Tēnā koutou katoa - Greetings to you all
On Friday 9 September, we received the news of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. For more than seven decades the Queen devoted her life to serving Britain and the Commonwealth countries. She was a constant presence in our lives and a rock of stability during her service for which she will be fondly remembered and respected.
The voting period for the elections started last week on 16 September and runs to 8 October 12 noon. I would love to see the Tararua District have a big jump in voter turnout this year. These elections are about your local community, and the local body that governs them. Now is your chance to have a say on the issues you are concerned about. There is a lot on our shoulders at the moment and I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to take part in these local elections. I encourage you all to talk with your family, friends, and neighbours to check if they are planning to vote. All votes make a difference. Sometimes candidates win by a margin of only one, or two votes. That could be your vote !
The elections are for Mayor and 9 councillors as well as the Eketāhuna Community Board. If you're enrolled on the Māori Roll, this will be your first opportunity to vote for candidates standing in the very first Māori ward (Tamaki nuia-Rua), with three nominees campaigning for the position. All of the available vacancies will be hotly contested, with the exception of the Dannevirke Community Board which has the exact number of nominations for the available positions and will, therefore, not require a vote.
Campaigning is now in full swing with each candidate promoting the vision they have of the Tararua district. It is now up to voters to get familiar with the candidates who all want to make important decisions for our district and its future. These include everyday decisions about how people move around our district, how we operate our community facilities, through to how we manage rates and plan and pay for everything our district needs. To get familiar with the candidates, voters can check out the candidate profiles which are online on our website. For these profiles, candidates have written brief statements which detail what qualities they can bring to Council that will help the Tararua District thrive. www.tararuadc.govt.nz l your-council l localelections l candidate-statements.
Electors will begin to receive their voting documents. These must be returned no later than 12 noon, Saturday 8 October 2022. Voting documents can be returned by post or hand delivered to the Council's Service Centres. If you know somebody who is turning 18, or someone who hasn't yet exercised their democratic right to enrol, its easy. Enrol online via vote.nz or freephone 0800 36 76 56.
Ngā Mihi,
Bryan Nicholson Chief Executive