Final Election Results Confirmed for Central Otago District Council
The final results of the 2025 local elections have been confirmed, officially declaring Tamah Alley as Mayor of Central Otago for the next three years.
Alley received 5,900 votes, ahead of Charlie Sanders (2,225) and Mark Quinn (1,542).
Mayor Alley said it was an honour to continue serving the district.
“I’m humbled by the trust our community has placed in me,” Alley said. “This Council represents the people of Central Otago, and we will continue delivering transparent leadership, meaningful action and decisions that reflect what matters most to our communities.”
The confirmed councillors are:
Cromwell Ward (4 seats): Cheryl Laws (2,050), Sarah Browne (2,021), Charlie Sanders (1,602), Bob Scott (1,486)
Vincent Ward (4 seats): Tracy Paterson (2,445), Martin McPherson (1,889), Nathan McLean (1,826), *Dave McKenzie (1,608)
Maniototo Ward (1 seat): Stu Duncan (580)
Teviot Valley Ward (1 seat): Curtis Pannett (698)
*Dave McKenzie has withdrawn from the election process. A by-election for the Vincent Ward will be held in the coming months.
With 9,939 votes cast, the district achieved a voter turnout of 55.08% – significantly above the national average for local body elections and one of the highest in the South Island.
“I am delighted to see our voter turnout well above the last election (46.85%) and I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote. While we didn’t quite get over the 60% I was hoping for, we certainly bucked the downwards trend we’ve seen in the last decade. This council will be working hard to ensure even more of our people want to make sure their vote contributes to democracy,” Alley said.
Chief Executive Peter Kelly extended his congratulations to all successful candidates.
“Congratulations to Mayor Alley and all elected members. We’re looking forward to working alongside the Mayor and Councillors to deliver on their intent to support and enable a safe, healthy and thriving community and environment,” Kelly said.
The new Council and Community Boards will be officially sworn in at their inaugural meetings over the coming weeks.
Final results are available HERE
