Former Whakatāne mayor Victor Luca has won the Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency seat on the Bay of Plenty Regional Council following a closely watched by-election.
Final results show independent candidate Luca secured 3,491 votes, comfortably ahead of former regional councillor Toi Iti on 2,032. Jessica Sneha Gray received 894 votes, Dayle Hunia 804 and Richard Collins 516. Voter turnout was 31.74 percent, with 7,783 voting papers returned.
The by-election was triggered by the death of councillor Malcolm Campbell and fills the vacancy for the remainder of the 2025–2028 council term.
Luca brings significant local government experience to the regional council, having served as a Whakatāne District councillor from 2019 to 2022 before becoming mayor from 2022 to 2025. He also has a background in science, environmental research and resource management.
His arrival comes as regional and local government face significant reform, alongside major decisions around freshwater, environmental management, infrastructure and the future of communities across the Eastern Bay.
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