Central Hawke's Bay District Council (Māori: Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Tamatea) is the territorial authority for the Central Hawke's Bay District of New Zealand.
The council covers the towns of Waipawa and Waipukurau, and the surrounding rural communities. The council is the result of the Waipukurau District Council and Waipara District Council merging in 1989.
The council is led by the mayor of Central Hawke's Bay, who is currently .
Composition Central Hawke's Bay District Council is made up of one mayor and eight councillors. The district is divided into two wards, which each elect four councillors. Ruataniwha is an urban ward based on the towns of Waipukurau and Waipawa. Aramoana-Ruahine is a largely rural ward. The council seat is in Waipawa. The mayor is elected at large. The council seat is in Waipawa. +Current councilWardCouncillorAffiliationFirst electedMayorNone2025RuataniwhaPip BurneYour voice, our community2022Todd ChoteNone2025Kirsty LawrenceIndependent2025Aramoana-RuahineJerry GreerNone2019Brent MuggeridgeIndependent2016Kate TaylorNone2019At LargeGerard MinehanYour Local Voice at the Council table2016Kelly AnnandNone2013 Rautahi Māori WardAmiria Nepe ApatuNone2025
History The origins of the council date back to the Waipawa County Council, established in 1876.
Patangata County Council split off in 1885. Waipukurau County Council, Waipukurau Borough Council, Patangata County Council, Woodville County Council, Dannevirke County Council, and Waipawa Borough Council split off in 1908.White, L. (compiler), Whites Pictorial Reference of New Zealand. Whites Aviation Limited, Auckland, 1952
Waipukurau County Council merged with Patangata County Council in 1974 and Waipukurau Borough Council in 1977 to form Waipukurau District Council.
The other councils merged in 1978, to form Waipawa District Council.
Waipukurau District Council and Waipawa District Council merged in 1989, to create the modern council.
2022–2025 term Māori wards Following the decision of the Sixth National Government to force local councils to either abolish Māori wards or hold a referendum on their continued existence, the council voted in a 5–4 decision to retain them and thus to hold a referendum, to occur alongside the 2025 local elections. +Vote to retain Māori wardsWard For AgainstAlex Walker (mayor)Aramoana/RuahineKate TaylorJerry GreerTim AitkenBrent Muggeridge RuataniwhaKelly Annand ()Gerard MinehanPip BurneExham WichmanTotal54
The referendum result was not to retain the Māori ward, which will apply to the 2028 and 2031 local council elections.
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References
External links Official website