2025 Rotorua Lakes Council election

2025 Rotorua Lakes Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Mayoral election
Mayor before election

Tania Tapsell
Independent

Elected mayor

TBD

Council election
All 10 ward seats on the Rotorua Lakes Council
Incumbents before election
Affiliation Seats Change
  Independents 9
  Residents & Ratepayers 1
Popular vote share of winning councillors by ward

The 2025 Rotorua Lakes Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the Rotorua Lakes District of New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of Rotorua and 10 district councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Rotorua Lakes Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system will be used.

The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; its future will be decided in a referendum on the issue, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums.

Key dates

  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
  • 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
  • 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
  • 16–19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1][2][3]

Background

Positions up for election

Voters in the district will elect the mayor of Rotorua, 10 councillors from across 3 wards and members of the Rotorua Lakes and Rotorua Rural community boards. They will also elect members of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council[a][2][4] and members of the Waikato Regional Council[b][3][5]

Campaign

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Lani Kereopa, councillor for Te Ipu Wai Taketake Māori ward since 2022,[6][7] and niece of councillor Trevor Maxwell[8]

Mayor

Candidate[9] Photo Affiliation[c] Notes
Haehaetu Barrett None Former chief executive of Lifewise, a social services organisation[11]
Takeina "Shakaina" Fraser None Also running to be a councillor for the Te Ipu Wai Auraki general ward[11]
Robert Lee Independent Incumbent councillor for the general ward. Also running for re-election as a councillor.[8][7][11]
Don Paterson Saving Rotorua Incumbent councillor.[7][11] Also running for re-election as a councillor in the Te Ipu Wai Auraki general ward.
Tania Tapsell None Incumbent mayor since 2022[6][7][11]

Councillors

Te Ipu Wai Taketake Māori ward

Te Ipu Wai Taketake Māori ward will return three councillors to the district council.[12][13]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[c] Notes
Trevor Horowaewae Maxwell None Incumbent councillor. Having been an elected councillor since 1977, he is New Zealand's longest-serving councillor.[8][7][11]
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait None Former councillor[11]
Harina Rinaha Rupapera None Scholar[11]
Te Whatanui Skipwith None Former actor and advocate for the protection of Lake Rotokākahi[14][11]
Te Rika Temara-Benfell Te Pāti Māori Community leader[11]
Rawiri Waru None Incumbent councillor[8][7][11]

Te Ipu Wai Auraki general ward

Te Ipu Wai Auraki general ward will return six councillors to the district council.[12][13]

Candidate[9] Photo Affiliation[c] Notes
Jared Adams Independent Former holiday park owner[11]
Philly Angus None [11]
Gregg Brown None Incumbent councillor.[7] Brown had initially indicated that he would step down,[6][8] but later changed his mind.[11][15]
Jenny Chapman None Teacher and community advocate[11]
Richard Collins Think Positive [11]
Brendan Davis Your Voice on Council Previously ran for council in 2022[16][11]
Mathew Doidge None Academic[11]
Takeina "Shakaina" Fraser None Also running for mayor[11]
Frank "The Tank" Grapl Revive and thrive Rotorua - Together [11]
Ryan Gray Moving Rotorua Forward Previously ran for council in 2022[17][11]
Sandra Kai Fong None Incumbent deputy mayor[7][11]
Robert Lee Independent Incumbent councillor.[6][7] Also running for mayor.[8][11]
Reynold John Macpherson Residents and Ratepayers Former councillor (2019-2022) and mayoral candidate in 2022[8][11]
Jason Monahan None Chef[11]
Mariana Morrison None Former naval officer,[11] The Bachelor New Zealand contestant and granddaughter of Howard Morrison.[8]
Pam Neilson None [8]
Conan O'Brien Restore, Rebuild, and Reform Incumbent councillor[8][7][11]
Don Paterson Saving Rotorua Incumbent councillor.[6][8][7] Also running for mayor.[11]
Neville Raethel Keep New Zealand Beautiful Local environment and anti-litter activist[11]
Ben Sandford None Two-time winter Olympian. Stood for mayor of Rotorua in 2022[18][11]
Rahul Sethi None Entrepreneur[11]
Fisher Wang Independent Incumbent councillor[6][8][7][11]

Rotorua Rural ward

The Rotorua Rural ward will return one councillor to the district council.[12][13]

Candidate[9] Affiliation[c] Notes
Karen Barker None Incumbent councillor[6][8][7]

As the only candidate, Barker is elected unopposed.[11][19]

Notes

  1. ^
    • 1 member partially from the district in the Rotorua general constituency.
    • 1 member partially from the district in the Ōkurei Māori constituency.
  2. ^
    • 1 member partially from the district in the Taupō-Rotorua constituency
    • 1 member partially from the district in the Ngā Tai ki Uta constituency.
  3. ^ a b c d A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party. Rotorua Lakes Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Local Elections". www.rotorualakescouncil.nz. Rotorua Lakes Council. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b "Elections". www.boprc.govt.nz. Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Local authority elections are being held in October 2025". www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Your councillors". www.boprc.govt.nz. Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Constituencies". www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Smith, Laura (17 April 2025). "Elections 2025: Which of Rotorua's mayor and councillors will stand again". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Mayor & Councillors". www.rotorualakescouncil.nz. Rotorua Lakes Council. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Nash, Mathew (18 July 2025). "'One more time': New Zealand's longest-serving councillor runs again". Stuff. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d "2025 Triennial Elections | Rotorua Lakes Council". electionz.com. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitonopōti | 2025 Candidate". r3nk7o.digitalcityplatform.online. Rotorua Lakes Council. p. 14. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag Nash, Mathew (4 August 2025). "Two councillors and two newcomers challenge Tapsell for Rotorua mayor". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  12. ^ a b c "Determination" (PDF). www.lgc.govt.nz. Local Government Commission. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b c Smith, Laura (2 September 2024). "Rotorua Lakes Council to hold binding Māori ward poll at 2025 election". Stuff. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  14. ^ Taketake, Reanga (30 May 2025). "Press Release: Te Whatanui Leka Skipwith Announces Candidacy For Māori Ward In Rotorua Local Body Elections Rotorua, Aotearoa". Community Scoop. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  15. ^ Nash, Mathew (5 August 2025). "Why a pub owner ditched travel plans to run for re-election". Rotorua Daily Post. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  16. ^ Ogden, Gavin (14 September 2022). "Local Focus: Brendan Davis on Candidate Camera". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  17. ^ Ogden, Gavin (6 September 2022). "Local Focus: Ryan Gray on Candidate Camera". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
  18. ^ Sparks, Zizi (16 July 2022). "Ben Sandford, Rotorua lawyer, announces mayoralty bid". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  19. ^ Nash, Mathew (7 August 2025). "'Very grateful': No votes cast but Rotorua has its first election winner". Rotorua Daily Post. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
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