[2] In 1900 he was elected mayor of Lower Hutt unopposed after the resignation of Walter George Foster.

In his year as mayor he coordinated the efforts to rebuild the main bridge over the Hutt River.

[3] He also passed the first building regulations and by-laws to control new constructions in the borough.

The councils in-between had spent heavily on upgrading infrastructure and ran out of money for any further expenditure.

Bunny's new council (all but one member of the previous council had been voted out) presided over a period of financial austerity to cut costs and both raised rates and borrowed a £10,000 loan to repay debts.