Editing Hawke's Bay (section)

== Government ==

=== Regional ===
[[File:Hawke's Bay Regional Council building - Napier (cropped).jpg|thumb|260x260px|Hawke's Bay Regional Council building in Napier]]
The region is governed by Hawke's Bay Regional Council, which has its main office and council chamber in Napier. The council consists of eleven elected members and holds elections every three years. As of 26 October 2022 the councillors are:<ref>{{cite web |url= https://insidegovernment.co.nz/hawkes-bay-council-elects-youngest-and-first-wahine-chair/ |title=Hawke's Bay council elects youngest and first wahine chair |date=26 October 2022 |work=Inside Government NZ |publisher=JSL Media |access-date=26 October 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Councillor
! Constituency 
|-
| Hinewai Ormsby (chair)
| Ahuriri/Napier general
|-
| Will Foley (deputy chair)
| Tamatea-Central Hawke's Bay general
|-
| Xan Harding
| Heretaunga-Hastings general
|- 
| [[Neil Kirton]]
| Ahuriri/Napier general 
|-
| Charles Lambert
| Māui ki te Raki Māori
|-
| Jock Mackintosh
| Heretaunga-Hastings general
|-
| Di Roadley
| Wairoa general
|-
| Sophie Siers
| Heretaunga-Hastings general
|-
| Hokianga Thompson
| Māui ki te Tonga Māori
|-
| Jerf van Beek 
| Ngaruroro general
|- 
| Martin Williams 
| Ahuriri/Napier general
|}

==== Proposal for a unitary authority ====
Between 2013 and 2015 the [[Local Government Commission (New Zealand)|Local Government Commission]] considered amalgamating Hawke's Bay Regional Council, its four constituent territorial authorities ([[Napier City Council]], [[Central Hawke's Bay District Council]], [[Hastings District Council]] and [[Wairoa District Council]]), and the small parts of the [[Rangitikei District Council]] (the rural community of [[Ngamahanga]]) and [[Taupo District Council]] (the rural community of [[Taharua]]) that fall within the Hawke's Bay Region into a unitary authority that would hold all local decision-making powers for the region. This proposal was initiated by an application from a group called "A Better Hawke's Bay"<ref>{{Cite web|title=Decisions and Determinations {{!}} Local Government Commission|url=http://www.lgc.govt.nz/decisions-and-determinations/view/hawkes-bay-reorganisation|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.lgc.govt.nz}}</ref> and followed the [[Royal Commission on Auckland Governance|Government-led amalgamation of eight local authorities]] into the new [[Auckland Council]] in 2010 and a 2012 "prosperity study" that found a similar amalgamation in Hawke's Bay could save up to $25m per year.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2012-09-03|title=Hawke's Bay amalgamation could save $25m|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/7604266/Hawkes-Bay-amalgamation-could-save-25m|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427025721/http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/7604266/Hawkes-Bay-amalgamation-could-save-25m|archive-date=2021-04-27|access-date=2021-04-27|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> A previous proposal to merge Napier and Hastings, though supported by Hastings residents, was defeated in a public referendum in 1999.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Laing|first=Doug|title=Close to quarter on roll cast votes|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/close-to-quarter-on-roll-cast-votes/QM2I52TTSRTHS2EAFGM6C7H2AM/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427032424/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/close-to-quarter-on-roll-cast-votes/QM2I52TTSRTHS2EAFGM6C7H2AM/|archive-date=2021-04-27|access-date=2021-04-27|website=[[New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

The Local Government Commission released an initial proposal in November 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Henderey|first=Simon|date=26 November 2013|title=Amalgamation plan revealed|url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/amalgamation-plan-revealed/EM4S2AQNXJ5BSJNODWTELKOKUY/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427030237/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/amalgamation-plan-revealed/EM4S2AQNXJ5BSJNODWTELKOKUY/|archive-date=2021-04-27|access-date=2021-04-27|website=[[New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref> After taking public submissions on the proposal, the Commission issued a final proposal in June 2015. The final proposal was that Hawke's Bay would be governed by a unitary council comprising a governing body (one mayor elected at-large and eighteen councillors elected across five wards) with subsidiary decision-making made by five local boards (each with six to nine elected members).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Local Government Commission|date=June 2015|title=Hawke's Bay Local Government Reorganisation: Final Proposal|url=http://www.lgc.govt.nz/assets/Hawkes-Bay-June-2015/Hawkes-Bay-Proposal-June-2015.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129225840/http://www.lgc.govt.nz/assets/Hawkes-Bay-June-2015/Hawkes-Bay-Proposal-June-2015.pdf|archive-date=29 January 2021|access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref>

Under the [[Local Government Act 2002|Local Government Act]], the public had the right to demand a binding referendum on whether the amalgamation should proceed; such a demand would be valid if it was signed by at least 10% of the affected electors in one of the affected districts. Two days after the final proposal was issued, a valid referendum demand signed by more than 10% of the affected electors in the Rangitikei district was received<ref>{{Cite web|title=Poll process update for Hawke's Bay reorganisation proposal {{!}} Local Government Commission|url=http://www.lgc.govt.nz/local-government-reorganisation/poll-process-update-for-hawkes-bay-reorganisation-proposal/|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.lgc.govt.nz}}</ref> (there were only twelve affected electors in that district, therefore only two signatures were required to trigger the poll<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sharpe|first=Marty|date=2013-11-27|title=Two people could force council amalgamation poll|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9450376/Two-people-could-force-council-amalgamation-poll|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203213745/https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/9450376/Two-people-could-force-council-amalgamation-poll|archive-date=2013-12-03|access-date=2021-04-27|website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref>). The referendum was held by post. Voting concluded on Tuesday 15 September 2015. Because 66% of electors opposed the change,<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=electionz.com|date=18 September 2015|title=Hawke's Bay Reorganisation Poll|url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1509/S00493/hawkes-bay-reorganisation-poll.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030215408/https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1509/S00493/hawkes-bay-reorganisation-poll.htm|archive-date=30 October 2020|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.scoop.co.nz|quote=Four votes from Rangitikei were received in the referendum, with turnout from that being 33.33% showing that the total number of affected electors was approximately 12.}}</ref> the proposal was defeated and did not progress further. Results broken down to the council level showed that only Hastings district electors favoured amalgamation (52% in favour). Napier (84% opposed), Wairoa District (88% opposed) and Central Hawke's Bay (58%) were opposed. Only four votes were returned from Rangitikei (two each way); no votes were returned from Taupo district.<ref name=":1" />
{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable col1left" style="text-align:right"
|+2015 Hawke's Bay amalgamation referendum
!Council area
! colspan="2" |For
! colspan="2" |Against
! colspan="2" |Informal
! colspan="2" |Blank
!Total
!Turnout
|-
| style="background:lightgreen"|Hastings District
|'''15,639'''
|'''51.54%'''
|14,614
|48.16%
|8
|0.03%
|84
|0.28%
|30,345
|56.71%.
|-
| style="background:pink"|Napier City
|4,632
|15.83%
|'''24,553'''
|'''83.92%'''
|5
|0.02%
|67
|0.23%
|29,257
|67.29%.
|-
| style="background:pink"|Central Hawke's Bay District
|2,629
|41.55%
|'''3,684'''
|'''58.23%'''
|2
|0.03%
|12
|0.19%
|6,327
|65.50%.
|-
| style="background:pink"|Wairoa District
|457
|11.62%
|'''3,465'''
|'''88.12%'''
|0
|0.00%
|10
|0.25%
|3,932
|69.35%.
|-
| style="background:lightyellow"|Rangitikei District
|2
|50.00%
|2
|50.00%
|0
|0.00%
|0
|0.00%
|4
|33.33%.
|-
|Taupō District
|0
|0.00%
|0
|0.00%
|0
|0.00%
|0
|0.00%
|0
|0.00%
|-
|style="text-align:right;background:#eaecf0"|'''Total'''
|23,359
|33.43%
|'''46,318'''
|'''66.30%'''
|15
|0.02%
|173
|0.25%
|69,865
|62.18%
|}

=== Sub-regional ===
[[File:Territorial Authorities - Hawkes Bay.svg|thumb|240x240px|Territorial Authorities map of Hawkes Bay]]
Government at the level below regional is organised into [[Territorial authorities of New Zealand|territorial authorities]], consisting of [[Hastings District, New Zealand|Hastings District]], [[Wairoa District]], [[Central Hawke's Bay District]], and [[Napier City Council|Napier City]]. The localities of Taharua in the [[Taupo District]] and [[Ngamatea]] in the [[Rangitikei District]] are also within the boundaries of the region. It does not include the [[Tararua District]], [[Dannevirke]], [[Woodville, New Zealand|Woodville]] or [[Norsewood]], which have been under the [[Manawatū-Whanganui|Manawatū-Whanganui Regional Council]] (also known as Horizons Regional Council) since the [[1989 local government reforms]].<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Hawke's Bay region – Local government boundary changes |encyclopedia=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/interactive/23915/local-government-boundary-changes |last=Pollock |first=Kerryn |date=15 November 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia |title=Hawke's Bay region – Government, education and health |encyclopedia=Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand |url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/hawkes-bay-region/page-9 |last=Pollock |first=Kerryn |date=15 November 2012}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!District
!Mayor
!Year Elected
|-
|Central Hawke's Bay
|Alex Walker
|2016
|-
|Hastings
|[[Mayor of Hastings, New Zealand|Sandra Hazlehurst]]
|2017
|-
|Napier
|[[Mayor of Napier|Kirsten Wise]]
|2019
|-
|Wairoa
|Craig Little
|2013
|}<gallery widths="120" heights="160">
File:Sandra Hazlehurst 2021 (cropped).jpg|Sandra Hazlehurst
File:Governor-General Cindy Kiro meets with Craig Little, Mayor of Wairoa (cropped).jpg|Craig Little
</gallery>

=== National ===
[[File:General Electorates - Hawke's Bay Region.svg|thumb|294x294px|General electorate map of Hawke's Bay]]
Hawke's Bay is covered by five [[New Zealand electorates|general electorates]] — namely [[Napier (New Zealand electorate)|Napier]], [[Tukituki (New Zealand electorate)|Tukituki]], [[Wairarapa (New Zealand electorate)|Wairarapa]], [[Rangitīkei (New Zealand electorate)|Rangitīkei]], and [[Taupō (New Zealand electorate)|Taupō]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service |url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/104580-general-electorates-2020/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=datafinder.stats.govt.nz}}</ref> The bulk of the region is contained within the Napier and Tukituki electorates, the former comprising most of the northern part of the region (including Napier and Wairoa), whilst the latter comprises much of the central parts of the region and the area around Hastings, including Havelock North and Clive. Wairarapa, which extends across parts of [[Wellington Region|Greater Wellington]] and Manawatū-Whanganui, includes much of Central Hawke's Bay District, including Waipukurau and Waipawa. The Rangitīkei and Taupō electorates do not contain much of any population within the region.

Napier and Tukituki are often called '[[bellwether]]' electorates.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-28 |title=Hawke's Bay Today to host three election candidate evenings as campaign heats up |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/election-candidates-hawkes-bay-today-to-host-three-candidate-evenings-as-campaign-heats-up/SB6LFY37JZA2PFZRD7CU4FCLRE/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[The New Zealand Herald]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharpe |first=Marty |date=2023-08-22 |title=National leads polling in bellwether Napier, but 23 per cent of voters undecided |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/300955583/national-leads-polling-in-bellwether-napier-but-23-per-cent-of-voters-undecided |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |language=en}}</ref> Since the introduction of [[Mixed-member proportional representation|Mixed-Member Proportional]] elections in New Zealand, both electorates have been held by both [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]] and [[New Zealand National Party|National]] members of parliament, often shifting in a way similar to that of the nation as a whole.

Hawke's Bay is also covered by three [[Māori electorates]] — namely [[Ikaroa-Rāwhiti]], [[Waiariki (New Zealand electorate)|Waiariki]], and [[Te Tai Hauāuru]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service |url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/layer/104579-maori-electorates-2020/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=datafinder.stats.govt.nz}}</ref> The vast majority of the population of the region is within the Ikaroa-Rāwhiti electorate.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Current state of the main electorates in the region
!Electorate
!Main Centres
! colspan="2" |MP
!First Elected
|-
|[[Napier (New Zealand electorate)|Napier]]
|Napier, Wairoa
|[[Katie Nimon|Kate Nimon]]
|{{Party color cell|New Zealand National Party}}
|[[2023 New Zealand general election|2023]]
|-
|[[Tukituki (New Zealand electorate)|Tukituki]]
|Hastings, Havelock North, Clive
|[[Catherine Wedd]]
|{{Party color cell|New Zealand National Party}}
|[[2023 New Zealand general election|2023]]
|-
|[[Wairarapa (New Zealand electorate)|Wairarapa]]
|Waipukurau, Waipawa
|[[Mike Butterick]]
|{{Party color cell|New Zealand National Party}}
|[[2023 New Zealand general election|2023]]
|-
|[[Ikaroa-Rāwhiti]]
|All
|[[Cushla Tangaere-Manuel]]
|{{Party color cell|Māori Party}}
|[[2023 New Zealand general election|2023]]
|}
<gallery widths="120" heights="160">
File:WEDD, Catherine - Tukituki (cropped).png|Catherine Wedd
File:NIMON, Katie - Napier (cropped).png|Katie Nimon
File:BUTTERICK, Mike - Wairarapa (cropped).png|Mike Butterick
File:Cushla Tangaere-Manuel 2023 cropped headshot.jpg|Cushla Tangaere-Manuel
</gallery>