2010 New Zealand local elections

The 2010 New Zealand local elections were triennial elections to select local government officials and district health board members. All elections are conducted by postal ballot, with election day being Saturday 9 October 2010.

2010 New Zealand local elections

← 2007 9 October 2010 2013 →
Logo used for promotion of the local body elections.

Elected were:

Except for all DHBs and six territorial authorities, officials were elected by the First Past the Post system. Members of DHBs and mayors and councillors in six territorial authorities, including Wellington City and Dunedin City, were elected using the Single Transferable Vote system.

Dates

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Under section 10 of the Local Electoral Act 2001, a "general election of members of every local authority or community board must be held on the second Saturday in October in every third year" from the date the Act came into effect in 2001, meaning 9 October 2010.[1]

Key dates for the election as set out by the Local Government Commission and Elections New Zealand are:[2]

21 July Public notice of election
23 July Candidate nominations open
Preliminary electoral roll opens for inspection
20 August Nominations close at 12 noon
Electoral roll closes
25 August Public notice of candidates
17–22 September Voting papers delivered to voters
9 October Election Day – Voting closes at 12 noon
Preliminary results released
11–20 October Official results released
1 November onwards New officials sworn in

Changes in 2010

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Auckland Council

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This was the first time elections were held for the new Auckland Council, and the 2010 Auckland mayoral election took place concurrently.

Canterbury Regional Council

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The 2010 elections did not include Canterbury Regional Council. In March 2010, the National Government passed special legislation deferring Canterbury Regional Council's election until 2013 and replacing the existing councillors with appointed commissioners.[3]

Southern District Health Board

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The 2010 elections were the first for the Southern District Health Board, which was formed from the merger of the Otago and Southland DHBs on 1 May 2010. The Southern DHB had 14 members from the two former boards, but was reduced to the standard seven elected members after the election.

Leftward shift

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There was a notable leftward shift in the local elections throughout the country and many notable long term centre-right mayors were replaced by left-wing mayors throughout the country. In the new position of Auckland supermayor, Manukau City mayor Len Brown a Labour party politician replaced centre-right Auckland City mayor John Banks. In Wellington, Green Party candidate Celia Wade-Brown replaced right leaning, Kerry Prendergast. As well as at the provincial levels new left-wing mayors replaced retiring incumbents in Wanganui and New Plymouth and incumbent mayors like that of Janie Annear in Timaru defeated conservative challengers.[4]

Individual elections

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Elections are split into their respective regions:

Notable elections

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Local Electoral Act 2001 No 35 (as at 24 January 2009), Public Act". Parliamentary Counsel Office. Retrieved 6 June 2010.
  2. ^ "2010 elections timeline – Local Government New Zealand" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
  3. ^ Smith, Nick (31 March 2010). "Speech: First Reading Environment Canterbury (Temporary Commissioners and Improved Water Management) Bill". New Zealand Government. Retrieved 28 July 2010. The planned ECan election in October 2010 would be deferred until such time as the commissioners have completed their task. Under any circumstances the next regional council elections in Canterbury will take place no later than the elections scheduled for late 2013.
  4. ^ "Prendergast waits as country swings left". Retrieved 11 January 2011.
  5. ^ Rowatt, Colin (6 October 2010). "Mayor unchallenged, little impetus for change". Wanganui ChronicleThe New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Wellington elects Celia Wade-Brown as its new mayor – with majority of 176 votes". Wellington Scoop. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
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