772 days ago

A mix of new and familiar faces as election results finalised

Darren Petry from Taupō District Council

With all votes counted, the 2022 Taupō District Council election results have been finalised.

There are no changes to the make-up of the council from the progress results published on Saturday 8 October. Taupō District Mayor David Trewavas returns for a fourth term with a final count of 6601 votes.

The other two mayoral candidates, Christine Rankin and Sean Wakelin, finished on 4762 and 1205 votes respectively. Christine Rankin was re-elected as a councillor.

Mr Trewavas says he is looking forward to coming together as a team with the councillors.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to represent this wonderful district for another term,” he says.

“We have a great mix of experienced councillors and new faces. They come from all walks of life which helps ensure a balance of stability and fresh ideas.

“Just like in previous years, we won’t always agree on everything, but robust, respectful and constructive discussion is all part of the process.”

Mr Trewavas says he is looking forward to seeing the completion of several projects, including the Taupō Town Centre Transformation, the new Taupō Airport terminal and the Waiora House rebuild.

The seven successful candidates for the Taupō ward are Christine Rankin, Yvonne Westerman, Kevin Taylor, Anna Park, John Williamson, Rachel Shepherd and Duncan Campbell.

In the new Te Papamārearea Māori ward, Karam Fletcher and Danny Aperahama Loughlin are the successful candidates.

Kylie Leonard for the Taupō East Rural ward and Kirsty Trueman for the Mangakino-Pouakani ward were both re-elected unopposed.

The successful candidate for the Tūrangi-Tongariro ward is Sandra Greenslade.

New councillor Karam Fletcher is one of the first councillors elected to represent Te Papamārearea Māori ward.

“I’m incredibly humbled and I’m also mindful that this is my first time standing,” Mr Fletcher says. “To get in on the first go obviously means there is a wealth of support behind me and that definitely doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m excited about the prospect of working with the other successful candidates over the next three years.

“I’ve always said it’s important to have Māori representation at the decision-making table and the Māori ward is a step in allowing that to happen. I do believe as a council we are already moving forward with the likes of the co-governance agreement with Ngāti Tūrangitukua. Ultimately, it’s what is best for our community, ensuring everyone is represented.”

On receiving the news he had been elected, he says he had “prepared for the worst but hoped for the best”.

“I was really, really happy. My wife was ecstatic and we had a few friends and whānau around to celebrate what, for me, is an amazing achievement and I’m mindful that I wouldn’t be here without all of their support.”

Another new face at the council table is Rachel Shepherd who says she felt a mixture of emotions when she found out she had been elected.

“I was really excited but also a bit nervous as well because I take the position really seriously, the responsibility of it. It was nervous excitement.

“There are a lot of projects going on and where I fit in will be somewhat dependent on what I learn as I go through the induction process. My focus has always been around supporting local business, I’m a commercial property manager, but I’m also really heavily involved in our local volunteer groups and community organisations, so that’s where my focus will be.”

The elected members come into office tomorrow, Saturday 15 October, but cannot act until they make their formal declarations at the inaugural council meeting to be held on Thursday 27 October.

View the full election results at www.taupo.govt.nz....

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More messages from your neighbours
2 days ago

Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.

When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?

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Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
  • 83.3% Yes
    83.3% Complete
  • 14.3% No
    14.3% Complete
  • 2.4% Other - I'll share below
    2.4% Complete
1143 votes
10 hours ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

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This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

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5 days ago

What's your favourite tomato recipe?

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Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.

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