Candidates aplenty for voters to choose from
‘‘Voting papers will be sent out from September 16 and votes counted on October 8.’’
Voters in Porirua and Tawa are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing their local body representatives for the coming three years.
Candidate nominations closed on August 12.
For the Porirua/Tawa constituency of Greater Wellington Regional Council, incumbents Jenny Brash and Barbara Donaldson will not be elected unopposed as in 2013. This time Heidi Mills and Joern Scherzer are also running.
When it comes to Porirua City Council, 37 candidates are vying for just 10 seats at the table.
The Eastern ward, as it does each election, has the most names on the ballot.
Incumbents Izzy Ford, Denys Latham and John Burke are back to bid for another term, but the absence of councillor Litea Ah Hoi means a seat is up for grabs.
Others candidates standing in the east are David Watt, Faafoi Seiuli, Benna Seveali’iSiolo, Jevan Goulter, Martin Gregory, Morris Cheer, Sala Nimarota, Paula MacEwan, Kylie Wihapi, Willie Taurima and Lorna Kanavatoa.
In the Western ward, 10 names are on the ballot for just two seats, one of them vacated by the retiring Ken Douglas.
Incumbent ‘Ana Coffey will be joined in the race for the seats by TJ Fermanis, Chantelle Anslow, Jude Pointon, Zahi Dodson, Henry Smith, Chris Wilson, Ranei Wineera-Parai, Graeme Ebbett and mayoral candidate Mike Duncan.
The Northern ward is the most wide open, as two of its four councillors - Bronwyn Kropp and Tim Sheppard - are standing down and a third, Euon Murrell, is only contesting the mayoralty.
Anita Baker is the only councillor from the north to put her hand up again.
She will be joined by three new councillors out of Brian Collins, Keryn Martin, Philip Dyer, Ross Leggett, Dale Williams, Nathan Waddle, Andrew Wellum, Sarah Piper, Barry McEwen, Beverley Wakem, Dianne Khan and Don Casagranda.
The Tawa Community Board will not have an election with six nominees for six seats.
Graeme Hansen, Richard Herbert, Margaret Lucas, Jack Marshall, Robyn Parkinson and Jill Day can discard election campaigning and look forward to their coming duties already.