WikiMini

2025 New Plymouth District Council election

2025 New Plymouth District Council election
← 2022 11 October 2025 2028 →
TurnoutTBD
Mayoral election
Mayor before election

Neil Holdom
Independent

Elected mayor

TBD

Council election
All 14 ward seats on the New Plymouth District Council
Incumbents before election
Affiliation Seats ±
  Independents 14
First preference vote share of elected councillors by ward


The 2025 New Plymouth District Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the New Plymouth District of New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of New Plymouth, 14 district councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the New Plymouth District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable voting system will be used.

The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; its future will be decided in a referendum on the issue, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums.

Key dates

[edit]
  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
  • 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
  • 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
  • 16–19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1][2][3]

Background

[edit]

Positions up for election

[edit]

Voters in the district will elect the mayor of New Plymouth, 14 councillors from 5 wards, and the members of five community boards (Clifton, Inglewood, Kaitake, Puketapu-Bell Block, and Waitara).[2] They will also elect members of the Taranaki Regional Council.[a][4]

Campaign

[edit]

List of candidates

[edit]

Incumbents not seeking re-election

[edit]

Mayor

[edit]
Candidate[10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Sam Bennett Independent Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022. Incumbent councillor for the at-large ward.[12][13] Also running for re-election as a councillor.
Max Brough Independent Incumbent at-large councillor.[13] Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2019.[14]
David Bublitz Independent Incumbent deputy mayor and Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward councillor.[13][15] Also running to be a councillor for the at-large ward.
Graham Chard None Incumbent chair of the Kaitake Community Board.[16] Also running to be a councillor for the Kaitake Ngāmotu ward.
Sarah Lucas None Inglewood community board member.[17] Also running to be a councillor for the Kōhanga Moa general ward.
Greg Mackay None Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2019 and 2022.[18] Also running as a councillor in the at-large ward.
Peter Marra None Also running as a councillor in the Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward
Bill Simpson None Also running to be a councillor for the North general ward
John Woodward Independent Former police officer. Also running to be a councillor for the at-large ward.[19]

Withdrawn

[edit]
  • Murray Chong, incumbent councillor for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu ward,[13] had indicated in May that he would run for the mayoralty,[20] but is instead just running for re-election as a councillor.[21]
  • Murray "Mullet Muzz" McDowell, had previously indicated that he would run for the mayoralty,[12] but is instead just running to be elected as a councillor for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu ward.[21]

Councillors

[edit]

Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori ward

[edit]

Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori ward will return one councillor to the district council.[2]

Candidate[22][10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Te Waka McLeod None Incumbent councillor since 2022[23]
Peter Moeahu None Taranaki iwi representative and father of councillor Dinnie Moeahu[24][23]

Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward

[edit]

Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward will return six councillors to the district council.[2]

Candidate[22][10] Affiliation[b] Notes
EJ Barrett None Disabilities advocate[21]
Gordon Brown Independent Incumbent councillor since 2013,[13] and former journalist.[21] Running again after initially indicating that he would not run for re-election.[5][25][26][21]
Peter Buis None
Graham Chard None Incumbent chair of the Kaitake Community Board.[16] Also running for mayor.[21]
Ewen Darling None
Damon Fox ACT Local Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) clinician[27]
Moira Irving George None Former Taranaki Regional councillor[28]
Ross Johnston None
Lani Mackie-Hunt None [21]
Peter Marra None Also running for mayor
Mullet Muzz McDowell None Former truck and trailor operator. Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[12][21]
Michael Morresey None Known as the "Flag Man". Chairperson of Hope Walk New Plymouth/Taranaki Charitable Trust.[21]
Michael Paul O'Sullivan Independent
David Payne None
Adrian Sole None
Craig Tonkin None
Nikki Truman None
Bryan Vickery None Incumbent councillor,[13] and former broadcaster[21]
Kerry Vosseler None Former owner of Chaos Cafe[21]

Kōhanga Moa general ward

[edit]

Kōhanga Moa general ward will return one councillor to the district council.[2]

Candidate[22][10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Jeremy Brooking None
Christine Fabish None Incumbent chairperson of the Inglewood community board[16]
Sarah Lucas None Incumbent member of the Inglewood community board.[16] Also running for mayor.

North general ward

[edit]

North general ward will return one councillor to the district council.[2]

Candidate[22][10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Gina Alicia Blackburn None
Ian Cummings Independent
Dayna Brent Jury None
Jonathan Marshall Independent Incumbent chair of the Waitara community board[16]
Jane Parker-Bishop None Incumbent deputy chairperson of the Waitara community board[16]
Bill Simpson None Previously ran for council in 2022.[29] Also running for mayor.

At-large ward

[edit]

Five councillors will be elected at-large to the district council.[2]

Candidate[22][10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Sam Bennett Independent Incumbent councillor.[13] Also running for mayor.[12]
David Bublitz Independent Incumbent deputy mayor and councillor.[13] Also running for mayor.
Simon Chadwick None
Murray Chong None Incumbent councillor.[13]
Shaun Clare None
Amanda Clinton-Gohdes None Incumbent councillor[13]
Mark Coster Independent
Steve Francis None
Teresa Goodin None
Tina Koch None
Debbie Hancock Independent
Nigel Jones None
Greg Mackay None Also running for mayor
Dinnie Moeahu None Incumbent councillor[13]
Sarah Sutherland None
Wayne Williamson None
John Woodward Independent Former police officer. Also running for mayor[19]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^
    • 5 members from the district in the New Plymouth general constituency
    • 2 members from the district in the North Taranaki general constituency
    • 1 member partially from the district in the Taranaki Māori constituency.
  2. ^ a b c d e f A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party. New Plymouth District Council does not allow election slogans to be used for the affiliation.[11]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "TIMETABLE | WĀTAKA" (PDF). www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "FACT SHEET | WHĀRANGI MEKA" (PDF). www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Elections timeline". www.trc.govt.nz. Taranaki Regional Council. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions – local elections". www.trc.govt.nz. Taranaki Regional Council. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e McLean, Glenn (29 April 2025). "List of councillors not standing grows around NPDC table". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
  6. ^ Groenestein, Catherine (21 October 2019). "New councillor wins seat on New Plymouth District Council by a three-vote margin". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  7. ^ McLean, Glenn (16 July 2025). "Harry Duynhoven calls time on political career". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  8. ^ McLean, Glenn (30 July 2025). "New Plymouth mayor to retire from politics in October". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  9. ^ Harvey, Helen (31 December 2024). "Recognition for a small town's champion". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 12 May 2025.(subscription required)
  10. ^ a b c d e f "NOTICE OF DAY OF ELECTION AND POLL FOR THE NEW PLYMOUTH DISTRICT COUNCIL" (PDF). www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  11. ^ "2025 CANDIDATE INFORMATION HANDBOOK" (PDF). www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. p. 13. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d Johnston, Will (1 March 2025). "Bennett first to put hand up for New Plymouth mayoralty". Taranaki Daily News. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Mayor and councillors". www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
  14. ^ McLean, Glenn (28 June 2025). "Brough makes second bid for New Plymouth mayoralty". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  15. ^ McLean, Glenn (1 August 2025). "Bublitz grabs at chance to move up from being deputy". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  16. ^ a b c d e f "Community board members". www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  17. ^ McLean, Glenn (20 June 2025). "Add the name Sarah Lucas to the New Plymouth mayoralty race". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
  18. ^ "No female candidate for New Plymouth mayoral elections". RNZ. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
  19. ^ a b McLean, Glenn (20 June 2025). "Mayoral candidate wants better council communication". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  20. ^ MacLean, Glenn (14 May 2025). "Another crack at New Plymouth mayoralty for Murray Chong". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 14 May 2025.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Martin, Robin (4 August 2025). "Colourful characters go head-to-head for seat on New Plymouth council". RNZ. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  22. ^ a b c d e "Candidates". www.npdc.govt.nz. New Plymouth District Council. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  23. ^ a b Ashworth, Craig (6 July 2025). "Shaky seat to vote future vs history". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  24. ^ McLean, Glenn. "Moeahu Sr to stand for New Plymouth council". The Post. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  25. ^ Martin, Robin (8 October 2024). "Taranaki 'unitary council' a 'no-brainer', councillor says". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  26. ^ McLean, Glenn (2 August 2025). "NPDC nominations close: Brown has late change of heart". Taranaki Daily News. The Post. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  27. ^ ACT New Zealand (25 June 2025). "Local Addictions Clinician, Damon Fox, Selected As ACT Local Candidate For New Plymouth District Council Election". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  28. ^ George, Moira (9 July 2025). ""Stay In Your Lane," Says NPDC Candidate Moira George" (Press release). Scoop. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  29. ^ Smith, Blanton (7 October 2022). "The council candidate who can't vote for himself". Stuff. Retrieved 30 July 2025.