Mahé Drysdale says his number one priority is working as a team with the newly elected council. Photo: SunLive/Alisha Evans
When former Olympic rowing champion Mahé Drysdale used to come first in a race, the hard work was done.
But that's not the case with winning the Tauranga mayoralty.
"It's a bit different to normal where in the past when I've succeeded, that's the end of a journey, whereas this one, it's very much the start."
Drysdale has taken out the top spot with 16,178 votes, the preliminary results for the Tauranga City Council election show.
The man set to be the city's first mayor in four years says leading the city he grew up in will be like coming home.
There were 15 people vying for the mayoralty. runner up Greg Brownless gained 10,293 votes followed by Ria Hall with 8612 votes and Tina Salisbury received 7183 votes according to the preliminary results.
The two-time Olympic rowing gold medallist grew up in Tauranga and lives in Cambridge. He plans to move to back to Tauranga at the end of the school year, with his wife Juliette and their three children aged 4, 7 and 9.
Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting the day after his landslide win, Drysdale said his priority was working with his team of nine councillors to "realise the potential of Tauranga".
"[Tauranga] is a good city at the moment, so it's taking it from good to great.
"The voters have very much said we want a positive future for the city."
Hailed as a return to democracy, the newly elected council will replace the four-person commission that had been in place since February 2021.
Former Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta sacked the council elected in 2019 for poor behaviour, infighting, leaks of confidential information and the inability to set rates at a realistic level.
Tauranga's new council will replace commissioners Bill Wasley, Stephen Selwood, Anne Tolley and Shadrach Rolleston who were appointed in 2021. Photo: SunLive/Alisha Evans
"Let's not go back there," Drysdale said.
"My priority is we have democracy and if we can make that work, then there's no need for them [commissioners].
"Our challenge going forward is we've got to ... start engaging more with the community, so we're making sure we are delivering what they want."
The election was hotly contested with 75 people competing for 10 seats at the council table. The team of 10 will have a four-year term, a first for New Zealand.
Only two of the nine councillors have served as councillors before. Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris was part of the 2019 council and Arataki ward councillor Rick Curach will serve his seventh term as a councillor after missing out in 2019.
The other ward councillors sitting around the table are Jen Scoular - Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Glen Crowther - Matua-Otūmoetai, Rod Taylor - Te Papa, Kevin Schuler - Bethlehem, Marten Rozeboom - Tauriko, Hautapu Baker - Welcome Bay, and Mikaere Sydney in the new Māori ward Te Awanui.
Drysdale plans to meet with each of them individually to discuss their priorities and what skills they bring to the table.
Asked if he was concerned that only two of the team had been on council before, he responded: "It doesn't bother me at all."
"I just want successful people around the table that know how to get stuff done. That's much more important to me than having experience.
"We are a team and it's about using everyone's skills to deliver.
"I'm one of 10 votes around the table and we've got to do that together."
Tauranga's new council: Mahé Drysdale, Glen Crowther, Hautapu Baker, Jen Scoular, Kevin Schular, Marten Rozeboom, Mikaere Sydney, Rick Curach, Rod Taylor, Steve Morris. Photo: Supplied
The 45-year-old also wanted to chat with his team about their priorities for New Zealand's fifth largest city.
Tauranga has a housing shortfall of 5500 that is projected to grow, New Zealand's biggest port, traffic congestion, and the least affordable housing of any main centre.
Roading projects that needed addressing were Hewlett's Rd and Totara Street because it affected the whole city and Turret Road in Welcome Bay, he said
Hewlett's Rd was "a real challenge because" it was a state highway and managed by NZ Transport Agency and Totara Street was a local road which was the council's responsibility, he said.
"I'm aware that these things are going to take time.
"I don't want to commit to specific projects. It's more around 'let's actually get out there and start delivering'."
Tauranga's 2024-34 long-term plan, adopted by the commission before their term ended, proposes $4.9b in spending.
The spend includes more than $1b in transport infrastructure and a $574m investment in community facilities including a new $122m aquatic centre at Memorial Park and sports facilities.
Drysdale said he wouldn't "throw the plan out and start again" but plans change.
The council would relook at it in 2027 and in the meantime look at the planned projects on a case-by-case basis, he said.
As a financial advisor at Forsyth Barr, Drysdale wanted to ensure ratepayers' money was spent wisely.
Former Olympian Mahé Drysdale wants to take Tauranga from good to great as the city's new mayor. Photo: Bay of Plenty Times/Alex Cairns
"The key thing for me is I think we can get better value for money for our spending."
Walking the streets of Tauranga's city centre the day after his win, Drysdale was congratulated by excited locals.
He stopped for selfies with a pair walking their dog and chatted to a retired couple, Ellen and Barry Tatton, who have lived in Tauranga for 60 years.
Ellen Tatton said she was very pleased Drysdale would be Tauranga's new mayor.
"I liked his ideas of carrying on what the commission had done for us."
Also pleased for Drysdale was the soon-to-be mayoress, Juliette, although it would mean "a big move for the family".
"She will be uprooting from all her support networks, so it's taken time.
"But she's excited about the opportunity for me and she's right in behind me."
Juliette was already looking at schools and houses for the family before their move at the end of the year.
In the meantime, Drysdale planned to stay with his Tauranga-based mother mum three or four days a week, so he wasn't commuting daily.
He is continuing the family's legacy of service, as the grandson of Sir Robert (Bob) Owens who was Tauranga mayor from 1968 to 1977 and mayor of Mount Maunganui borough from 1971 to 1974.
The final election results will be released on Thursday and the new council will be sworn in on 2 August.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.