12 Oct 2025

New mayor for Chatham Islands as Greg Horler unseats incumbent

7:54 pm on 12 October 2025
View of Tupuangi, situated along the point, looking from Maunganui where survivors ran to safety

The Chatham Islands has a new mayor, three-term councillor Greg Horler. Photo: Kristie-Lee Thomas

The Chatham Islands has a new mayor, with the incumbent failing to secure a third term.

Three-term councillor Greg Horler has been provisionally elected as mayor of the country's most remote community and its 600-odd residents.

He will replace Monique Croon, who has been mayor since 2019.

Published on the Chatham Islands Council Facebook page, the result does not show voter turnout or how many votes each candidate received.

Mayor Horler told RNZ this was his second time going for the mayoralty.

He was excited to have more input into the future of the Chathams, where residents struggled with the high cost of living.

"It's probably about 30 percent more expensive to live here than it is on the mainland.

"People here are running on the bread-line, even though we're surrounded by one of the richest fishing grounds in the world."

He wanted to encourage more government investment in the Chatham Islands economy.

"I'm more driven towards making economical value for the Chathams, so the government can see it's well worth putting more money in here.

"It's like a business - if you don't put money into it, the business is going to go backward and that's pretty much what's happening on the Chathams."

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