Nominations still trickling in for Bay local body elections

Nominations have been trickling in for local body elections, which close today at midday.

Candidates for Tauranga City Council, Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Bay of Plenty District Health Board have had a month to get their official nominations in before voting kicks off in October.

As at yesterday evening, eight nominations were in for Tauranga city mayor and three nominations for Western Bay of Plenty mayor.

Candidates officially nominated for Tauranga mayor were Graeme Purches, Noel James Peterson, Kelvin Clout, Larry Baldock, Greg Brownless, Max Mason, Steve Morris and Doug Owens.

Western Bay of Plenty mayoral candidates nominated as at last night were Garry Webber, Don Thwaites and Gwendalyn Merriman.

Tauranga City Council spokeswoman Aimee Driscoll said nominations to stand had been slow to come in.

As at yesterday evening there were 17 nominations for seats on Tauranga City Council, excluding the mayor. This compares to 31 total nominees in 2013.

There was still the potential for a flurry of nominations submitted before deadline today.

Ms Driscoll said if there were the same number of candidates as vacancies in a ward then the candidates were declared elected unopposed and no election was required.

She warned incorrect and late nominations would not be accepted after midday today.

Participation in local elections has been slowly declining across New Zealand.

The percentage of eligible voters in Tauranga that voted in the 2013 city council elections was approximately 37.77 per cent, less than the 43.64 per cent in 2010, and 46.36 per cent in 2007.

The voter turn-out for the whole Bay of Plenty region in 2013 was 38 per cent.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council had 14 nominations in as of last night, for a total of 11 seats available.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council had eight nominations in last night for eight available seats.

Two people had been nominated for the health board, which has seven seats.

4000 doors knocked on

One candidate has knocked on more than 4000 homes in the Otumoetai-Pyes Pa ward he hoped to be elected in.

Tauranga City Council candidate Sheldon Nesdale had visited 4291 homes, almost one third of the 15,356 total households in the Outmoetai-Pyes Pa council ward.

"I've spoken face-to-face with 1254 residents... it wasn't a hard slog at all, it was a lot of fun."

Mr Nesdale said the idea came from talks with past and present councillors and mayors from around New Zealand, who suggested it was a good idea.

"I realised what a great opportunity it was to find out what was on people's minds, what their ideas and concerns were.

"People appreciated I was taking the time out to knock on their door and ask them their ideas for the city, they were amazed someone was taking such an interest," Mr Nesdale said.

It changed a lot of his own ideas and a common thread for residents was council's debt and the importance of value for money.

"To sum my whole experience up, I think people just want to see value for money. Every dollar we send to council should get spent on a project that will benefit us all."

Mr Nesdale jotted notes and travel details in a journal, which shows he had spent a total of 98 hours and travelled 369 by scooter or bicycle in the past three months while visiting homes in Matua, Otumoetai, Pillans Point, Bellevue, Brookfield, Judea, Bethlehem, the Lakes and Pyes Pa.

Mr Nesdale said he would keep going, though he had already reached his goal of 4000 homes.