Article: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Confirms Candidates for 2025 Local Elections

Source

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council has released its final list of candidates for the upcoming local body elections in October 2025.

Governance Manager Steve Groom says he is pleased with the diversity and number of nominations received this year, noting that every regional council constituency will now hold an election.

“We have more nominations than in 2022, and I really applaud everyone who made the call to put themselves out there,” Groom said. “Now that people know who is standing in their constituency, it’s time to learn more about them and what they stand for.”

Voting packs will be sent out from Tuesday, 9 September, with the voting period closing at 12pm on 11 October.

“There will be information about where and how to vote included in the voting pack, as well as a booklet with each candidate’s short profile,” Groom explained. “We’ll also publish a list of known ‘Meet the Candidate’ events on our website for people wanting to learn more.”

The Council also has limited funding available, up to $500 for community groups planning to host local voting events.

“Good information is the enabler of democracy, so we want to support these events. If you’re planning one, check if it qualifies for funding. Not all events will be eligible, but it’s worth taking a look,” Groom added.

Details about venue funding are available now on the Regional Council website.

Looking ahead, Groom said the Council’s focus will shift to helping voters access information and voting spaces.

“We want to make sure people have as much information as possible about how and where to vote. Closer to the mailing date for voting packs, we’ll launch an interactive map on our website to help people find a nearby post box or voting bin. Depending on where you live, this may include supermarkets, council offices, and libraries.”

Groom also encourages residents to engage with the process.

“The decision-making now shifts to the people of the Bay of Plenty. This is your chance to influence who sits around the table and what values they bring. Take the time to learn about the candidates so you can make an informed decision for the next three years.”

Full candidate list

Western Bay of Plenty Regional Constituency (2 vacancies)

  • Cathi Barker
  • Neil Parker
  • John Scrimgeour
  • Ken Shirley

Tauranga Regional Constituency (5 vacancies)

  • Shelley Archibald
  • Vanessa Charman-Moore
  • Stuart Crosby
  • Glenn Dougal
  • Kate Graeme
  • Caitlin Grattan
  • Murray Guy
  • Daniel Harvey
  • Ash Hillis
  • Annika Lane
  • Kat Macmillan
  • Tim Maltby
  • Clinton Naude
  • Douglas Owens
  • Ron Scott
  • Derek Stembridge
  • Andrew von Dadelszen
  • Mark Wassung

Rotorua Regional Constituency (2 vacancies)

  • Daryn Bean
  • Roana Bennett
  • Nick Chater
  • Tamati Coffey
  • Anna Grayling (nee Heap)
  • Rose Hiha-Agnew
  • Raj Kumar
  • Stuart McManaway
  • Jude Pani
  • Lyall Thurston
  • Brett Wilson

Eastern Bay of Plenty Regional Constituency (2 vacancies)

  • Malcolm Campbell
  • Adrian Gault
  • Jessica Sneha Gray
  • Sarah van der Boom

Mauao Māori Regional Constituency (1 vacancy)

  • Matemoana McDonald
  • Paora Stanley
  • Ange Webster

Ōkūrei Māori Regional Constituency (1 vacancy)

  • Cyrus Tauahika Hingston
  • Allan Iwi Te Whau
  • Te Taru White

Kōhi Māori Regional Constituency (1 vacancy)

  • Karamea (Chris) Insley
  • Mawera Karetai
  • Ngapera Rangiaho
  • Jackie Te Amo-Te Kurapa

Related Post

Is Returning GST To Councils ‘Ultra Left Wing Spin’?

Posted on by Dave Stewart

Mayors and chairs commented to the survey “that a share of the GST revenue generated in their districts should be returned to local government”, saying GST was the “clear favourite” revenue stream of people surveyed.

Southland Mayor Gary Tong told the survey Treasury should “actively look at” the amount of road user charges and GST paid by people in his region, which was then spent in other parts of the country.

Waipā District Council Mayor Jim Mylchreest said councils should get a “share of GST”, particularly the GST paid on council rates as well as a share of GST paid on the development of new sections.

“LAs [local authorities] and developers provide all of the services and take all of the risks and Central Government pockets the GST on every new section created,” Mylchreest said.

Act and National have recently floated similar ideas. National wants to at least explore the idea of councils getting the GST collected on rates, while Act has launched a policy to share half of the GST revenue earned from building a new house with whichever local council issued that house’s consent.

Letter: National Party deeply divided

Posted on by Dave Stewart
Source Dave Stewart PDF Dave Stewart In response to Lenore Craig’s letter (Denying democratic rights, Beacon July 30),there is one glaring issue with this that seems to have been left out of this discussion. David Seymour proudly announcing his voter suppression measures has to be one of the most interesting...

Article: Councillors tired of being ‘beaten up’ and blamed by central government

Posted on by Dave Stewart

In a statement yesterday, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said some households were getting frustrated by unfair rate hikes during the cost-of-living crisis.

It followed comments at the recent Local Government NZ (LGNZ) conference, where Watts compared councils to children and suggested that letting them do what they wanted might lead to bad choices.

Olds, who attended the conference, told his colleagues and LGNZ representatives that he was disappointed that councils continued to get “beaten up by central government” over things that were out of their control.

Councils had defended rising rates as they were dealing with increased infrastructure costs, unfunded mandates, insurance, and inflation.

LGNZ chief executive Susan Freeman-Greene said tensions between local and central government were “a challenge”, and that councils bore the impact of frequent changes to government policy.

Leave a Reply