East Coast Bays is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first formed in 1972 and has existed apart from a break lasting two parliamentary terms. The electorate has been held by Erica Stanford of the National Party since the 2017 general election.
Population centres
Since the , the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election, and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87. Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created. In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created (including East Coast Bays).
The electorate is based around the north-eastern suburbs of North Shore City in north Auckland with the Okura River making part of the northern boundary. The electorate includes the communities of Ōkura, Long Bay, Torbay, Waiake, Northcross, Browns Bay, Fairview Heights, Pinehill, Oteha, Albany, Rothesay Bay and Murrays Bay. The electorate crosses State Highway One at its southern end, which includes a section of Glenfield. In the 2025 boundary review, the electorate lost the population centres directly north of the Upper Harbour Motorway including Schnapper Rock, Rosedale and Windsor Park, while gaining the communities north of Lucas Creek including Lucas Heights and Pāremoremo from Whangaparāoa.
History East Coast Bays was an electorate in the New Zealand Parliament between and , before being abolished to make way for the electorate at the change to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting. High population growth in North Auckland lead to the electorate's western fringe being removed in 2002, and with it the eponymous suburb of Albany, thus recreating East Coast Bays ahead of the .
Although now a safe electorate for National, it was held for seven years by Social Credit MP Gary Knapp, from the when he defeated future National party leader Don Brash. In the , and 1987 general elections, Labour came third, with Knapp defeating Brash in 1981 and Murray McCully in 1984.
But in the declining fortunes of the Democratic Party (as Social Credit renamed itself), led to Knapp being defeated by Murray McCully, who held the electorate for National until 2017.
In December 2016, McCully announced that he would not stand for parliament in the 2017 general election, and the seat of East Coast Bays was won by Erica Stanford, retaining it for the National Party.
Members of Parliament Key
Election Winner Frank Gill1Gary Knapp Murray McCullyelectorate abolished, see Murray McCully Erica Stanford 1 Resigned when appointed Ambassador to the United States
List MPs Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the East Coast Bays electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.
Election Winner Paul AdamsSue Bradford2 2Bradford resigned from Parliament on 30 October 2009.
Election results 2026 election The next election will be held on 7 November 2026. Candidates for East Coast Bays are listed at Candidates in the 2026 New Zealand general election by electorate § East Coast Bays. Official results will be available after 27 November 2026.
2023 election
2020 election
2017 election
2014 election
2011 election
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 47,305
2008 election
2005 election
2002 election
1993 election
1990 election
1987 election
1984 election
1981 election
1980 by-election
1978 election
1975 election
1972 election
Notes
References
External links Electorate Profile Parliamentary Library