East Coast Bays (New Zealand electorate)

East Coast Bays is a New Zealand parliamentary electorate. It was first formed in 1972 and has existed apart from a break lasting two parliamentary terms. The electorate has been held by Erica Stanford of the National Party since the 2017 general election.

Population centres
Since the, the number of electorates in the South Island was fixed at 25, with continued faster population growth in the North Island leading to an increase in the number of general electorates. There were 84 electorates for the 1969 election, and the 1972 electoral redistribution saw three additional general seats created for the North Island, bringing the total number of electorates to 87. Together with increased urbanisation in Christchurch and Nelson, the changes proved very disruptive to existing electorates. In the South Island, three electorates were abolished, and three electorates were newly created. In the North Island, five electorates were abolished, two electorates were recreated, and six electorates were newly created (including East Coast Bays).

The electorate is based around the north-eastern suburbs of North Shore City in north Auckland, including Torbay, Browns Bay and Mairangi Bay. The electorate crosses State Highway One at its southern end, which includes a section of Glenfield. East Coast Bays is a wealthy electorate, with incomes above the national average and boasting some of the most expensive real estate in the country. The electorate also contains many immigrants from South Africa. Located on the North Shore of the Auckland isthmus, it is one of the safest National seats in the country.

History
East Coast Bays was an electorate in the New Zealand Parliament between and, before being abolished to make way for the  electorate at the change to Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) voting. High population growth in North Auckland lead to the electorate's western fringe being removed in 2002, and with it the eponymous suburb of Albany, thus recreating East Coast Bays ahead of the.

Although now a safe electorate for National, it was held for seven years by Social Credit MP Gary Knapp, from the when he defeated future National party leader Don Brash. In the, and 1987 general elections, Labour came third, with Knapp defeating Brash in 1981 and Murray McCully in 1984.

But in the declining fortunes of the Democratic Party (as Social Credit renamed itself), led to Knapp being defeated by Murray McCully, who held the electorate for National until 2017.

In December 2016, McCully announced that he would not stand for parliament in the 2017 general election, and the seat of East Coast Bays was won by Erica Stanford, retaining it for the National Party.

Members of Parliament
Key

1 Resigned when appointed Ambassador to the United States

List MPs
Members of Parliament elected from party lists in elections where that person also unsuccessfully contested the East Coast Bays electorate. Unless otherwise stated, all MPs terms began and ended at general elections.

2Bradford resigned from Parliament on 30 October 2009.

2011 election
Electorate (as at 26 November 2011): 47,305