2025 New Zealand Local Elections

The 2025 New Zealand local elections () are upcoming triennial elections that will be held from 9 September until 11 October 2025 to elect local mayors and councillors, regional councillors, and members of local boards.

All 11 of New Zealand's regions and 66 of New Zealand's 67 cities and districts will participate in the elections and 45 councils will also hold local referendums on the status of Māori wards. Tauranga City Council will not hold elections or a referendum as they held recent elections in 2024.

Election schedule

Key dates relating to the local elections are as follows:

Background

Rates increases

Rate increases in the years preceding the election were reportedly high in several councils across the country. The aftermath of natural disasters in some parts of the country and long term rates increase deferrals were some of the things blamed. Incumbent Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry (who is not seeking re-election) warned voters to be wary of candidates who talked about lowering rates without detailing a plan on what would be cut to accommodate.

Māori wards

In 2023, the newly-formed Sixth National Government and its coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First pledged to "restore the right of local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards and constituencies."

Under the government's change to the law, referendums will be held in 42 of the 45 local councils that had introduced Māori wards following the 2021 law change. Two councils, the Kaipara District Council and the Upper Hutt City Council, voted to disestablish their Māori wards rather than hold referendums.

Campaign

Central government parties

ACT New Zealand

In mid-March 2025, ACT leader David Seymour announced that the party would be fielding candidates during the 2025 local elections, marking the first time that the party would contest local body elections. ACT candidates would be expected to raise their own funds. Seymour said that the party would focus on lower rates, ending "wasteful spending," and racial equality. The move would be the first time a national-level right wing party had run candidates in local races directly.

The party did not intend to field any Māori ward or mayoral candidates. In a press release published on Scoop, the party said their candidates would oppose attempts to manage emissions by local councils, describing climate action taken by councils as "grandstanding" and "virtue signalling".

Alliance Party

On 10 June, the left wing, social democratic Alliance Party announced that librarian and musician Tom Roud would be contesting the 2025 Christchurch City Council election. The Alliance Party had been de-registered from the Electoral Commission in 2015. Party president Victor Billot claimed the party never fully went away.

Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand

The Greens announced they would campaign on a pro-Māori ward position. In a press release on their website, they stressed commitment to sustainability, '' te tiriti,'' and community were what Green affiliated and endorsed candidates represented. They said that Green candidates want "bold" and "transformative" action on local issues and issues that affect all areas of the country, like climate change.

The Green Party announced in April that Tory Whanau would run for the Wellington mayoralty as a Green candidate. She had previously been endorsed in 2022 by the party but had officially run as an independent. On 29 April, it was announced Whanau would not run for the mayoralty again. This came after Andrew Little said he would run for Labour, Whanau saying she didn't want the race to be "progressive vs progressive". She instead would run for the city's Māori ward.

Incumbents Laurie Foon and Geordie Rogers, as well as newcomer Jonny Osborne, were announced as Green candidates for wards on the Wellington City Council. Yadana Saw would run again for her position on the Greater Wellington Regional Council. It was announced on 6 May that incumbent Labour councillor Rebecca Matthews would run for the Greens in the Wharangi ward.

High school teacher and photographer Zac Painting is the sole Green candidate for the Porirua City Council.

In late May, incumbent Green Otago regional councillor Alan Somerville confirmed he would be seeking a second term as councillor, while video game programmer Mickey Treadwell announced that he would be running as the Greens' mayoral candidate alongside contesting a seat on the Dunedin City Council. Other Green candidates in Dunedin included visual designer Lily Waring and support worker Rose Finnie.

The two incumbent Green councillors on the Palmerston North City Council (Brent Barrett and Kaydee Zabelin) were endorsed by the party for re-election in late May.

New Zealand Labour Party

Labour announced they would campaign on a pro-Māori ward position.

Labour extended nominations for their candidate for mayor of Wellington after being unable to find a candidate. Labour leader Chris Hipkins said he thought the city needed "a really good shake-up", saying the party would potentially endorse an independent candidate. Former Labour leader Andrew Little was approached by the party and announced on 16 April that he would run for the party in Wellington. Though there were still formalities before being officially announced as the party's candidate, Little had received support from Hipkins for the job. Little was announced as the official party candidate on 28 April.

Incumbent Wellington City Councillors Ben McNulty and Nureddin Abdurahman would run again for their respective wards; Afnan Al-Rubayee would run for Pukehīnau Lambton ward. Daran Ponter (incumbent chairman) and Tom James (non-incumbent) would run for seats on the Greater Wellington Regional Council.

In Dunedin, Labour endorsed incumbent councillor Steve Walker and Otago University Students' Association politics representative Jett Groshunki as Dunedin City Council candidates in the 2025 Dunedin City Council election.

Labour endorsed former city councillor Zulfiqar Butt and third-term incumbent city councillor Lorna Johnson for election to the Palmerston North City Council.

Elections

Overall summary

Regional councils

The regional level of government in New Zealand is organised into areas controlled by regional councils.

Territorial authorities

The city and district level of government in New Zealand is organised into areas controlled by territorial authorities. Some of these also have the powers of regional governments and are known as unitary authorities. The Chatham Islands have their own specially legislated form of government.

Tauranga will not hold elections due to having already held elections in 2024.

Mayors

All territorial authorities (including unitary authorities) directly elect mayors.

Local boards

Elections will also be held for 21 local boards in Auckland.

Community boards

Elections will also be held for 110 community boards, which have been set up by 40 of the territorial authorities under Part 4 of the Local Government Act 2002 to represent the interests of particular communities within those territories.

Licensing trusts

Elections will also be held for 14 licensing trusts, which are community-owned companies with government-authorised monopolies on the development of premises licensed for the sale of alcoholic beverages and associated accommodation in an area:
*Birkenhead Licensing Trust
*Cheviot Licensing Trust
*Clutha Licensing Trust
*Flaxmere Licensing Trust
*Geraldine Licensing Trust
* Invercargill Licensing Trust
*Mataura Licensing Trust
*Mount Wellington Licensing Trust
*Oamaru Licensing Trust
* Portage Licensing Trust
*Rimutaka Licensing Trust
*Te Kauwhata Licensing Trust
* Waitākere Licensing Trust
*Wiri Licensing Trust

Referendums

See also

* Local elections in New Zealand

Notes

References

{{Portal bar, New Zealand, Politics

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