Marie Black is entering her third term as mayor of Hurunui District. Photo: Supplied/ Hurunui District Council
Hurunui Mayor Marie Black says she can't wait to get to work with her new council.
Black has been re-elected for a third term unopposed, but admits she waited nervously to see who would be with her around the council table.
She will be joined by six sitting councillors and four new councillors for the next three years, according to progress results on Saturday.
''I'm delighted with the result," Black said. "We've got some strength in the experienced councillors and some fresh voices.
''It's always difficult to envisage how the new council will work, until you know the results, but now that we've got a bit of certainty, we can get on with planning.''
Black said the new council would get down to work after Labour Weekend, with two days of inductions.
The first council meeting will be held on Thursday, 30 October, where the councillors will be sworn in and the deputy mayor elected by the council.
Next month, the Hanmer Springs Community Board and the newly formed South Ward Community Board will be sworn in.
Then council chief executive Hamish Dobbie will call a by-election to fill the remaining vacancy on the Hanmer Springs Community Board, after just four nominations were received for the five positions.
Meetings will also be called next month to form community committees in Amuri, Cheviot, Glenmark and Hurunui.
Black will be joined by sitting councillors Pauline White and Robbie Bruerton (South Ward), and Dave Hislop and Tom Davies (West Ward).
The new councillors are Brett Jones and Steve Hutt (South Ward), and Chris Scarlet and Christopher Carthy (West Ward).
Sitting councillors Vince Daly and Fiona Harris were re-elected unopposed in the East Ward.
Hurunui progress results (on election day, Saturday 11 October):
West Ward (four councillors): Dave Hislop 917, Chris Scarlet 876, Tom Davies 868, Christopher Carthy 665, Richard E Roe 325
South Ward (four vacancies): Robbie Bruerton 975, Pauline White 949, Brett Jones 811, Steve Hutt 616, Tom Spooner 511, Michael Ennis 505, Barrie Nunn 469, Dave Carr 384, Lulu Webb 381
South Ward Community Board (five vacancies): Brett Jones 1040, Kevin Roche 925, James Hyde 854, Geoff Shier 793, Anneka Cumming 767, Hamish Trolove 753, John Weyers 662
Final results will be released by Thursday.
- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
