Record choice for Far North voters in local body elections

A record 90 people are contesting the upcoming local elections in the Far North District. Photo /Peter de Graaf

Far North voters will face their biggest choice in the district's 30-year history when voting forms are delivered later this month.

The district's roughly 43,000 enrolled voters will have to choose from 90 candidates, with 11 — another all-time Far North record — contesting the mayoralty alone.

Forty-two candidates are vying for nine spaces around the council table and another 47 are chasing 19 community board seats.

That doesn't even include Northland Regional Council and Northland District Health Board candidates.

By comparison the total number of candidates contesting the 2016 elections in the Far North was 51 while in 2013 the tally was 55.

The election promises some fascinating competitions, for example in Te Hiku where 15 people — including activist and former Green MP Sue Bradford and rock singer Jason Kerrison of Opshop fame — are chasing three council seats.

Meanwhile, six community board seats have been decided already because the number of candidates matches the number of vacancies.

They are Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board, Kerikeri subdivision, won by Lane Ayr, Frank Owen and Rachel Smith; Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board, South Hokianga subdivision, won by Alan Hessell and Louis Toorenburg; and Te Hiku Community Board, North Cape subdivision, won by Darren Axe.

Voting documents will be delivered to all enrolled voters from September 20-25. Election day, when the results will be tallied and announced, is on October 12.

As of August 20, 43,235 people has enrolled to vote in the Far North district out of an estimated eligible population of 47,060.

FAR NORTH MAYOR

John Bassett, Harko Brown, John Carter, Peter Gill, Jay Hepi, Dave Hookway, Monty Knight, John Levers, Kuini Matene, Tania McInnes, JT Tahana.

FAR NORTH DISTRICT COUNCIL

Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward (15 candidates, four seats)

Harko Brown, David Clendon, Rodger Corbin, Ann Court, Peter Gill, Ruth Heta, Jane Johnston, Chris Joseph, Hone Mihaka, Frank Owen, Maxine Shortland, Rachel Smith, Mike Stevens, Kelly Stratford, Steve Wilce.

Kaikohe-Hokianga Ward (12 candidates, two seats)

Rawhiti Ertsich-Coles, Jay Hepi, Babe Kapa, Sally Macauley, Kuini Matene, Lily Rawson, Marara Rogers, Te Arani Te Haara, Moko Tepania, Louis Toorenburg, John Vujcich, Rhonda Zielinski.

Te Hiku Ward (15 candidates, three seats)

Naomi Austen-Reid, Ian Bamber, Sue Bradford, David Collard, Felicity Foy, Lillian Karaka, Sacha Kearney-Yanke, Jason Kerrison, Barry Murray, Mark Osborne, Lyle Painting, Mate Radich, JT Tahana, Niki Tauhara, Hazely Windelborn.

BAY OF ISLANDS-WHANGAROA COMMUNITY BOARD

Kawakawa-Moerewa subdivision (one seat)

Lucie Green, Manuwai Wells.

Kerikeri subdivision (three seats)

Lane Ayr, Frank Owen, Rachel Smith.

Paihia subdivision (one seat)

Belinda Ward, Steve Wilce.

Russell-Opua subdivision (one seat)

Manuela Gmuer-Hornell, Gray Phillips, Wiki Walker.

Whangaroa subdivision (one seat)

Ruth Heta, Bruce Mills.

KAIKOHE-HOKIANGA COMMUNITY BOARD

Kaikohe subdivision (three seats)

David Adams, Laurie Byers, Mike Edmonds, Mara Pickery, Lily Rawson, Shaun Reilly, Moko Tepania, Kelly van Gaalen.

North Hokianga subdivision (one seat)

Emma Davis, Richard Nahi.

South Hokianga subdivision (two seats)

Alan Hessell, Louis Toorenburg.

TE HIKU COMMUNITY BOARD

Doubtless Bay subdivision (one seat)

Sheryl Bainbridge, Nuu Ward, Martin Yuretich.

Kaitaia subdivision (three seats)

Jaqi Brown, Adele Gardner, Bronwyn Hunt, Lyle Painting, David Senior, John Stewart.

North Cape subdivision (one seat)

Darren Axe.

Whatuwhiwhi subdivision (one seat)

Lawrie Atkinson, Eddie Bellas, Whetu Rutene.