The 2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand, as part of that year's regional council elections and other local elections held nation-wide. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is made up of 11 councillors elected from 7 constituencies: Ahuriri/Napier (three councillors), Heretaunga/Hastings (three councillors), Wairoa, Ngaruroro, Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay and two Māori constituencies (Māui ki te Raki and Māui ki te Tonga).
Key dates 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates opened. 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates closed at 12pm. 6 August 2025: Candidates announced. 9 September 2025: Voting documents were posted and voting opened. 11 October 2025: Voting closed at 12pm and preliminary results released. 16 October 2025: Final results will be declared.
Background Referendum
In October 2021, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council voted to create two Māori constituencies for the 2022 & 2025 elections.
In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. The council then voted unanimously in August 2024 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituencies, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituencies to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.
Campaign
Referendum A group called For Wards Hawke’s Bay formed to support the pro-ward position at the referendums in the wider Hawke's Bay region. The group held a meeting on 23 July in Clive chaired by regional council chair Rex Graham, with various speakers including local Presbyterian minister Jill McDonald, Hastings Māori ward councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth, HB Multicultural Society president Rizwaana Latiff and Hayley Whittaker from the Public Service Association.
List of candidates Incumbents not seeking re-election Will Foley, incumbent deputy chair and second-term councillor for the Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay constituency Xan Harding, incumbent councillor for the Heretaunga/Hastings constituency Charles Lambert, incumbent councillor for the Māui Ki Te Raki Māori constituency Martin Williams, incumbent councillor for the Ahuriri/Napier constituency
As of February, deputy chair Will Foley (Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay), Xan Harding (Heretaunga/Hastings), and Di Roadley (Wairoa) had not decided if they would run again.
Hawke's Bay Today reported on 31 May that Foley would run for mayor of Central Hawke's Bay against incumbent Alex Walker, Foley saying his time on the regional council was up.
Councillors Ahuriri/Napier general constituency The Ahuriri/Napier general constituency returned three councillors to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesPaul BaileyIndependentFormer regional councillorHayley BrowneNoneIncumbent Napier city councillorSyed Khurram IqbalNoneChartered engineerNeil KirtonNoneIncumbent councillorHinewai OrmsbySAFER waterways. STRONGER communities.Incumbent chairpersonLouise ParsonsIndependent
Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency The Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency returned three councillors to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesBruce MackayNoneJock MackintoshNoneIncumbent councillorSophie SiersNoneIncumbent councillorConrad WaitoaNone
Wairoa general constituency The Wairoa general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesKiri Rangirangi-HamlinNoneDi RoadleyNoneIncumbent councillor
Ngaruroro general constituency The Ngaruroro general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesMarcus OrmondNoneFarmerJerf van BeekNoneIncumbent councillor
Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency The Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesTim AitkenNoneIncumbent councillor for the Central Hawke's Bay District CouncilTony KuklinskiIndependentKeri RopihaNone
Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency The Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesThompson HokiangaNoneIncumbent councillor
As the only candidate, Hokianga was elected unopposed.
Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency The Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesMichelle McIlroyNoneShelton WhiteNone
Results
Wairoa general constituency
Ahuriri/Napier general constituency
Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency
Ngāruroro general constituency
Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency
Māui ki te Raki Māori constituency
Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituency
Referendum on Māori constituencies
See also Results of the 2025 New Zealand territorial authority elections in Hawke's Bay 2025 Napier City Council election 2025 Hastings District Council election
Notes
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