“To all the successful candidates and re-elected Councillors I extend a warm welcome to them, and look forward to a starting the new triennium, which has many challenges ahead.”

The new Councillors are scheduled to be sworn in at their inaugural meeting at 10am on 26 October. The next full Council meeting is set for 9 November.

Dr Borren says during the next three years there is a heavy workload ahead, including the setting of critical policies and rules to protect Otago’s water, land and air, ongoing environmental monitoring to better inform decision-making, and also in responding to numerous types of environmental incidents.

“ORC’s Councillors play a key role across governance, providing direction, strategy, and oversight and in leading the partnership with mana whenua, founded in the Treaty of Waitangi, and engaging with Otago’s communities,” Dr Borren says.

Behind that background of work, the sector is also facing unprecedented reform at Government level, he says.
The 2022-2025 triennium will also see the release of the Government’s Future for Local Government Reform report, plus more Resource Management Act reform.

“While we need to continue with a business-as-usual approach, ORC has to remain agile to the changing legislation and priorities which will unfold,” he says.

There will be ongoing pressure to balance the affordability of ORC’s work programmes with the continued need for robust frameworks to regulate the use of our natural resources, while also achieving ‘on the ground’ results through operational activities, he says.

(Dr Borren will not be commenting on the final vote count of any individual councillors/candidates)

Dunstan Regional Constituency (3 vacancies)

Votes Received

KELLIHER, Gary 9885 (elected)
FORBES, Alexa 9874 (elected)
LAWS, Michael 9517 (elected)
LEPPER, Tony 9496 (unsuccessful)
BARKER, Mike 6,283 (unsuccessful)
INFORMAL 102
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 1439

Molyneux Regional Constituency (2 vacancies)

Votes Received

MCCALL, Lloyd 8487 (elected)
WILSON, Kate 6763 (elected)
HOPE (NEE KNOWLER), Carmen Felicity 6460 (unsuccessful)
INFORMAL 123
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 2025

Dunedin Regional Constituency (6 vacancies)

Votes Received

ROBERTSON, Gretchen 17,401 (elected)
SCOTT, Bryan Independent 15,172 (elected)
NOONE, Andrew 15,106 (elected)
WEIR, Elliot 12,517 (elected)
SOMERVILLE, Alan Green Ötepoti 11,235 (elected)
MEPHAM, Tim 11,114 (elected)
ANDERSON, Richard 9559 (unsuccessful)
BUDD, Malcolm 8917 (unsuccessful)
SOUTHWORTH, Bill Labour 8722 (unsuccessful)
DAVIES, Ross Climate - Buses - Water - Air 8654 (unsuccessful)
LYELL, Geoff Independent 7455 (unsuccessful)
COCKLE, James Independent 6401 (unsuccessful)
KIORE, Mathew 6175 (unsuccessful)
PITA, Watson 5115 (unsuccessful)
SHULZITSKI, Jenn (Slime) Slime the Nitrate Monster 3367 (unsuccessful)
INFORMAL 354
BLANK VOTING PAPERS 4085

Moeraki Constituency (1 vacancy; no election required)

Kevin MALCOLM unopposed and declared re-elected.

Pre-election candidate profiles