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Council elections

Every three years, Buller residents vote for a mayor, councillors, and community board members to represent their community.

The Buller District Council consists of 11 elected members, the Mayor and 10 councillors. The current Council was sworn in on 19 October 2022. 

The Buller District is divided into three wards – Seddon (2 elected representatives), Westport (6 elected representatives) and Inangahua (2 elected representatives). There are also four representatives on the Inangahua Community Board.

Wards are areas of a district identified for electoral purposes. They work in the same way as seats in a general election. Currently, people can only vote for candidates in their wards, but everyone gets to vote for who they want to be mayor. 

Although candidates stand for their ward area when voted on to the council, councillors swear an oath to work for the entire district. The idea of the ward system is that all parts of the district are fairly represented. We have a detailed map of the wards available to find out what ward you live in. 

Buller District Council elected members

The final results for the Buller District Council held on Saturday, 8 October 2022, are below. You can find out more about your elected members on our Mayor and Councillor page.

Mayor

  • Mayor - Jamie Cleine

Inangahua Ward

  • Linda Webb
  • Graeme Neylon

Seddon Ward

  • Rosalie Sampson
  • Toni O’Keefe

Westport Ward

  • Joanne Howard
  • Phil Grafton
  • Grant Weston
  • Annelise Pfahlert
  • Andrew Basher
  • Colin Reidy

Non-elected Maori Portfolio Councillor

  • Ned Tauwhare

Buller District Council 2022 Triennial Elections final results

The final 2022 results and voting details are found below, as declared by John Rodger, Buller District Council Electoral Officer:

  • CLEINE, Jamie (2,244)
  • O’DEA, Patrick  (1,284)
  • OSMASTON, Richard – Money Free Party New Zealand  (116)
  • INFORMAL (3)
  • BLANK VOTING PAPERS  (181)

I therefore declare Jamie CLEINE as elected.

  • SAMPSON, Rosalie Mary (429)
  • O’KEEFE, Toni – Independent (297)
  • LIGHTBOWN, Barry – Independent (219)
  • HILTON, Jim – Independent (207)
  • MARSH, Dick (Richard) (155)
  • INFORMAL (1)
  • BLANK VOTING PAPERS (12)

I therefore declare Rosalie Mary SAMPSON and Toni O’KEEFE as elected.

  • WEBB, Linda (366)
  • NEYLON, Graeme (364)
  • SMITH, Kevin (146)
  • INFORMAL (0)
  • BLANK VOTING PAPERS (16)

I therefore declare Linda WEBB and Graeme NEYLON as elected.

  • HOWARD, Joanne (1,532)
  • GRAFTON, Phil (1,342)
  • WESTON, Grant (1,323)
  • PFAHLERT, Annelise (1,260)
  • BASHER, Andrew (1,149)
  • REIDY, Colin – Independent (1,026)
  • BEAUMONT, Andrew (849)
  • VAEGA, Ruth (840)
  • MCDONALD, Rehia (832)
  • PHILLIPS, Douglas (707)
  • KOLFF, Anni (482)
  • STEELE CLARKSON, Mikaere (168)
  • INFORMAL (3)
  • BLANK VOTING PAPERS (50)

I therefore declare Joanne HOWARD, Phil GRAFTON, Grant WESTON, Annelise PFAHLERT, Andrew BASHER, and Colin REIDY as elected.

As there were only the four nominees for the 4 vacancies, the following are declared elected: Dean GIDDENS, Alun BOLLINGER, Robyn ABBEY, and Ashleigh NEIL.

The voter return for the Buller District was 48.2%, being 3,748 votes, excluding special votes.

Although there were two other issues in the Buller, being the election of two Buller councillors for the West Coast Regional Council, and the election of one Buller trustee for Development West Coast, the final results for these will be declared by the respective Electoral Officers, and these will be available on the Regional Council website www.wcrc.govt.nz or the DWC website www.westcoast.co.nz/development-west-coast

John Rodger
Electoral Officer
Buller District Council
14 October 2022

Council resolution on electoral system

In accordance with section 28 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (Act), Council has resolved to use ‘First Past the Post’ (FPP) as its Electoral System for the 2025 and 2028 Triennial Elections.

Below is the Resolution of Council from the meeting held on Wednesday 30 August 2023

RESOLVED that the Council:

In accordance with section 28 of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (Act), notice is given that the Buller District Council has resolved at its meeting on 30 August 2023, to use ‘First Past the Post’ (FPP) as its Electoral System for the 2025 and 2028 Triennial Elections.

Electors have the right to demand a poll, in accordance with section 29 of the Act, to countermand this resolution.

The choice is between the FPP and the Single Transferable Vote (STV) electoral systems. Unless a poll or further resolution determines otherwise, the FPP electoral system will continue to be used by Buller District Council.

A valid demand for a poll must be:

  • Made in writing;
  • Signed by at least five percent of the number of electors enrolled as eligible to vote at the previous triennial election of the Buller District Council (the five percent threshold from the 2022 electoral roll is 389 elector signatures); and
  • Delivered to the Electoral Officer of the Buller District Council, 6-8 Brougham Street, Westport by 11 December 2023.

Every elector who signs a demand must also provide their full name and the address for which they are qualified as an elector of the Buller District Council.

If a valid demand for a poll is received by 11 December 2023, the poll will be held no later than 14 March 2024, and will have effect for the 2025 and 2028 triennial general elections. If however a valid demand for a poll is received after 11 December 2023, then the poll will be held after 14 March 2024, and will have effect for the 2028 and 2031 elections.

Dated at Buller this 31st day of August 2023.