Northland: Single uncontested council seat for local body elections

Rick Stolwerk is the only councillor candidate in Northland to be elected unopposed. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Langs Beach's Rick Stolwerk is the only councillor candidate in Northland to be elected unopposed for the upcoming local government elections.

Stolwerk, a current Northland Regional Council (NRC) councillor, will be the sole candidate for the single seat in his council's Coastal South General Constituency when voting opens in mid-September.

Whereas the Northland local government election's 20 other council wards or constituencies have up to five times more candidates than available elected seats.

The Kaipara District Council (KDC)'s Te Moananui o Kaipara Māori Ward tops this with five candidates standing for one elected councillor position.

The Far North District Council (FNDC)'s Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward has 18 candidates vying for four seats.

NRC's Bay of Islands-Whangaroa, Far North and Mid-North General Constituencies all have four times more candidates than available elected seats.

FNDC overall has three times more candidates than elected positions for Mayor, councillors and community board members. There are twice as many community board candidates as there are positions.

The KDC has three times more candidates than elected positions including the Mayor and councillors. When it comes to councillors, there are 25 nominations, 2.7 times what is available.

The Whangārei District Council (WDC) has 3.3 times more candidates than available seats for Mayor and councillors. When it comes to councillors only, there are three times more councillors than seats.

The council's Whangārei Urban General Ward has the highest over-subscription with almost four times more candidates than seats. Its Whangārei District Māori ward has three times more candidates than elected seats.

NRC has 24 councillor candidates, 2.6 times more than available elected positions.

At edition time, NRC was the only Northland council to have confirmed its final nominations. It has 24 candidates, 2.6 times more candidates than seats.

Councillors (9 seats): Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General Constituency (1) Phil Gentry, Peter Gill, Tania McInnes, Marty Robinson (4); Coastal Central General Constituency (1) Paul Anthony Dimery, Amy Macdonald, Christine Woods (3); Coastal South General Constituency (1) Rick Stolwerk; Far North General Constituency (1) Justin Blaikie, Joe Carr, Clyde Samson, Marty Yuretich (4); Kaipara General Constituency (1) John Blackwell, Penny Smart (2); Mid North General Constituency (1) Lesley Adcock, Geoff Crawford, John McCaw, William Sullivan (4) ; Whangārei Central General Constituency (1) Jack Craw, Tony Savage (2); Te Raki Māori Constituency (2) Lance Bryers, Robin Grieve, Peter-Lucas Jones, Tui Shortland (4).

WDC, FNDC and KDC were at edition time still to release their confirmed final candidates listing.

FNDC said there were three potential council candidates yet to be confirmed. It has also corrected the originally released name of candidate Lise Strathdee, a would-be North Hokianga subdivision member on the council's Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board member.

This community board has the most oversubscribed candidate numbers of the council's three community boards with 17 candidates vying for six seats. The oversubscription is highest in the board's remote North Hokianga subdivision which has four candidates contesting a single seat.

Meanwhile, FNDC's Bay of Islands Community Board has three candidates elected unopposed for the single seat in each of its Russell-Opua, Waipapa and Whangaroa subdivisions (based on preliminary listings). This is in contrast to the board's Paihia subdivision which has three people standing for a single seat. There are 13 candidates standing for this community board.

FNDC's Te Hiku Community Board has 10 candidates seeking six seats.

FNDC is the only Northland council to have community boards.

Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air