Seven battle for spot on council

SEEKING RETURN: Grant Smith is the seventh candidate in the hotly contested Carterton byelection. PHOTO / FILE

Nominations for the Carterton byelection have closed, with an unprecedented number of candidates standing for the vacant seat.

Nominations closed at midday Monday, with a total of seven candidates nominated.

Former councillor Grant Smith was the most recent nomination, joining Jenny Chalmers, Tracey O'Callaghan, Jacqui Malcolm, Rob Harris, Brian Deller and Russell Keys in the race for the seat left vacant by John Booth's promotion to mayor.

Mr Smith previously served two terms on the Carterton District Council and is a member of the Water Race Committee and Carterton Golf Club.

He was formerly the president of Carterton Lions Club and a former chairman of the Carterton School Board of Trustees.

He ran a trucking business but is now semi-retired and lives on a lifestyle block in Clareville.

Mr Smith said the super-city proposal was one the reasons he was standing.

"My biggest gripe is the amalgamation, or so-called amalgamation, with Wellington.

"I believe that if they fed us the right information we would be able to make the right decision [but] we are not being fed the right information.

"I'm not totally opposed but, at the moment, I am because we've been fed information that's incorrect, and there's more information that should come out, financial stuff, and until it does we should stay as we are."

Sewerage, the water supply and roading were key priorities for Carterton, Mr Smith said.

"These are the sorts of things we've got to be really careful of and really fight for."

Voting forms for the byelection will be posted on January 26 and must be returned by February 17.