The 2025 Hawke's Bay Regional Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand, as part of that year's regional council elections and other local elections held nation-wide. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council is made up of 11 councillors elected from 7 constituencies: Ahuriri/Napier (three councillors), Heretaunga/Hastings (three councillors), Wairoa, Ngaruroro, Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay and two MÃÂori constituencies (MÃÂui ki te Raki and MÃÂui ki te Tonga).
In October 2021, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council voted to create two MÃÂori constituencies for the 2022 & 2025 elections.
In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and MÃÂori Wards and MÃÂori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing MÃÂori wards or constituencies. The council then voted unanimously in August 2024 to affirm their decision to establish the MÃÂori constituencies, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituencies to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.
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, Hastings MÃÂori ward councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth, HB Multicultural Society president Rizwaana Latiff and Hayley Whittaker from the Public Service Association.
As of February, deputy chair Will Foley (Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay), Xan Harding (Heretaunga/Hastings), and Di Roadley (Wairoa) had not decided if they would run again.
Hawke's Bay Today reported on 31 May that Foley would run for mayor of Central Hawke's Bay against incumbent Alex Walker, Foley saying his time on the regional council was up.
The Ahuriri/Napier general constituency returned three councillors to the regional council.
The Heretaunga/Hastings general constituency returned three councillors to the regional council.
The Wairoa general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
The Ngaruroro general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
The Tamatea/Central Hawke's Bay general constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
The MÃÂui ki te Tonga MÃÂori constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.
As the only candidate, Hokianga was elected unopposed.
The MÃÂui ki te Raki MÃÂori constituency returned one councillor to the regional council.