Progress results: Five new councillors elected to Waikato Regional Council

Waikato Regional Council has five new councillors according to progress results received by 3.30pm today.

Tony Armstrong and Jennie Hayman replace retiring councillors Peter Buckley and Theresa Stark in the Waikato general constituency, with Kataraina Hodge winning the Ngā Tai Ki Uta Māori constituency left vacant by retiring councillor, Timoti Bramley.

Former Thames-Coromandel district councillor Dal Minogue has been elected to that constituency. The other new councillor is Russ Rimmington, who joins returning councillors Lois Livingston, Bob Simcock and Jane Hennebry in the Hamilton general constituency.

Four councillors had previously been re-elected unopposed: Alan Livingston and Stu Kneebone in the Waipā-King Country, and Stuart Husband and Hugh Vercoe in the Waihou constituency.

While the vast majority of votes have been counted, special votes and voting papers delivered this morning to the offices of the 11 constituent territorial authorities in the Waikato Regional Council area are yet to be included in these results.

Once these remaining votes are counted, preliminary results will be available at www.waikatoregion.govt.nz/elections on Monday 10 October. Official results are expected to be received by this Thursday, 13 October.