 1514 votes

Belen: Kevin “Herb” Schuler, 1916 votes

Matua-Otūmoetai: Glen Crowther, 1886 votes

Mauao/Mount Maunganui: Jen Scoular, 1594 votes

Papamoa: Steve Morris, 1058 votes

Dad: Rod Taylor, 1015 votes

Tauriko: Marten Rozeboom, 1735 votes

Welcome to Bay: Hautapu Baker, 2018 votes

Drysdale, who became a financial adviser after retiring from the sport, said he was focused on the future and wanted to lead a new generation of strong, responsible leaders who would create a modern and attractive city.

Raised in Tauranga and living in Cambridge, he said the impact of population growth, major infrastructure development and inner-city redevelopment were issues the new council would need to address.

Drysdale said he would take a multi-pronged approach to address Tauranga’s housing shortage.

“I would like to encourage the development of high-density housing in and around Tauranga city centre, helping to bring vitality back to the city,” he previously told Local Democracy Reporting.

“It is important that the council has a robust plan, is efficient in processing and cuts red tape to enable people to implement the plan as easily, efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.”

The 45-year-old is married to Juliette and they have three children aged 4, 7 and 9. He works at Forsyth Barr in Tauranga two days a week and said he has seen first-hand the challenges facing Tauranga.

Drysdale is the grandson of Sir Robert (Bob) Owens, who was Mayor of Tauranga from 1968 to 1977 and Mayor of the Mount Maunganui District from 1971 to 1974.

This is the first Tauranga City Council election since 2019, and the elected group will serve a four-year term – a first for New Zealand.

In another first, the city will elect a Maori ward councillor who will serve alongside a mayor and at-large ward councillors in what many have framed as a return to democracy for New Zealand’s fifth-largest city.

The 2019 council was dismissed and replaced by government-appointed commissioners in 2021 after a tumultuous start to the term raised governance concerns.

The then Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta appointed four commissioners to lead the council: former National Party minister Anne Tolley as chair, with Bill Wasley, Stephen Selwood and Shadrach Rolleston.

None of the commissioners ran for office this election, but six 2019 council members ran again.

In total, 75 candidates raised their hands, 15 of them mayoral candidates. Voters ranked their top choices using the single transferable vote system.

The new council will take charge of a rapidly growing city with a housing shortage of 5,500 people and projected to continue growing, New Zealand’s biggest port, traffic congestion and the least affordable housing of any major centre. Commissioners have planned about $4.9 billion in capital expenditure over the next decade.

Premier Christopher Luxon has identified the city as an early option for a city-region deal, committing to a long-term investment partnership with the Government.

– Additional reporting Bay of Plenty Times

Local Democracy Reporting is a local journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air