Bay rugby record holder seeks council seat

Former Bay of Plenty rugby representative Graeme Moore is seeking a seat on the Tauranga City Council

Nominations are slowly dribbling in for council elections, with the Bay of Plenty rugby's top try-scoring winger the latest new face vying to become a city councillor.

Graeme Moore, who played 114 games for the Bay from 1967-80, still holds the record for the most touch-downs by a Steamer's winger - 62 tries.

The 70-year-old has decided to stand for one of the Tauranga City Council's two seats on the Otumoetai/Pyes Pa Ward.

Mr Moore spent 27 years teaching at Tauranga Boys' College and is a founding and life member of Tauranga Sports Club. He seeks to carry on a family tradition in which his father was chairman of the former Tauranga County Council.

His support for improving the city's recreational and cultural facilities included building a multi-purpose stadium at The Domain - provided it could be funded through other ownership methods such as a public/private partnership or issuing bonds.

With less than a week until nominations close next Friday for local authority elections, only one Tauranga mayoral nomination has been received up until yesterday, even though eight others have announced they intend to stand. The sole nominee so far was Noel Peterson.

Nominations for the city council were Steve Morris (Mount/Papamoa Ward), Sheldon Nesdale (Otumoetai/Pyes Pa Ward), Misa Jesse (Te Papa/Welcome Bay Ward) and Mr Peterson and Alan Davidson (at large)

Bay of Plenty Regional Council nominations for Western Bay constituencies: Rusty Kane and David Love (Tauranga Constituency) and Norm Bruning (Western Bay Constituency).

Western Bay of Plenty District Council nominations. Mayor: Gwendalyn Merriman and Don Thwaites. Kaimai Ward: Mark Dean and Don Thwaites. Katikati/Waihi Beach Ward: Phil Bowyer. Te Puke/Maketu Ward: Mike Lally and Margaret Colmore.

Katikati Community Board: Brendan Gibbs, Sam Dunlop and Norm Mayo. Te Puke Community Board: Mike Lally and Peter Miller. Waihi Beach Community Board: Brian Hepenstall. Maketu Community Board: Shane Beech.