WRC confirms seats

Waikato voters will elect 14 regional councillors from six general and two Maori constituencies at the 2013 local body elections, following Waikato Regional Council’s review of its representation arrangements.

The Local Electoral Act requires councils to review how many councillors they have and how they represent their communities at least every six years.

The northern Maori seat covering Hamilton city and Waikato district will be called Nga Hau e Wha ( the four winds) while the Maori seat covering Thames-Coromandel, Hauraki, Matamata- Piako, Waipa, Otorohanga, Waitomo, South Waikato and parts of Taupo and Rotorua districts will be called Nga Tai ki Uta (from coastal to inland).

Waikato Regional Council’s Karen Bennett said anyone can stand for the two Maori seats on Waikato Regional Council, but they must be a New Zealand citizen and their name must be on the parliamentary electoral roll.

‘‘ Anyone interested in standing in the Nga Tai ki Uta (which includes the South Waikato) constituency will need to have two people from that constituency nominate them. The two nominators must live in the Nga Tai ki Uta constituency, even though the candidate does not need to live in the constituency.’’

Nominators must be on the Parliamentary Electoral Roll.

Nominations open in mid2013. Details will be made available at that time.