2025 Upper Hutt City Council election

2025 Upper Hutt City Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Mayoral election
Mayor before election

Wayne Guppy
Independent

Elected mayor

TBD

Council election
All 10 ward seats on the Upper Hutt City Council
Affiliation Seats Change
  Independents 10
Popular vote of elected councillors by ward

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

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]

Background

Positions up for election

Voters in the city will elect the mayor of Upper Hutt, 10 city councillors, and members of the Rimutaka Licensing Trust.[1] They will also elect several members of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.[a][3]

Māori ward

In November 2023, the Upper Hutt City Council had voted by six to five to introduce a Māori ward for the 2025 and 2028 elections.[4] However, following a change in legislation regarding Māori wards, the council voted in August 2024 to rescind this decision. It thus avoided a requirement to hold a referendum on retaining the ward alongside this election.[5][6]

Campaign

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Dylan Bentley, councillor since 2019[7]
  • Chris Carson, incumbent councillor[8]
  • Incumbent councillor Blair Griffiths is running for mayor and will not stand again for a position as councillor[9]

Mayor

Candidate[10] Photo Affiliation[b] Notes
Blair Griffiths None Incumbent councillor[9][8]
Wayne Guppy None Incumbent mayor since 2001[12][8]
Emma Holderness Independent Incumbent councillor since 2022. Also running for re-election as a councillor.[13]
Angela McLeod None Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[14] Also running to be a councillor.
Hellen Swales Change we need, voice you deserve Incumbent deputy mayor, also running as a councillor[9][15]
Peri Zee None Urban planner and transport adviser[12][16]

Councillors

Ten councillors will be elected at-large to the city council.[17]

Candidate[10] Affiliation[b] Notes
Ramil Adhikari None Previously ran for council in 2022[18]
Michael J Anderson None
Euan Andrews None
Heather Blissett None
Dave Burt Hope resilience and a shared future
Matt Carey Independent Incumbent councillor[8]
Wade Cashmore Independent
Gurpreet Dhillon None
Henry Grey None
Tofa Gush Our Community
Bill Hammond Independent Incumbent councillor[8]
Emma Holderness Independent Incumbent councillor since 2022.[8] Also running for mayor.[13]
Teresa Homan Independent
Rachel Tukaki Kingi None
Nigel Mander Serve the community
Kylie McKenna Independent
Angela McLeod None Also running for mayor
David (DJ) McNicholas None
Heather Newell None Incumbent councillor[8]
Hellen Swales The voice you deserve Incumbent deputy mayor,[8] also running for mayor[9]
Brett Thomson None
Tracey Ultra Independent Incumbent councillor[8]
Daniel Welch Backing the Future of Upper Hutt
Dave Wheeler None Incumbent councillor[8]
Corey White Independent

See also

Notes

  1. ^
    • 1 member representing the city.
    • 1 member partially from the city in the Te Upoko o te Ika a Māui Māori constituency.
  2. ^ a b 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. Upper Hutt City Council does not allow whānau, hapū, or iwi details to be used for the affiliation.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b "Local Elections 2025". www.upperhutt.govt.nz. Upper Hutt City Council. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  2. ^ "Elections". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  3. ^ "Representation arrangements". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
  4. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (7 November 2023). "Upper Hutt councillors narrowly supported Māori ward". The Post. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  5. ^ Ellis, Moana (30 August 2024). "Controversial law spurs wave of support for Māori seats, triggers mass polls". RNZ. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  6. ^ Maxwell, Joel (13 March 2025). "'Most will be disestablished': Pera Paniora on Māori wards and brutal referendum truth". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  7. ^ "Election countdown: Bad week, shingles and a Wikipedia ban". The Post. 12 July 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mayor and Councillors". www.upperhutt.govt.nz. Upper Hutt City Council. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d Wong, Justin (8 July 2025). "Two more challengers for Upper Hutt mayoralty". The Post. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b "2025 Triennial Elections | Upper Hutt City Council". electionz.com. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  11. ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitonopōti | Candidate Handbook" (PDF). www.upperhutt.govt.nz. Upper Hutt City Council. p. 16. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  12. ^ a b Boyack, Nicholas (10 June 2024). "Surprise Upper Hutt mayoral candidate steps up". The Post. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  13. ^ a b Wong, Justin (24 July 2025). "Councillor becomes fifth Upper Hutt mayoral candidate". The Post. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  14. ^ Boyack, Nicholas (11 July 2022). "Angela McLeod chasing Upper Hutt mayoralty". Stuff. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  15. ^ Swales, Hellen (7 July 2025). "Hellen Swales announces candidacy for Upper Hutt Mayor" (Press release). Scoop. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  16. ^ Wong, Justin (18 March 2025). "Upper Hutt mayoral candidate wants to bring back local after-hours doctors". The Post. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  17. ^ "Representation arrangements adopted for 2025 local elections". www.upperhutt.govt.nz. Upper Hutt City Council. Retrieved 6 April 2025.
  18. ^ "Ramil Adhikari - Candidate for Upper Hutt City Council - 2022". Policy.nz. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
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