Kaikōura
General electorate in Canterbury
Suburbs connected48 suburbs & localitiesShow ▾
Blenheim, Marlborough Sounds, Picton, Kaikōura, Woodbourne, Awatere, Parnassus, Amberley, Amuri, Hanmer Springs, Upper Hurunui, Upper Wairau, Kaikōura Ranges, Omihi, Ashley, Hanmer Range, Sefton, Loburn, Lower Wairau, Renwick, Balcairn, Ashley Forest, Rārangi, Tuamarina, Okuku, Cheviot, Spring Creek, Culverden, Havelock, Hawarden, Leithfield, Leithfield Beach, Marlborough Ridge, Seddon, Waiau, Waikari, Grovetown, Ōkiwi Bay, Amberley Beach, Anakiwa, Ngākuta Bay, Rotherham, Waipara, Gore Bay, Motunau Beach, Motunau Island, Rai Valley, Ward.
Boundaries do not always follow the edge of a suburb. Okuku, Waiau are split with a neighbouring electorate, so they appear on more than one page. Hover a dotted name for the share that falls here.
Built from the 2025 electorate boundaries used for the 2026 election, matched against Stats NZ statistical areas. Names are the official ones, so a very small settlement may sit inside a larger named locality rather than appear on its own. If you are unsure which electorate you are in, check your address on vote.nz.
Source: Stats NZ: 2025 electorate boundaries and 2026 statistical areas
Enrolment info88.13% enrolled · as at 31 July 2026Show ▾
| Age | Est. eligible | General | Māori | Enrolled | Not enrolled | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 - 24 | 4,321 | 2,122 | 217 | 2,339 | 1,982 | 54.13% |
| 25 - 29 | 3,008 | 2,256 | 237 | 2,493 | 515 | 82.88% |
| 30 - 34 | 4,035 | 2,829 | 271 | 3,100 | 935 | 76.83% |
| 35 - 39 | 4,536 | 3,397 | 252 | 3,649 | 887 | 80.45% |
| 40 - 44 | 4,204 | 3,361 | 226 | 3,587 | 617 | 85.32% |
| 45 - 49 | 4,111 | 3,458 | 193 | 3,651 | 460 | 88.81% |
| 50 - 54 | 4,927 | 4,044 | 204 | 4,248 | 679 | 86.22% |
| 55 - 59 | 5,407 | 4,737 | 218 | 4,955 | 452 | 91.64% |
| 60 - 64 | 5,925 | 5,253 | 191 | 5,444 | 481 | 91.88% |
| 65 - 69 | 5,591 | 5,299 | 173 | 5,472 | 119 | 97.87% |
| 70+ | 12,901 | 12,784 | 246 | 13,030 | -129 | 101.00% |
| Total | 58,966 | 49,540 | 2,428 | 51,968 | 6,998 | 88.13% |
Enrolment figures are as at 31 July 2026. The eligible population is the Electoral Commission's own estimate, so “not enrolled” is the gap between that estimate and the roll — not a count of identified people.
Some age bands show above 100% enrolled, which means the roll holds more people than the population estimate for that band. This appears in the Commission's own published table and is not an error here.
The youngest band is consistently the least enrolled: 18 - 24 sits at 54.13% here, against 88.13% across all ages.
Source: Electoral Commission: enrolment by general electorate
2023 election resultsShow ▾
Electorate (candidate) votes, 14 October 2023. Winner: Stuart Smith (National), majority 11,412.
- Stuart SmithNational20,741 (50.0%)
- Emma DewhirstLabour9,329 (22.5%)
- Jamie ArbuckleNZ First4,347 (10.5%)
- Keith GriffithsACT2,624 (6.3%)
- Richard McCubbinGreen Party2,512 (6.1%)
- Natalie ColelloNZ Loyal921 (2.2%)
- Sandra CampbellDNZ509 (1.2%)
- David GreensladeNew Conservative237 (0.6%)
- John McCaskeyIndependent139 (0.3%)
- Ted HowardIndependent109 (0.3%)
- Shuan BrownIndependent43 (0.1%)
Source: Electoral Commission (electionresults.govt.nz). Electorate (candidate) vote only; party vote not shown.
Current MP for Kaikōura
Stuart Smith
Current MPFocus
Four-term MP focused on supporting Marlborough's wine industry, rural communities and earthquake recovery in Kaikoura.
Candidates
Oliver Hill-Hughes
NewMatthew Flight
NewFocus
Campaigning in Kaikōura on the cost of living, local job availability and housing costs, drawing on three years on the Marlborough District Council.
Jamie Arbuckle
Focus
NZ First Party Whip and Marlborough District Councillor; focused on justice reform and regional social services for Kaikoura.
Tom Spooner
NewFocus
Industrial mechanic and business owner campaigning on agricultural support and regulatory reform for rural Kaikoura.