Upper Hutt welcomes new Mayor and Councillors

Published on 17 October 2025

_{Caption: Peri Zee confirmed as Mayor following the official declaration of results for the Upper Hutt’s 2025 local elections}

Upper Hutt is welcoming new leadership of the city, with Peri Zee confirmed as Mayor following the official declaration of results for the 2025 local elections.

The Mayor and Council, which includes a mix of returning and newly elected members, will officially take office once they have been sworn in at the Inaugural Council meeting on 30 October.

Mayor-Elect Peri Zee brings to the Council a professional background in advising local government, iwi and social enterprises all over the motu on strategic planning, project management and government relations.

She says her approach as Mayor will be grounded in transparency, evidence-based decision-making, and genuine partnership with residents, businesses, and mana whenua.

“I’m really excited about what lies ahead for the city and my goal now is to lead a team that is approachable, actively listens to what our residents are saying and works together to strengthen the connection with our community.”

The Mayor-Elect has been quick to acknowledge outgoing Mayor Wayne Guppy for his 24 years of leadership and long-standing contribution to the city and thanked him and other outgoing council members.

“Upper Hutt has benefited greatly from the commitment of those who’ve served before us,” she says. “Their contribution provides a strong foundation for us to build on.”

She also thanked all the candidates who put their hands up to serve the city by standing for Council, and those who voted.

Upper Hutt saw a 50.06 percent in voter return this election, which was notably higher than the 43.15 percent in 2022.

“That level of engagement shows how much Upper Hutt residents care about where our city is heading,” Mayor-Elect Peri says.

She welcomes to her team as Councillors:

• Emma Holderness
• Tracey Ultra
• Angela McLeod
• Dave Wheeler
• Corey White
• Hellen Swales
• Bill Hammond
• Daniel Welch
• Matt Carey
• Gurpreet Dhillon

Official results for the election can be found on our website here.