Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Western Bay of Plenty District Council Te Kaunihera a rohe mai i Ngā Kuri-a-Whārei ki Otamarakau ki te Uru | |
|---|---|
 Brand logo | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Established | 1 November 1989; 36 years ago |
| Preceded by |
|
New session started | 17 October 2025 |
| Leadership | |
Matthew Potton since 11 May 2026 | |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 10 (including mayor) |
 | |
Political groups |
|
Length of term | 3 years |
| Elections | |
| First-past-the-post | |
First election | 14 October 1989 |
Last election | 11 October 2025 |
Next election | 14 October 2028 |
| Meeting place | |
| Barkes Corner Office, Greerton | |
| Website | |
| westernbay | |
Western Bay of Plenty District Council (abbr. WBOPDC; Māori: Te Kaunihera a rohe mai i Ngā Kuri-a-Whārei ki Otamarakau ki te Uru) is the territorial authority for the Western Bay of Plenty District of New Zealand. It serves as the district's local government alongside the Bay of Plenty Regional Council as the regional council. The current entity has existed since 1989, prior to which local government in the area was split between four local authorities.
The governing body of the council has 9 councillors and is chaired by the mayor of Western Bay of Plenty (currently James Denyer since October 2022).
History
Withdrawal from Local Government New Zealand
In mid-March 2025, the Western Bay of Plenty District Council voted to leave Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the national advocacy body for local and regional governments in New Zealand, by a margin of six to five. Councillor Tracey Coxhead justified the decision by claiming that LGNZ lacked professionalism and was pursuing an agenda on climate change while Councillor Margaret Murray-Beng claimed the LGNZ had "swung left" and no longer represented councilors' beliefs.[2]
Governing body
Mayor
One mayor is elected at-large; they chair meetings of the governing body and act as the head of local government in the district.
Current composition
The current members of the governing body of council are:[3][4]
| Role | Name | Affiliation | Ward | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | James Denyer | Independent | Elected at-large | |
| Deputy | Margaret Murray-Benge | Independent | Kaimai general | |
| Councillor | Tracey Coxhead | Independent | Kaimai general | |
| Councillor | Graeme Elvin | Independent | Kaimai general | |
| Councillor | Allan Sole | Independent | Katikati-Waihī Beach general | |
| Councillor | Rodney Joyce | Independent | Katikati-Waihī Beach general | |
| Councillor | Shane Beech | Independent | Maketu-Te Puke general | |
| Councillor | Grant Dally | Independent | Maketu-Te Puke general | |
| Councillor | Laura Rae | Independent | Maketu-Te Puke general | |
| Councillor | Darlene Dinsdale | Independent | Waka Kai Uru Māori | |
References
- ↑ "2025 Triennial Elections Declaration of Result" (PDF). Electionz. Retrieved 22 October 2025.
- ↑ "Council quits Local Government New Zealand calling it 'far left'". Radio New Zealand. 20 March 2025. Archived from the original on 31 March 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2025.
- ↑ Lampp, Warwick (16 October 2025). "Western Bay of Plenty District Council – 2025 Triennial Elections – Declaration of Result" (PDF). ElectioNZ.
- ↑ "Mayor and Councillors". Western Bay of Plenty District Council. Retrieved 5 July 2026.