2010 New Zealand local elections
The 2010 New Zealand local elections were held from 17 September to 9 October 2010. Voters chose mayors and councillors across regional and local authorities. Ten of New Zealand’s eleven regions held elections, and all 67 cities and districts participated. It was the first election for the new Auckland Council, created by merging the previous councils in the Auckland region.
Canterbury Regional Council’s election was postponed to 2013 by special legislation, and its existing councillors were replaced by appointed commissioners. The Southern District Health Board, formed from the Otago and Southland boards on 1 May 2010, held its first election and started with a seven-member elected board after the results.
In New Zealand, regional councils run the regions, while territorial authorities run cities and districts. Some areas are unitary authorities with both powers. The Chatham Islands have a special form of government. All territorial authorities elected mayors.
The results showed a noticeable shift to the left in many places, with several long‑standing centre‑right mayors being replaced by left‑leaning leaders. In Auckland, Len Brown was elected mayor, taking over from John Banks after the city’s amalgamation. In Wellington, Celia Wade‑Brown of the Green Party won the mayoralty, replacing Kerry Prendergast. Other cities also elected new left‑leaning mayors, including Wanganui and New Plymouth, while some incumbents were defeated in Timaru.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:51 (CET).