{"id":634847,"date":"2026-10-19T02:00:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T02:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/634847\/"},"modified":"2026-10-19T02:00:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T02:00:18","slug":"the-maverick-mayor-whos-a-tattooist-coffin-owner-and-panelbeater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/634847\/","title":{"rendered":"The maverick mayor who’s a tattooist, coffin owner and panelbeater"},"content":{"rendered":"

You will not find another mayor in New Zealand like Ash Tanner.<\/p>\n

By Jordan Smith of Local Democracy Reporting<\/p>\n

Not many, if any, receive their own coffin as a birthday present. Even fewer can boast about building their own motorbike, and with the number of tattoos hovering around 100, the list whittles down to one.<\/p>\n

Then there\u2019s the politics, an arena the Matamata-Piako mayor operates in with an unapologetically honest, call-it-how-it-is demeanour.<\/p>\n

Sporting a relatively fresh-shaved head after a child cancer fund-raiser at Te Aroha college, the “maverick mayor” offered Local Democracy Reporting a glimpse into what makes him tick.<\/p>\n

Starting as a Te Aroha ward councillor 13 years ago after his eldest son said he \u201ckeeps moaning\u201d about council, the now 61-year-old said his \u201cno nonsense, straight up approach\u201d helped secure the mayoral seat in 2019.<\/p>\n

\"Matamata-Piako<\/p>\n

Matamata-Piako mayor Ash Tanner knows he might not fit the typical image people have of a mayor. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

\u201cI might not always make the right decision. I might say something that offends someone but I\u2019m reflecting what the people are telling me… it\u2019s as simple as that,\u201d Tanner said.<\/p>\n

After his first term, Tanner, a panel-beater for 30-odd years, stood down to focus on revitalising his business which, like many, struggled during Covid-19.<\/p>\n

The itch never waned however, and Tanner was re-elected in 2025, selling the business in the process to avoid burning the candle at both ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cI take [the mayoralty] as a privilege because people trust you with their vote so they want you to deliver so I\u2019ve got to give 100%, which I guess I always did but now without any white noise.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Ash Tanner away from council chambers is equally as unique, recalling the story of his wife gifting him his own coffin on his 50th birthday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve painted it HSTV [armoured vehicle] green and put the Triumph motorcycle logo on it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The coffin Tanner will, presumably, be buried in one day. (Source: Supplied)<\/p>\n

\u201cSome people say \u2018oh that\u2019s pretty heavy\u2019… \u2018is that an indication she wants you to hurry up or something\u2019… but I say to them \u2018if you\u2019ve got a spare tyre in the back of your car, you never have to use it, do you\u2019?<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s what I\u2019m thinking, when it inevitably does happen, you\u2019re ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dedicated husband, father and grandfather also has his wife\u2019s tattooed portrait adorning his arm.<\/p>\n

It helps make up the full contingent of the mayor\u2019s ink collection, spanning two full leg and arm sleeves as well as his back.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have got my first tattoo when you didn\u2019t see them hardly at all. It\u2019s pretty hard to get one tattoo so one turned into 100 probably,\u201d Tanner says.<\/p>\n

He recalled inking the Hauraki District Council logo onto fellow mayor Toby Adams in 2020, a special moment shared between the two.<\/p>\n

\"Tanner’s<\/p>\n

Tanner\u2019s wife holds a strong place in his heart and on his body. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was really nerve-racking when you\u2019ve never been filmed [but] it means a lot to us… because he\u2019s dedicated to his area too. We\u2019re proud to be representing our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he, Adams and Thames-Coromandel mayor Peter Revell would get matching ink for their looming amalgamation merger, Tanner chuckled, adding they\u2019ll have to ask the Thames-Coromandel incumbent.<\/p>\n

Along with the home-built Harley Davidson Chopper motorcycle complete with an engine from 1965, a Holden Commodore SSZ V8 as well as a 1972 Triumph Tiger help make up the Tanner\u2019s impressive vehicle collection.<\/p>\n

\u201cA couple of years ago [we] managed to get another Holden V8… my wife in particular loves the V8s. I grew up in the era and we were always on motorbikes and old classics,\u201d Tanner added.<\/p>\n

Tanner has been more than outspoken about his frustrations with \u201cred tape and bureaucracy\u201d, imploring Government to get back to \u201ccommon sense\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re so hamstrung it isn\u2019t even funny. There seems to be more reasons why you can\u2019t do something than you can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Tanner<\/p>\n

Tanner and Hauraki District Council mayor Toby Adams are bonded by the ink pen. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

Examples are plentiful \u2013 2023 saw Tanner and the community painting the Te Aroha bridge for $20,000 instead of the $500,000 quote from NZTA to replacing speed signs out of his own pocket, the mayor implored the people advising Government to \u201cjust stop\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love to have a few beers with them [local government and RMA ministers Simon Watts and Chris Bishop]… they\u2019re good people but I think they\u2019re getting bad advice from someone,\u201d Tanner said when asked.<\/p>\n

Self-described as \u201cpublic property\u201d in a job that can be all consuming, connecting with family and ensuring the cup stays full remain Tanner\u2019s top priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m most proud of my family. I\u2019ve got three grandkids and they melt Poppa\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The \u2018maverick\u2019 moniker was given to him after changing speed signs on his own accord, Tanner says. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt means a lot to me and balancing that time to spend with them and friends is the most important thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2013 Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air<\/p>\n

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a cyclone hits the Cook Islands, and the FlyDubai pilot speaks about being attacked. (Source: Breakfast)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"You will not find another mayor in New Zealand like Ash Tanner. By Jordan Smith of Local Democracy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":634848,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[9001,42,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-634847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-hamilton-waikato","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=634847"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/634847\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/634848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=634847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=634847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=634847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}