Competition strong in council race
South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop will be the mayor for another three years.
That much was certain after he was the only nomination for the top job.
Elsewhere there is bound to be a lot of interest in the competition to get on to council, none more so than in the Hawera ward where
eight high-profile candidates are vying for the four Hawera ward seats. Current councillors Kirsty Bourke, Andy Beccard and Garth Weir are being challenged by Gary Brown, Te Aroha Hohaia, Bryan Vickery, Harvey Tutauha and Jack Rangiwahia.
Further south, Tangahoe Ward councillor Phil Nixon is the only nominee for the South Taranaki District Council and will be reelected unopposed. In the Eltham Ward there are three candidates standing for the two positions. Incumbent Gordon Lawson is standing again, along with Steffy MacKay and James Turahui.
There are four candidates for the three seats in the Egmont Plains Ward, with Bryan Roach and Bonita Bigham offering themselves for re-election. They are being challenged by Clem Coxhead and Kelly Knadle. In Patea, it is a similar situation, with current councillors Ian Wards and Robert Northcott being challenged by Hennie Van Deventer.
Whatever the outcome, there will some familiar faces missing from around the council table.
Deputy Mayor Ian Armstrong is standing down after three terms on council, along with former deputy mayor Alex Ballantyne, who was demoted during the last term, and fiveterm councillor Mike Powell. When announcing his retirement Powell was interviewed by the Taranaki Daily News and he had some good advice for all aspiring councillors.
‘‘One thing I found early on in the piece is that council is actually a team sport. You can have all the best ideas in the world but if you can’t put them eloquently and get your comrades on side you’ll never float any of them,’’ he said. ’’Over that whole time, everyone I’ve run into across the whole council has been there for the sole purpose of improving things for the district so they’ve been a pleasure to work with.’’
The Taranaki Star asks candidates to send in a photo and explain in 50 words or fewer what qualities they have that would make them a good council member.