The announcement of the passing of former Taupō Mayor David James Trewavas came on the same morning the very council he had led for 12 years was to make a substantial decision on its future.
Current Taupō Mayor John Funnell confirmed Trewavas' death, breaking the news at this morning's council meeting, asking all councillors to stand for a minute's silence in tribute.
"I just want to acknowledge the passing of our former Taupo District Mayor, David James Trewavas, overnight," Funnell said. "While we haven't had a formal statement from his family, we feel it's appropriate that we acknowledge David's 24 years of service to our district and his passing."
Funnell said the council was still waiting to hear from the Trewavas family about how they would like him to be honoured.
"This will come as a shock to many people, including the staff and the council building and the whole town," Funnell said. "David was well-known and well-respected."
It is an odd irony that Trewavas’ tenure and his legacy was just becoming the subject of research for his eulogy and obituary writers, as Funnell, and a number of councillors he had served several terms with, were meeting to discuss Taupō District Council’s reaction to sweeping plans from central government for local body reorganisation.
Trewavas was first elected to the Taupō mayoralty in 2013, having previously served as a district councillor under Clayton Stent (2001-07) and then putting his hand up for the mayor's role on the retirement of Rick Cooper.
From 2013 until 2019 his election tallies were around double the votes of his nearest rivals (Bernhard Chrustowski in 2013, Christine Rankin in 2016, Zane Cozens in 2019) and still ahead by around a third of Rankin again in 2022.
His four terms equalled the district mayoralty record of Joan Williamson (though she had also served the last mayoral term of the Taupō Borough Council), a fellow local body leader he always spoke fondly of.
In announcing his attempt at a fifth term wearing the mayoral chains he slightly altered his ‘Mayor for All’ slogan to ‘Still the Mayor for All’ and was keen to promote the milestones that had been achieved by the council under his watch.
Life remained busy and rewarding for him, his wife Anna and their four daughters, he said in his 2025 election statement.
A fifth term was not to be however as he finished third with 2,985 votes behind John Funnell’s 5,600 and Zane Cozens’ 4,245 in a reversal of the sort of margin he used to post over other hopefuls.
In the build-up to last October’s election, he had admitted another term might be his swansong.
He said he would run on making Taupō an affordable place to live – “be part of it and enjoy living here, to enjoy the environment,” believing previous councils had set the district up well for the future with modern facilities and in securing various high-profile events.
“It's an honour and a privilege to do this job. I'd like to think I started off trying to be the mayor for all and I've tried to live to those values.”
He was also proud of the council’s record in maintaining a healthy position in terms of its water infrastructure and service, ahead of the then imminent Local Water Done Well reform process.
He also expressed support for having a Māori ward – Te Papamārearea in the district. Having the ward’s two councillors at the council table had worked well, he said.
“I enjoy the company and the inclusiveness of our Māori representatives.”
He acknowledged Ngāti Tūwharetoa as a significant landowner in the district and while he said the council would work with any referendum decision on the future of the ward, he said there was nothing in his history that had changed his view.
(In the end the poll held in conjunction with the candidate poll last year rejected the ward’s continuation).
He also felt the draft Joint Management Agreement between the council and Tūwharetoa Māori Trust Board deferred just before the election would need to be concluded.
“It needs to be socialised more, so people understand it a bit better," he said in a pre-election interview.
“We all want to protect the beautiful lake that we swim in every summer, but unfortunately people have gone off in all directions. They need to familiarise themselves with it and that’s partially our job as councillors.”
Outside of his mayoral and council duties Trewavas was a keen local rugby supporter.
In early 2019 he underwent a kidney transplant, receiving one donated by his wife Anna, after being on a waiting list for the procedure following initial diagnosis in 2917.
Lake FM will provide further details as they become available.
