Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry will stand aside in October. Photo:
Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry has announced he will not seek re-election this year.
He said he wanted to leave on a high and on his terms after 15 years in local government, including two terms as mayor.
"I've seen the impact of leaders and elected members who stay too long," he said.
"It's important to allow fresh energy and perspectives to take the city through this next exciting phase."
Barry served one term on the Wainuiomata Community Board and two terms as a Hutt City councillor before making history in 2019 when he was elected New Zealand's youngest mayor of a city at age 28.
He described the role as the privilege of his life.
In a statement he said he wanted to make the most of every day in the lead up to local body elections, which take place on 11 October.
His priority would be reaching an agreement on a new water entity for the wider Wellington region, he said.
"I personally see it as vital that all of Wellington's metropolitan councils are part of it.
"So, I'll be doing everything I can to set our region up for success so that a new water entity is ready to be implemented by incoming councils."
Barry said he did not have set plans when his mayoralty ends, but he was looking forward to a change.
He told RNZ in February he had been reflecting over Christmas on whether or not he would run again, and hoped to come to a decision after Easter.
Barry told RNZ he had no ambitions for central government politics right now.
"I'm certainly not looking to enter Parliament at this stage. I have been involved in politics since I was 19-years-old, that's 15 years involved in local government.
"I'm really looking forward to do doing something different post October and I know that's something my family is looking forward to as well."
Barry said he would not throw his support behind anyone running to be his successor.
"I think that it does a disservice to the people of Lower Hutt when former politicians or outgoing mayors or whatever the case be put their two cents in."
He said while the infrastructure was an opportunity, the next mayor will need someone who had in-depth knowledge of the Riverlink project - which had blown out to $1.5 billion in cost.
"There's no doubt it is going to cause major disruption in the city so we will need someone who is all across that issue and how we can prepare our business community and our CBD and our residents and how they get around town to do their business."
The planning for future natural disasters was also something a future mayor needed to continue the work on, he said.
Barry said his top achievements during his time as mayor had been prioritising the delivery of water infrastructure, the rollout of the city's recycling and rubbish service and securing the funding for Riverlink.
At a Wellington Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged Barry.
"He's being a great partner with central government over a number of years and we wish you very well for your future as well."
Meanwhile, Hutt City councillor Karen Morgan has confirmed to RNZ she will run for Lower Hutt mayor at the upcoming election.
Morgan was the principal of Taita College for seven years and has spent 30 years in the eductaion sector.
Fellow councillor and former Hutt City Council chief executive Tony Stallinger ran for mayor in 2022 against Barry but told RNZ he would not be running again for the role in 2025.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
