Jenny Shattock elected as South Waikato Mayor

The South Waikato District Council welcomes Jenny Shattock back to Council in her first term as Mayor of the South Waikato, some 1,100 votes ahead of her closest rival.

Mayor Shattock has served nine years as Deputy Mayor and brings a wealth of local knowledge, experience and a comprehensive understanding of local government to her new role.

"Very importantly, our new Mayor has a complete understanding of the South Waikato journey and our current direction on which to build," said Council's Chief Executive Craig Hobbs. "Mayor Shattock's experience and knowledge will provide crucial support to our new Council and we are pleased to have her back on board to lead us through the coming years."

All six of the sitting Councillors who stood for re-election were voted back in, testimony to the work and effort the team has accomplished over the past term; and reflects clear support from the community overall regarding the current direction of Council.

Indeed the re-election of all six sitting members supports the most recent results of our Perceptions Survey that indicates a satisfaction rating of 79% with Council's overall performance.

New Mayor Jenny Shattock paid tribute to outgoing Mayor of 12 years Neil Sinclair saying that it has been a privilege supporting ex-Mayor Neil Sinclair over the years.

"I have learnt a lot under Neil's guidance and have enjoyed tremendous support and mentoring in recent years," said Mayor Elect Shattock. "The platform has been set and we have the mandate to continue in the direction that has been developed over the past 12 years under Neil's leadership."

"I am pleased to see a good number of experienced Councillors re-elected and four new faces who will bring valuable new ideas and thoughts to the table," she concluded.

Voter turnout these elections reached 44.41%, an increase of 6% over last local elections.

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