Today Auckland gets a new Mayor and at least three new Councillors. As of the time this post goes up there’s only half an hour left to cast a vote. If you haven’t yet voted and still want to you better get moving fast.  Results start coming through from 2pm and if it’s anything like last time, most outcomes should be mostly known within a couple of hours.

Voting returns as of yesterday are tracking at the abysmal level of just 35.2%, only slightly above the 2013 results for the same time. Voting is also tracking behind other major cities in NZ with results for Wellington City Council tracking at 40% and Christchurch City Council slightly ahead at 36%.

votes-received-compared-to-previous-years-to-oct-07

And here are this year’s results by council ward. Orakei currently has the highest percentage of votes returned at 44.2%. Voting in South Auckland is particularly low and currently below 30%

votes-received-by-ward-to-oct-07

Once the results start coming through we’ll update this post to keep track of how things are going.

There will of course be some things we’re keeping a close eye on. A few include:

  • Most expect Phil Goff to win and if that happens, just how big will the margin be?
  • How will Chloe Swarbrick do, could she end up third?
  • Will Mark Thomas, who has put in a huge effort in getting around the region, get fewer votes than Penny Bright as polls have indicated?
  • Who will be the minimum of three new Councillors and will any sitting Councillors be voted out?

And a few predictions to be judged in a few hour’s time. There is nothing to base this on other than gut feel but some are much harder than others

Mayor: Phil Goff

Councillors

  • Rodney: Penny Webster
  • Albany: This might be the hardest to pick of all races. I’m going to pick John Watson and Graeme Lowe
  • North Shore: I think Chris Darby should win but the second seat is a tough one. Perhaps Grant Gillon will edge out the other contenders.
  • Waitakere: I suspect Penny Hulse and Linda Cooper will be re-elected once again.
  • Whau: Ross Clow to retain the seat
  • Waitemata: I think Mike Lee will hold his seat but not by anywhere near the margin he’s had before.
  • Albert-Eden-Roskill: The two incumbents of Cathy Casey and Christine Fletcher to retain their seats
  • Orakei: Desley Simpson will likely easily win this
  • Maungakiekie-Tamaki: Denise Krum to remain
  • Howick: There have been some good new faces in the campaign but I suspect the existing Councillors of Dick Quax and Sharon Stewart will hold on.
  • Manukau: Alf Filipaina and Efeso Collins to win the seat
  • Manurewa-Papakura: The two sitting Councillors of Calum Penrose and Sir John Walker to retain their seats
  • Franklin: Bill Cashmore has already been re-elected unopposed

Put your picks in the comments (before the results)

I’ll probably also keep an eye on some results from other locations – such as Wellington which is also getting a new Mayor and has had a lot of potential candidates standing, many of whom have stood on platforms of backing big roading investments.

Update

Results are here.

Phil Goff wins by a large margin

2016-auckland-mayoral-result

Looks like we’ll have quite a few changes for the council with a few sitting Councillors being beaten. Peliminary results for wards are

  • Rodney: Greg Sayers has tipped out Penny Webster by a large margin
  • Albany: John Watson and Wayne Walker have both retained their seats
  • North Shore: Chris Darby wins easily and Richard Hills is just ahead of Grant Gillon. It’s going to come down to special votes.
  • Waitakere: Penny Hulse and Linda Cooper are both re-elected.
  • Whau: Ross Clow wins again
  • Waitemata: Mike Lee wins but sees his margin reduced.
  • Albert-Eden-Roskill: Cathy Casey and Christine Fletcher both easily win seats
  • Orakei: Desley Simpson was always likely to win
  • Maungakiekie-Tamaki: Denise Krum wins easily, this was a close election in 2013
  • Howick: Dick Quax and Sharon Stewart are way ahead in votes to their rivals
  • Manukau: Alf Filipaina and Efeso Collins win the two seat
  • Manurewa-Papakura: Daniel Newman and Sir John Walker win, tipping out Calum Penrose
  • Franklin: Bill Cashmore who was elected unopposed
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37 comments

  1. Wow those voting returns for the west and south are really low. That suggests a much closer mayoral race.

    Don’t count Crone out quite yet.

    1. I think the problem for Crone is that whilst she might get close she won’t get over the line because there were other candidates on the right that will split the vote. Let’s hope we can get STV for the next election.

      1. Nope. Add Palino and Thomas to Crone and still nowhere. Especially as to do that you really need to add Swarbrick to Goff’s number too. It’s still a near 2:1 progressive to dreary ratio.

        It seems the old C+R cry of do nothing, change nothing, spend nothing, is a completely lost platform in Auckland at this level.

        1. Disappointed in the continuing infestation in Maungakiekie-Tamaki – who are these kowtowing Orakei wannabes

          Denise Krum crowed about her part in getting Onehunga Panuku designated, will be interesting to hear what she’s got to say now

        2. Patrick Cummuskey gave it a good go, about 1/2 of Krum’s vote. Does anyone know what he thought of the East-West Connection? I didn’t get a chance to find that out in time before voting.

    1. I’ve been very disappointed by Mike Lee recently Doloras but as I have said previously politics is invariably a choice of the least worst option. Ralston is by some margin, the worst.

      1. Partly true. In FPP elections you generally choose between least bad centrist option.

        STV elections, however, allow you to express you preferences more fully.

  2. Thanks for the results. To simplify things can someone post a list of new Councillors (including Goff) and councillors from the previous council who lost (such as Penny Webster) or retired (such as Len brown)

  3. So… Now for Mr Goff to select a deputy mayor – I really hope that he taps Chloe on the shoulder… Given some hardcore practical experience she’s definitely a strong future contender… Will he mentor a future challenger (considering how he was back-stabbed in Labour), or somebody “safe”?

    Also, I’d expect that Chloe would have some chance of swaying Phil, where his policy left room for improvement.

    1. Jon, if she’s not elected, she can’t be deputy mayor, that position can only be drawn from elected councillors

      but Darby and Hills for the Shore is a great outcome, hopefully Grant Gillon doesn’t make up the gap on specials

  4. Rodney explainer: Webster may have been a good ‘regional’ Councillor but she neglected the local, highlighting the design tension in the Governing Body: you are required to govern regionally but you are voted in locally. She had a low profile campaign – almost non-existent. Small, badly designed billboards and not many of them. Maybe she was more present in the north of Rodney, but she was almost invisible in the west.

    Rodney is experiencing huge growth but the AT and Council ‘build first then we’ll do the infrastructure’ has locals pissed off.

    So when Webster was challenged by someone who hit lots of local hot buttons, and who had lots of billboards and lots of facebook presence, no surprise he did well.

    Cameron Brewer got in on the coat tails of the truly awesome Phelan Pirrie, surely a candidate for the best local board member in all of Auckland. Pirrie wanted a ticket of people as he was sick of trying to get stuff done when other board members didn’t turn up/ didn’t read paperwork/ didn’t do anything. The Rodney First ticket was very professional with their campaign, had lots of billboards, and flooded facebook community pages. Local organisations such as residents groups in the Kumeu subdivision said we don’t usually endorse candidates but we want you all to vote for Pirrie… Brewer benefitted from all the hard work Pirrie has put in over the last three years. Not sure he would have done so well otherwise.

    1. Yes Brewer just had to rid the coat tails and keep his mouth shut. Pirrie does seem to know what he’s doing.

    2. “Build it first, then we’ll do the infrastructure”. There in lies Aucklands next big problem. With all the residential development in Rodney there is cars, cars and more cars. It is 1950’s in its planning. The PT is so half arsed and such a sop it almost pointless but there is virtually no vision anywhere to look at what is just on the horizon, more gridlock, just a bit further north.

      Again it’s politicians going for the quick poll driven solutions of more housing and who gives a shit about silly little things like infrastructure that require long term planning and commitment.

      Central government needs to be directly connected here and not just more bloody motorways before any new mayor will get traction but that will take a change of government first.

    3. Spot on response Julienne. The Auckland Council election has brought a few unexpected changes to West Rodney. Here are a few hints to the newly elected members:

      Greg Sayers. Since Rodney District began we have needed to convince our elected officials that Western Rodney actually exists, that it is not all about the East Coast. Feel free to pop over some time and see the wonders we have to offer. Be careful when you ask for Rodney rates to be spent in Rodney. Our rates have barely moved under Auckland Council and we like it that way. We still can’t get anything done but that was the case under Rodney District Council anyhow.

      Our Local Board. Brenda Steele. Your efforts have been rewarded by re-election. Well done. The other three stood on a “ticket” and that is historically a key to success. Don’t abuse it. If you don’t make the effort you won’t be re-elected. I did vote for Phelan as he has worked hard but I ‘m not that comfortable about someone who’s politics has changed from Labour to Act.

      Here are some ideas for you all to think about.

      Transport. With the exception of a Kumeu bypass we don’t need any more roads. Kumeu-Huapai is a planning and development disaster so if we can just drive past that would be great. You may have noticed a really good railway line capable of moving thousands of people but with no trains. Please lend your support to a rail shuttle from Swanson to at least Huapai initially. If all of you pressure Auckland Transport for some decent public transport that would help make it happen.

      Growth: Riverhead and Kumeu, Huapai is exploding. Helensville isn’t and has plenty of space. Let’s have some planned expansion and with it job creation so we don’t all need to commute.

      Above all can we not sweat the small stuff and show some good leadership and long term vision for Western Rodney.

  5. Dolores waIitemata turn out isn’t low. Some wards are two councillors while others are one, this changes total votes cast

    1. Waitemata is underrepresented at council level, with significantly more people per councillor than in other wards. Therefore it follows there should be many more votes cast per councillor.

  6. I really hope Richard Hills edges Grant Gillon. The North Shore deserves someone who’s not totally opposed to the Unitary Plan.

  7. The manurewa-papakura result is interesting. There are now two representatives for manurewa. The local board was trying to get rid of john walker but instead got rid of Calum PenroseI really wonder if john walker health is up to the job or we will end up with a by election in 18 to 24 months.
    In the local press Calum penrose said one of the big achievements was the Mill Rd project, could the result be seen as a public backlash against the project? Or is it something else, perhaps a local feeling that there representatives were not doing a lot for either manurewa or papakura?

    1. Attack politics by Danni and those he commands resulted in Calum Penrose being tufted out as he was the clear threat to the Manurewa Action Team. Our rates never increased by 9.9% and neither did Danni’s, yet that was there policy.

      I refused to vote for someone on the Local Board who does not live in the area, yet 1st and 3rd place went to outsiders.

      Credible result for the Labour team on their first outing and something to build on in three years’ time.

      Danella and Michael paid the price for questioning the established dogma.

      1. I’m not sure where john walker lives but the other guy has worked in manurewa as a real estate agent. So he does have a connection to the ward.
        One of the problems was a lack of choice in the manurewa-papakura ward. There were three candidates and two positions. I wonder why penrose was tossed instead of john walker?
        I did not vote for sir John walker because of his health issues and my concerns about him being able to fight for issues important to the south.
        Will it be the case that South Auckland will be ignored more and more?

        1. Never heard any rumours about Danni being a real estate agent. Where did you hear this? He is a serial politician who is unwanted by Labour and National.

  8. Low voter turnout again. If only about 35% of the electorate can be bothered voting the other 65% shouldn’t bother complaining if council make decisions they don’t agree with.

    1. I wonder how many did not get any voting papers? I did not received any and a few people I talked to didn’t either.

      I am not one of those people that move lots or shifted address recently. My rates show up ok, I was enrolled correctly but my neighbours and no one living at my house received any papers.
      I did go into town and vote but I wonder how many people did that?

      Would it be a good idea to set up voting places and places where student could enroll at Uni and polytechs? Would that be an easier solution?
      Did the low voter turnout out have any significant impact on the results?
      Or did the lack of clear messages about the problems in Auckland and what each canadiate would do about it turn voters off?
      The only really good summary of candidates and issues I saw was generation zero summary.

  9. Hopefully Goff will be able to lobby Central Government more effectively in introducing more demand- side measures to mitigate the Auckland housing crisis.

  10. Hopefully Council will be a better place too; the veterans more like elder statesmen/women, and the new players, even those ‘in opposition’ to the mayor, more respectful and positive where they can be… well we live in hope.

  11. great result for the Shore, Richard Hills confirmed as councillor, his lead over Gillon slightly reduced

    so Darby and Hills, a bit of a dream team

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