'System is broken': Poor turnout for local body elections prompts call for independent review

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge · Oct 9, 2022 · 4m

A host of new mayors and councillors now make up the new local body politics scene - not that the majority of you might have known that.

Or care.

All the main cities, bar Hamilton, have a new mayor - Wayne Brown in Auckland, Tory Whanau in Wellington, Phil Mauger in Christchurch and Jules Radich in Dunedin.

But despite more than a 40% mayoral turnover rate we didn't get out there and vote - the final turnout is expected to be 38-39%.

We've got to do something - Local Government NZ President Stuart Crosby joined Kate Hawkesby to talk about the turnout and the disconnect.

He said they need an…