Former Taupō mayor David Trewavas has died suddenly at the age of 63.

Taupō Funeral Services posted on social media that David James passed away on 28 July 2026, aged 63. The Taupō District Council confirmed the death in a statement. Tributes have come from the current mayor and the council's chief executive (RNZ).

Trewavas served on the Taupō District Council for 24 years. He was mayor for 13 of those years, from 2013 to 2025 (Taupō News). He first joined the council in the early 2000s. He ran for mayor again in 2025 but lost to John Funnell.

Current mayor John Funnell described Trewavas as a people person who took a genuine interest in others. Council chief executive Julie Gardyne praised his humour and outgoing personality. The council sent condolences to Trewavas's whānau and former colleagues (RNZ).

Several major building projects were completed in the Taupō district while Trewavas was mayor. RNZ cited a new airport terminal, a CBD (town centre) redevelopment, and a $3.5 million sports facility (RNZ).

Losing the 2025 election was a big change for Taupō. Trewavas had been mayor for over a decade, so the district had a long period of steady leadership under him.

The broader context here is that Trewavas's death less than a year later means the district has lost someone who shaped much of how Taupō looks and runs today. Mayors who serve a long time build up working relationships with government departments, iwi, community groups, and the companies that build roads and pipes. Those relationships do not simply pass to the next mayor. When a long-serving mayor leaves, the council loses not just a person but a web of connections built over years.

The building projects from Trewavas's time as mayor, like the airport terminal and town centre works, are large investments that affect a town's economy for decades. They also tend to spark debate about how much debt ratepayers are taking on, how contracts were awarded, and whether the public was properly consulted. Those debates carry on after any mayor leaves. What stands out from the tributes is that Trewavas's personality, outgoing and humble, was at the heart of how he did the job. Funnell and Gardyne focused on that personal quality rather than any single project.

RNZ reported the death by combining the council statement, the funeral services social-media post, and tributes from the current mayor and council CEO, bringing together the available public record (RNZ).

Trewavas is survived by his whānau. Funeral arrangements have not been publicly detailed beyond the funeral services notice.