The 2025 Hastings District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Hastings District of New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Hastings and 15 district councillors for the 2025âÂÂ2028 term of the Hastings District Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
Councillor Wendy Schollum won the mayoralty, with fellow councillor Marcus Buddo coming in second-place.
The council introduced a MÃÂori ward at the 2022 election; in a referendum on its future held at this election (as part of a nation-wide series of referendums) voters elected to remove the MÃÂori ward for future elections.
Voters elected fifteen councillors in six wards, as well as the mayor of Hastings. Voters that live in the rural communities of the district also elected members of the Rural Community Board, and six members of a licensing trust were elected by residents of the suburb of Flaxmere.
Voters across the district also elected six members of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
The wider Hawke's Bay region was devastated by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023 and the affects of it were still being felt in the district in 2025.
Under the Local Government Act 2002, councils must compile a pre-election report to be published and made available to voters. This report details the council's financial position, issues affected the district, and other important factors to consider when voting. The report is prepared by the chief executive of the council, independent of the mayor and councillors.
Incumbent mayor Sandra Hazlehurst announced in May that she would not seek re-election to a fourth term. By May, councillor Marcus Buddo had announced his candidacy for mayor, and councillor Damon Harvey was considering it.
Buddo is a 30 year old, fourth generation farmer from Poukawa. Buddo emphasised reducing rates, handling the council's growing debt, cyclone recovery, and housing affordability as key issues for him. Buddo says he has degrees in economics, public health, and politics.
Third-term incumbent councillor Wendy Schollum announced her candidacy for mayor, launching her campaign on 24 June at St Andrew's Hall. She would campaign on creating a "smarter" council structure, better housing, and improving the local economy.
Damon Harvey, a third-term incumbent councillor, also announced he would run for mayor; his second attempt. He said a priority was reducing cost to ratepayers. He said he was supported in his bid by Graeme Avery, Malcolm Dixon, Henare OâÂÂKeefe, Geraldine Travers, Ann Redstone, Luke Irving and Robyn McLean.
The council had voted unanimously in August 2024 to keep MÃÂori wards in the district. This triggered a referendum to be held alongside the 2025 local elections, per the conditions of legislation passed by the incumbent National government. Mayor Hazlehurst, who was pro-MÃÂori wards, lamented the government's decision to require MÃÂori wards. "We know our community and we should be trusted to make that decision", she said. In 2021, the council asked residents and 76% of responses came back in support of MÃÂori wards.
A group called For Wards HawkeâÂÂs Bay formed to support the pro-ward position at the referendums in the wider Hawke's Bay region. The group held a meeting on 23 July in Clive chaired by regional council chair Rex Graham, with various speakers including local Presbyterian minister Jill McDonald, MÃÂori ward councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth, HB Multicultural Society president Rizwaana Latiff and Hayley Whittaker from the Public Service Association.
Hawke's Bay Today asked the mayoral candidates whether they supported the group; Harvey said he supported any group that wanted to get the community engaged on important issues, Schollum said she supported MÃÂori wards, Buddo said he was personally voting no on MÃÂori wards but supported the group existing, Gibson said he didn't support MÃÂori wards because they are undemocratic, and Wilson said he would support whatever the outcome of the referendum was.
Hastings Grey Power hosted a meet-the-candidates meeting on 7 August in Duart House in Havelock North. It held a second event on 5 September at the Baptist Church Hall in Hastings.
The Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce held a mayoral forum on 28 August at Hastings Boy's High School in Hastings. All five mayoral candidates confirmed they would attend.
Takitimu MÃÂori ward returned three councillors to the district council.
Flaxmere general ward returned one councillor to the district council.
Hastings/Havelock North general ward returned seven councillors to the district council.
Heretaunga general ward returned two councillors to the district council.
As the number of candidates did not exceed the number of positions available, Corban and Montaperto-Hendry were elected unopposed.
KahurÃÂnaki general ward returned one councillor to the district council.
As the only candidate, Milmine was elected as the councillor for the KahurÃÂnaki general ward unopposed.
MÃ Âhaka general ward returned one councillor to the district council.
Councillor Wendy Schollum won the mayoralty, with fellow councillor Marcus Buddo coming in second-place.