Nominations for Tasman’s local election closed on Friday and 28 people have thrown their hats into the ring for the 14 positions around council table.

Five people are vying for the mayoralty: incumbent second-term mayor Tim King along with Maxwell Clark, Richard Johns, Timo Neubauer, and Richard Osmaston (who was also running for four other mayoralties).

All were running independently except Osmaston who was under the Money Free Party banner.

Neubauer was also contesting the Richmond Ward, where all four incumbent councillors – Glen Daikee, Jo Ellis, Mark Greening, and Kit Maling – were also seeking to be re-elected.

ACT candidate Daniel Shirley was the sixth person to seek a spot in the ward.

Four candidates were running for the three vacancies in the Motueka Ward.

Incumbent councillor Barry Dowler was not one of them, though his peers Brent Maru and Trindi Walker were seeking re-election.

They were joined by Kerryn Ferneyhough and ACT’s second Tasman candidate, Dave Ross.

Stretching from Wakefield to Tasman village, the Moutere-Waimea Ward similarly had three spots that were being sought by four candidates.

However, Mike Kininmonth was the only incumbent councillor re-standing in the ward with Christeen Mackenzie and Dan Shallcrass stepping down.

Julian Eggers, Dean McNamara, and Dave Woods were running alongside Kininmonth for a spot representing the ward.

Chris Hill, one of Golden Bay’s two councillors, had decided not to run again, leaving Celia Butler the only incumbent to contest that ward.

Butler was up against four other candidates: Rodney Barker, Axel Downard-Wilke, Julian Hall, and Mark Hume.

Further south, the Lakes-Murchison Ward will be represented by a new face after deputy mayor Stuart Bryant announced he wasn’t seeking re-election after 26 years on the council.

Osmaston, the mayoral Money Free candidate, was seeking election in the ward alongside Nicola Shirley Allan and John Gully.

Paul Te Poa Karoro Morgan appears to be guaranteed a seat on the council next term as he was running uncontested for the sole spot on Te Tai Aorere Māori Ward.

During the local election, Tasman’s Māori Ward will also be subject to a binding referendum to determine whether it should be retained or disestablished.

Even if voters decide to disestablish the ward, it will remain in place until the beginning of the next term in 2028.

Four members will also be elected to each of the Golden Bay and Motueka Community Boards.

In Golden Bay, Henry Dixon and Grant Knowles were running for a spot on the community board again, but chair Abbie Langford and Robert Hewison were not contesting a spot.

Ward candidate Downard-Wilke was also contesting a seat on the board, alongside Sunshine Appleby, Clarissa Bruning, Mark Raffills, and Rodney Ward.

As for Motueka, Claire Hutt was the only current member seeking re-election, with current chair Terina Graham and fellow members Nick Hughes and David Armstrong not running.

Raymond Hellyer, John Katene, Laura Lusk, and David Ogilvie were seeking election to Motueka’s community board.

Early voting will start on 9 September and the final day of the election will be 11 October.

Turnout at Tasman’s last local election was 50% above the national average of 42%.

Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

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