Efeso Collins has called time on his career in politics after being defeated by Wayne Brown for the Auckland mayoralty.

Roger Blakeley and Glenda Hughes have failed to be re-elected to the Greater Wellington Regional Council, according to provisional results.

The former MP has comfortably won the mayoral race, and says it's a political highlight.

"It was such a landslide", Tory Whanau tells her mother after finding out she will be the next mayor of Wellington.

Whangārei and Kaipara have new mayors confirmed - the Far North will have a new mayor too, but we won't know who it is for another week.

A loss for Dunedin mayor Aaron Hawkins mean he is now off the council, as he didn't run for a councillor spot.

Paula Southgate is being given the chance to tackle the "unfinished business" she wanted to take on in a second term as mayor of Hamilton.

Neil Holdom has been returned for a third-term as New Plymouth mayor after progress results were released on Saturday.

Incumbent mayor Campbell Barry has won Hutt City.

Progress results see mayors re-elected in Palmerston North and surrounds.

Voters in Tasman district have returned incumbent mayor Tim King to the top job for another three years.

Preliminary results of the local body elections show Nigel Bowen has won the Timaru District mayoralty over rival Stu Piddington with a 6000 vote majority.

“I honestly didn’t think the campaign was going that well," says Geoff Upson. "I only spent $4000."

Some of the 215 stranded whales had to be euthanised due to remote location and challenging conditions.

Auckland Transport chair Adrienne Young-Cooper said she was quitting to give the new mayor “a clear runway”.

A pedestrian has died following a crash involving three vehicles on State Highway 35.

Wayne Guppy has won his eighth term as mayor of Upper Hutt, a record that makes him one of New Zealand’s longest-serving mayors.

LGNZ president Stuart Crosby called the 40% turnout very disappointing. “An independent review is really required now.”

“I think going forward, now, I'm voicing the people's voice,” said Allanah Burgess, who's more used to being the “back part of the marae”.

Two sitting city councillors look to have been ousted as seven newcomers are voted onto the council.