Notwithstanding the counting of some special votes, both Westland and Buller are poised for change.
On Saturday, Hokitika business owner Jacquie Grant led by 64 votes over mayoral rival Helen Lash, while in Westport, Chris Russell had the edge on Buller’s two-term mayor Jamie Cleine by 135 votes.
The final 15% of votes were to be counted yesterday.
However, in Greymouth there is no chance of an upset. Mayor Tania Gibson has cleared her only competition by 2645 votes.
Tasman-based candidate Richard Osmaston polled lowest in all five districts where he stood on his Money Free Party ticket.
The Reform ticket for the West Coast Regional Council appeared to have struck a chord with some voters, with censured councillor Allan Birchfield finishing No 2 in the polls with 1757 votes, behind Colin Smith (1885). They will be joined on the council by long-standing councillor Peter Ewen (1598).
Candidates who failed to make the threshold were fellow Reform candidate Allan Rooney (1354), former councillor Brett Cummings (1303), Glenys Perkins (1290) and Brendon Russ (1168).
In the Buller constituency for the regional council, Chris Coll (2753) and Mark McIntyre (2139) return, leaving Reform candidate Kevin Smith a long way back with 996 votes.
Westland’s two seats at the regional council are also secure, incumbent Andy Campbell to be joined by former Westland District Council deputy mayor, Ashley Cassin, comfortably voted in with 1190 and 1099 votes respectively.
The next highest-polling candidate was Franz Josef Glacier’s Jen Williams (765), followed by Jan Derks (661), Reform’s Sheila Julian (588) and Andrew Wiffen (558).
The regional council election saw the largest voter turnout — but that was still less than 45%.
Grey had the lowest, at 40.12%. Interim ("progress") results, based on 85% of the returned vote, show a change in the Southern Ward for the Grey District Council, with former councillor John Canning polling last.
There looks to be no change in the Central Ward, Peter Davy, Tim Mora and Jack O’Connor all being expected to return.
In the Northern Ward, just one candidate stood — incumbent Kate Kennedy — so no election was required, and it was a similar story in the Eastern Ward, where Allan Gibson and Robert Mallinson were also re-elected unopposed.
For the Westland District Council, the Southern Ward was uncontested with only two candidates, Hari Hari councillor Brian Manera returning, joined by newcomer Janella Munns.
In the Hokitika Ward, Carol Martin, Joseph Walker, Euan McKenzie and Greg Maitland are new faces, joining returning councillors Steven Gillett and Reilly Burden around the table.
Development West Coast seats were won by returning Westland trustee Rebecca Pearson, Garry Howard in Buller and Shari Ferguson in Grey.
As of Saturday, Chris Russell was sitting pretty to snatch Buller’s mayoral chains, leading the progress polls on 1250 votes, followed by Jamie Cleine (1115) and Linda Webb (1087).
Ms Webb retains her seat for the Inangahua Ward, however, being elected unopposed alongside Dave Hawes.
Toni O’Keefe and Rosalie Sampson also sailed in to fill the two Seddon Ward seats, without enough candidates to muster an election.
The six Westport vacancies were secured by Shane Barry (1226), Philip Rutherford (1012), Colin Reidy (1005), Ray Curnow (1000), Dave Hingston (959) and Paul Reynolds (937).
The progress results are based on the counting of about 85% of returned votes and do not include some special votes and votes returned yesterday that were still in transit.
The official result will be announced by Thursday. — Hokitika Guardian
By Janna Sherman
