2025 Hutt City Council election
11 October 2025
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Mayoral election | ||||||||||||||||||
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13 seats on the Hutt City Council 7 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | ||||||||||||||||||
The 2025 Hutt City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters elected the mayor of Lower Hutt, 13 city councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the Hutt City Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
Ken Laban was elected as mayor, becoming New Zealand's first Pasifika mayor.
The council voted to introduce a Māori ward at this election. In a referendum on its future held at this election, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums, voters elected to keep the Māori ward.
A majority of voters also voted in favour of exploring amalgamation with the Wellington, Upper Hutt, Porirua and Greater Wellington councils, in an indicative poll on the issue.
Key dates
- 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates opened
- 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates closed at 12 pm
- 9 September 2025: Voting documents were posted and voting opened
- 11 October 2025: Voting closed at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results were published
- 16–19 October 2025: Final results were declared.[1][2]
Background
Positions up for election
Voters in the city elected the mayor of Lower Hutt, 12 city councillors from 7 wards, and the members of two community boards (Eastbourne and Wainuiomata).[3] They also elected several members of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.[a][4]
Representation review
Following the recommendations of an independent panel,[5] The council decided to increase the number of councillors elected from the general wards from six to seven, decrease the number of councillors elected from the at-large ward from six to five, and to disestablish the Petone, Wainuiomata and Eastbourne community boards.[6] However, a review of these proposals by the Local Government Commission determined that the Wainuiomata and Eastbourne community boards would remain and only the Petone community board would be disestablished.[7][8]
Māori wards referendum
The council voted in 2023 to establish a Māori ward for the 2025 elections.[9]
The National-led coalition government passed legislation on Māori wards in July 2024, which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies; The council voted to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 elections.[10][11]
Amalgamation referendum
There will be an indicative referendum alongside the election regarding potential amalgamation of the council with Wellington City Council, Upper Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.[12][13][3]
Campaign
List of candidates
Incumbents not seeking re-election
- Campbell Barry, mayor since 2019[14][15]
- Josh Briggs, councillor since 2016[16][17]
- Gabriel Tupou, councillor since 2022, is instead standing for Greater Wellington Regional Council[18]
Mayor
Incumbent mayor Campbell Barry decided not to seek re-election for a third term as mayor.[19][20] Four candidates are contesting the position:
- Brady Dyer, incumbent councillor for the at-large ward since 2019.[21][22]
- Ken Laban, Greater Wellington regional councillor for the Lower Hutt constituency since 2013 and former mayoral candidate in 2007.[23]
- Karen Morgan, incumbent councillor for the at-large ward since 2022 and former principal of Taita College.[24]
- Prabha Ravi, 2022 council candidate for the United Hutt ticket and founder and artistic director of Natraj School of Dance.[25]
Councillors
Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori ward
Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori ward will return one councillor to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Te Awa Puketapu | Tangata Whenua | Incumbent chair of the Wainuiomata community board[28] | |
As the only candidate, Puketapu is elected unopposed as the inaugural Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori ward councillor.[29]
Western ward
The Western ward will return one councillor to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Parkin | None | Incumbent councillor.[16] Green endorsed.[30] | |
| Robbie Schneider | Independent | ||
Northern ward
The Northern ward will return two councillors to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andy Mitchell | Independent | Incumbent councillor for the Eastern ward[16] | |
| Naomi Shaw | None | Incumbent councillor[16] | |
As the number of candidates did not exceed the number of positions available, Mitchell and Shaw are re-elected.[29]
Central ward
The Central ward will return two councillors to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glenda Barratt | Independent | Incumbent councillor[16] | |
| Rodney Cook | None | ||
| Simon Edwards | Independent | Incumbent councillor since 2016[16] | |
| Neelu Jennings | Greens | [31] | |
| Paki Maaka | Independent | ||
| George Mackay | Independent | ||
| Tim McNamara | WITHDRAWN | ||
Harbour ward
The Harbour ward will return one councillor to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tui Lewis | Independent | Incumbent deputy mayor[16] | |
As the only candidate, Lewis is re-elected unopposed.[29]
Wainuiomata ward
The Wainuiomata ward will return one councillor to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keri Brown | Labour | Incumbent councillor[16] | |
As the only candidate, Brown is re-elected unopposed.[29]
At-large ward
Five councillors will be elected at-large to the city council.[1]
| Candidate[26] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sherry Antony | Independent | ||
| Brady Dyer | Independent | Incumbent councillor.[16] Also running for mayor. | |
| Andrew Gavriel | Independent | ||
| Jonathon Gilbert | The Security Noticeboard | ||
| Semi Kuresa | None | ||
| Suzanne Levy | Independent | Member of Speak up for Women, Anti-Trans Group.[32] | |
| Kath McGuinness | Independent | ||
| Chris Paul | Independent | ||
| Prabha Ravi | Independent | Previously ran for election as a councillor for the at-large ward in 2022. Also running for mayor.[33] | |
| Tony Stallinger | Independent | Incumbent councillor[16] | |
| Mele Tonga-Grant | None | ||
| Karen (Kaz) Yung | Independent | Incumbent deputy chair of the Petone community board[28][34] | |
Results
Overall turnout was 41.56%, with 33,038 voting papers returned.[35]
Summary
| Ward | Previous | Elected | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Campbell Barry | Ken Laban | ||
| At-large | Brady Dyer | Brady Dyer | ||
| Josh Briggs | Prabha Ravi | |||
| Tony Stallinger | Tony Stallinger | |||
| Karen Morgan | Karen Yung | |||
| Gabiel Tupou | Mele Tonga-Grant | |||
| Simon Edwards | seat removed | |||
| Western | Chris Parkin | Chris Parkin | ||
| Harbour | Tui Lewis | Tui Lewis | ||
| Northern | Naomi Shaw | Naomi Shaw | ||
| new seat | Andy Mitchell | |||
| Eastern | Andy Mitchell | seat removed | ||
| Central | Glenda Barratt | Glenda Barratt | ||
| new seat | Simon Edwards | |||
| Wainuiomata | Keri Brown | Keri Brown | ||
| Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori | new seat | Te Awa Puketapu | ||
Mayor
Sports commentator and former councillor Fauono Ken Laban was elected mayor, becoming New Zealand's first Pasifika mayor.[36] He won 8,704 votes to Brady Dyer's 6,974 votes, Karen Morgan's 5,529 votes, and Prabha Ravi's 3,608 votes.[36]
Council
With final results, the following candidates were declared elected:[35]
At-large ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note: * indicates an incumbent | ||||
| Independent | Brady Dyer* | 19,233 | ||
| Independent | Prabha Ravi | 16,753 | ||
| Independent | Tony Stallinger* | 15,653 | ||
| Independent | Karen (Kaz) Yung | 13,449 | ||
| None | Mele Tonga-Grant | 10,602 | ||
| Independent | Kath McGuinness | 10,064 | ||
| Independent | Andrew Gavriel | 9,744 | ||
| Independent | Suzanne Levy | 8,859 | ||
| None | Semi Kuresa | 8,478 | ||
| Independent | Sherry Antony | 8,206 | ||
| The Security Noticeboard | Jonathon Gilbert | 5,826 | ||
| Independent politician | Chris Paul | 4,425 | ||
| Informal | 127 | |||
| Blank | 732 | |||
| Independent hold | ||||
| Independent gain from Independent | ||||
| Independent gain from United Hutt (incumbent changed affiliation) | ||||
| Independent gain from Independent | ||||
| Independent gain from Independent | ||||
Western ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note: * indicates an incumbent | ||||
| None | Chris Parkin* | 2,261 | ||
| Independent | Robbie Schneider | 1,935 | ||
| Informal | 1 | |||
| Blank | 172 | |||
| Independent hold | ||||
Harbour ward
Tui Lewis was elected unopposed.
Northern ward
Andy Mitchell and Naomi Shaw were elected unopposed.
Central ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Note: * indicates an incumbent | ||||
| Independent | Simon Edwards*[c] | 3,792 | ||
| Independent | Glenda Barratt* | 2,307 | ||
| Independent | Paki Maaka | 2,177 | ||
| Independent | George MacKay | 1,865 | ||
| Green | Neelu Jennings | 1,810 | ||
| None | Rodney Cook | 1,761 | ||
| None | Tim McNamara (withdrawn) | 1,340 | ||
| Informal | 35 | |||
| Blank | 358 | |||
| Independent gain – new seat | ||||
| Independent gain from United Hutt (incumbent changed affiliation) | ||||
Wainuiomata ward
Keri Brown was elected unopposed.
Mana Kairangi ki Tai Māori ward
Te Awa Puketapu was elected unopposed.
Māori ward referendum
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I vote to keep the Māori ward | 19,976 | 63.09 | |
| I vote to remove the Māori ward | 11,688 | 36.91 | |
| Total | 31,664 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 31,664 | 95.84 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,373 | 4.16 | |
| Total votes | 33,037 | 100.00 | |
| Source: [35] | |||
| Māori ward referendum results (excluding invalid votes) | |
|---|---|
| Keep 19,976 (63.1%) |
Remove 11,688 (36.9%) |
| ▲ 50% | |
Amalgamation referendum
A majority of Lower Hutt voters voted in favour of exploring amalgamation with the Wellington, Porirua and Upper Hutt councils.[37]
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 17,429 | 54.96 | |
| No | 14,283 | 45.04 | |
| Total | 31,712 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 31,712 | 95.99 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,325 | 4.01 | |
| Total votes | 33,037 | 100.00 | |
| Source: [35] | |||
| Amalgamation referendum results (excluding invalid votes) | |
|---|---|
| Yes 17,429 (55%) |
No 14,283 (45%) |
| ▲ 50% | |
See also
- 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election
- 2025 Upper Hutt City Council election
- 2025 Wellington City Council election
- 2025 Porirua City Council election
- 2025 Kāpiti Coast District Council election
Note
- ^
- 3 members representing the city.
- 1 member partially from the city in the Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui Māori constituency.
- ^ a b c d e f g 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. Hutt City Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[27]
- ^ Switched from At-large ward to Central ward
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h "2025 Local Government Elections". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 14 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ "Elections". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Election information". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ "Representation arrangements". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ Boyack, Nicholas (15 July 2024). "Scrap likely over move to get rid of Hutt community boards". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (10 September 2024). "Hutt City Council gets rid of community boards". www.thepost.co.nz. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (24 January 2025). "Commission reinstates two Lower Hutt community boards". The Post. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "Determination of representation arrangements to apply for the election of the Hutt City Council to be held on 11 October 2025" (PDF). www.lgc.govt.nz. Local Government Commission. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Perry, James (22 November 2023). "Hutt City Council votes to establish Māori ward". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Boyack, Nicholas (6 September 2024). "Emotional scenes as Hutt City endorses Māori ward". The Post. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "Māori ward referendum". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 12 May 2025. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ James, Nick (30 May 2025). "Hutt and Porirua councils put Wellington super city back on the table". RNZ. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ Afemata, Mary (2 June 2025). "Porirua residents to decide on super-council, Pacific leaders urge protection of local representation". RNZ. Retrieved 20 June 2025.
- ^ "Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry calling it quits at next election". RNZ. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Ridout, Amy (10 April 2025). "Lower Hutt mayor won't stand for re-election". Stuff. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Councillors". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 14 February 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ "Election countdown: Bad week, shingles and a Wikipedia ban". The Post. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ Afemata, Mary (8 July 2025). "Gabriel Tupou pushes for Pacific voices in regional politics". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
- ^ "Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry calling it quits at next election". Radio New Zealand. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Ridout, Amy (10 April 2025). "Lower Hutt mayor won't stand for re-election". Stuff. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (14 April 2025). "Lower Hutt councillor announces mayoral campaign". The Post. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
- ^ James, Nick (30 July 2025). "The contenders for mayor of Lower Hutt". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ^ "League veteran and councillor Ken Laban to run for Lower Hutt mayor". Radio New Zealand. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (13 March 2025). "Hutt City Councillor, former Taita College principal runs for mayor". The Post. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (13 May 2025). "Indian dance school founder runs for Lower Hutt mayor". The Post. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "2025 Triennial Elections | Hutt City Council". electionz.com. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitonopōti | Candidate Handbook". hccpublicdocs.azurewebsites.net. Hutt City Council. p. 16. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ a b "Community Boards". www.huttcity.govt.nz. Hutt City Council. 23 July 2025. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d Wong, Justin (4 August 2025). "Almost half of Lower Hutt's councillors elected unopposed". The Post. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "Chris Parkin". Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ "Neelu Jennings". www.greens.org.nz. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Hutt council candidate wants tighter control of spending". Speak Up For Women (SUFW). Scoop. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
- ^ Wong, Justin (13 May 2025). "Indian dance school founder runs for Lower Hutt mayor". The Post. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- ^ Sharma, Gaurav (27 August 2025). "The Asian candidates contesting local government seats in Wellington". RNZ. Retrieved 6 September 2025.
- ^ a b c d "2025 Triennial Elections DECLARATION OF RESULT" (PDF). www.electionz.com. Hutt City Council. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
- ^ a b Afemata, Mary (12 October 2025). "Ken Laban makes history as first Pasifika mayor". Stuff. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
- ^ James, Nick (11 October 2025). "Wellington satellite cities to explore amalgamation of councils". RNZ. Retrieved 12 October 2025.