MEDIA RELEASE

Large number vie for regional council seats

For immediate release: Friday 20 August

A large number of candidates will vie for regional council seats in the Bay of Plenty’s local authority election in October.

By close off at noon today, Environment Bay of Plenty electoral officer Miles McConway had received 34 nominations for the 14 constituency seats. They include a total of 11 lodged for the three new Maori seats of Kohi, Mauao and Okurei.

Mr McConway says an election will need to be held for all constituencies except the eastern Bay of Plenty, which has two nominations for its two seats. As part of a re-shuffle to make way for dedicated Maori seats, the number of eastern Bay of Plenty seats has been cut from three to two in this election.

Three current regional councillors are standing down this year. They are Rosemary Michie (Rotorua), Elinor Elder (Tauranga) and Lorraine Brill (Eastern Bay of Plenty).

Nominations are:
General Constituencies
Eastern Bay of Plenty (two seats): Bryan Riesterer, Malcolm Whitaker (no election necessary)
Rotorua (three seats): Brentleigh Bond, William Cleghorn, Robin Ford, Neil Oppatt, Amanda Reid
Tauranga (four seats): John Cronin, Athole Herbert, Tony Murton, Douglas Owens, Phillip Sherry, Karen Summerhays, Paula Thompson, Andrew John von Dadelszen
Western Bay of Plenty (two seats): Mark Dean, Kevin Heys, John Neill, David Nelson May, Ian Alexander Noble, Michael Parke Pittar, Jim Pringle, Rufus Wallingford
Maori Constituencies
Kohi (one seat): John Hata, Phillip John Hohapata-Oke, Tipene Perenara Marr, Joseph Mason, C Maanu Paul
Mauao (One seat): Raewyn Bennett, Alf McCausland, Anthony Ivan Paraire, Rim D Paul
Okurei (one seat): Tai Eru, Matthew Eru Wepa
Candidate profile statements will be posted on www.envbop.govt.nz after being cleared by the electoral officer. The profiles will also be included in voting papers to be delivered in late September. All votes must be returned by October 9.

For more information on the election, including maps showing the new constituency boundaries, please go to www.envbop.govt.nz or call Environment Bay of Plenty on 0800 ENV BOP (368 267).

ENDS

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