1989 Lower Hutt mayoral election

The 1989 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1989 Lower Hutt mayoral election

← 1986 14 October 1989 1992 →
Turnout28,713 (45.50%)
 
Candidate Glen Evans Ted Woolf
Party Citizens' Independent
Popular vote 17,705 4,795
Percentage 61.66 16.69

Mayor before election

Glen Evans

Elected Mayor

Glen Evans

Background edit

The 1989 local elections were the first following a major overhaul of local government in New Zealand. The existing Lower Hutt City Council was renamed as the Hutt City Council after greatly expanding, absorbing several of the neighboring authorities including the Petone Borough Council, Eastbourne Borough Council and Hutt County Council as well as land on the waterfront formerly in the possession of the Wellington Harbour Board.[1] Electoral reforms were implemented at the 1989 municipal elections, the method of electing councillors at large was replaced with a ward system of local electoral districts.

The incumbent mayor of Lower Hutt, Glen Evans, was re-elected in a landslide for the enlarged council and his United Citizens ticket won a large majority of council seats. The Mayor of Petone Ted Woolf and former Petone mayor Ron Marston, who were opposed to the borough's amalgamation with Lower Hutt, both stood as candidates. Both were defeated for the mayoralty but Woolf was elected a councillor for the new Harbour Ward (which incorporated Petone). Perennial candidate Nick Ursin of Lower Hutt and Stephen Dransfield from Wainuiomata were also candidates. Eastbourne mayor Ross Jamieson was defeated standing for a council seat for the Harbour Ward but was elected a member of the Eastbourne Community Board.[2]

Mayoral results edit

The following table gives the election results:

1989 Lower Hutt mayoral election[3]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
United Citizens Glen Evans 17,705 61.66 +14.45
Independent Ted Woolf 4,795 16.69
Independent Ron Marston 2,122 7.39
Independent Stephen Greenfield 1,997 6.95
Independent Nick Ursin 1,082 3.76
Informal votes 1,012 3.52 -1.25
Majority 12,910 44.96 +28.08
Turnout 28,713 45.50 +14.50

Ward results edit

Candidates were also elected from wards to the Hutt City Council.[4]

Party/ticket Councillors
United Citizens 12
Independent 3

Notes edit

  1. ^ McGill 1991, p. 208.
  2. ^ Ewan, Audrey; Elphick, Michael (16 October 1989). "L Hutt embraces Evans-led team". The Evening Post. p. 5.
  3. ^ "City of Lower Hutt - Declaration of Result of Election - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post. 23 October 1989. p. 19.
  4. ^ "Public Notices". The Evening Post. 23 October 1989. p. 19.

References edit

  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.