Dunedin Council Elections: Calvert and Laws Secure Re-Election

In the recent Dunedin Council elections, incumbent members including Hilary Calvert, Andrew Noone, and chairwoman Gretchen Robertson have secured their positions for another term. According to progress results, which account for 85% of the votes counted, newcomer Chanel Gardner and the Green Party’s incumbent Alan Somerville are also set to join the council, while incumbents Elliot Weir and Tim Mepham are expected to miss out.

In a competitive race, Alan Somerville narrowly edged out Elliot Weir for the final position. In the adjacent Dunstan constituency, Michael Laws was re-elected with a decisive margin. Joining him on the elected list are incumbent Gary Kelliher, Matt Hollyer, and former Central Otago district deputy mayor Neil Gillespie.

The elected representatives, including Calvert, Laws, and Kelliher, are affiliated with the fiscally conservative Vision Otago team ticket. Another candidate from this ticket, Carmen Hope, did not secure a position in the Molyneux ward. In that ward, Act candidate Robbie Byars is leading on progress results, while Kate Wilson is set to be re-elected, leaving incumbent Lloyd McCall out of the running.

In the Moeraki ward, incumbent Kevin Malcolm has retained his position. The council indicated that the progress results do not include special votes and those returned on the election day, suggesting that the final outcome may change once all voting papers are accounted for.

As the counting continues, the local community awaits the final confirmation of these election results, which will shape the governance of the Dunedin region for the coming term.