Central Hawke's Bay District Council#History

{{Infobox legislature

| name = {{nowrap|Central Hawke's Bay District Council}}

| native_name =Te Kaunihera a Rohe o Tamatea

| native_name_lang = mi

| coa_pic = File:Central Hawke's Bay District coat of arms.png

| coa_res = 80px

| foundation = {{Start date|1989|03|06}}, {{age|1989|03|06}} years ago

| preceded_by =Waipukurau District Council{{br}}Waipara District Council

| leader1_type = Mayor

| leader1 = {{NZ officeholder data|Central Hawke's Bay District Mayor|y||}}

| leader2_type =Deputy mayor

| leader2 =Kelly Annand

|leader3=Doug Tate|leader3_type=CEO| seats = 9 seats (1 mayor, 8 ward seats)

|structure1_res=60px|structure1=File:Central Hawke's Bay District Council composition chart.svg|political_groups1=* {{Color box|#C3C3C3|border=darkgray}} Independent (9){{efn|includes councillors that had unique and non-notable affiliations}}| term_length = 3 years, renewable

| voting_system1 =First-past-the-post

|last_election1=8 October 2022| next_election1 =2025

| website = {{URL|chbdc.govt.nz}}

}}

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 Alex Walker.

Composition

Central Hawke's Bay District Council is made up of one mayor and eight councillors.{{cite web |title=About Central Hawke's Bay District Council |url=https://www.chbdc.govt.nz/our-council/about/ |publisher=Central Hawke's Bay District Council}} 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.

class="wikitable"

|+Current council

!Ward

!Councillor

!Affiliation

!First elected

Mayor

|Alex Walker

|None

|2013

rowspan="4" |Ruataniwha

|Pip Burne

|Your voice, our community

|2022

Gerard Minehan

|Your Local Voice at the Council table

|2016

Kelly Annand

|None

|2013

Exham Wichman

|The voice of your generation

|2019

rowspan="4" |Aramoana-Ruahine

|Tim Aitken

|None

|2016

Jerry Greer

|None

|2019

Brent Muggeridge

|None

|2016

Kate Taylor

|None

|2019

History

The origins of the council date back to the Waipawa County Council, established in 1876.{{cite book |last1=Fraser |first1=B. |title=The New Zealand Book of Events |date=1986 |publisher=Reed Methuen |location=Auckland}}

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.{{cite web |title=History of Central Hawke's Bay District |url=https://www.chbdc.govt.nz/our-district/about-central-hawkes-bay/ |publisher=Central Hawke's Bay 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.{{Cite web |last=Wise |first=Rachel |date=5 September 2024 |title=Central Hawke’s Bay District Council affirms decision to have Māori wards |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/central-hawkes-bay-mail/central-hawkes-bay-district-council-affirms-decision-to-have-maori-wards/OOXX6O6CZZAZDDV6ANIRR7TZ2E/ |website=Hawke's Bay Today via NZHerald}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" \|+Vote to retain Māori wards !Ward !15x15px For !17x17px Against
\|Alex Walker (mayor) \|
rowspan="3" \|Aramoana/Ruahine \| rowspan="3" \|Kate Taylor \|Jerry Greer
Tim Aitken
Brent Muggeridge
rowspan="3" \|Ruataniwha \|Kelly Annand ({{Abbr\|DM\|deputy mayor}}) \| rowspan="3" \|Gerard Minehan
Pip Burne
Exham Wichman
style="text-align:right"\|Total \| style="background-color:#9eff9e;text-align:center"\|5 \| style="text-align:center"\|4

class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%"

|+Vote to retain Māori wards

!Ward

!15x15px For

!17x17px Against

|Alex Walker (mayor)

rowspan="3" |Aramoana/Ruahine

| rowspan="3" |Kate Taylor

|Jerry Greer

Tim Aitken

Brent Muggeridge

rowspan="3" |Ruataniwha