Opinion: Local Body elections 2022 affected by low numbers of candidates

Aerial shot of the orchards and flats of Western Bay of Plenty, framed by the Kaimai Range in the background. Photo / Mead Norton

OPINION

Significant concerns have been raised about the number of women standing for councils in the Bay of Plenty. But perhaps the bigger issue is why more people as a whole are not putting their names forward.

Just 11.7 per cent of candidates for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Tauranga constituency - two of 17 - are female.

Of the eight candidates running for the mayoralty in the Western Bay of Plenty District Council elections, Suaree Borell is the only woman. She is also one of 10 women out of 35 Western Bay candidates vying for a seat in the general constituency.

In Rotorua, three of the seven candidates standing for the mayoralty are women and in the general constituency women make up eight of its 19 candidates.

In comparison, 42 per cent of successful candidates were women in 2019 nationally.

And it isn't just this year.

Across three of the region's four councils, women made up between 21 and 27 per cent of elected members.

Rotorua was the only one with 45 per cent women.

While this is all cause for concern, perhaps the bigger question is why more people aren't putting their names forward for election.

In 2018 there were more than 308,000 people living in the Bay of Plenty Region.

But at this year's election, there are 149 candidates across the three councils holding an election. This represents less than half of 1 per cent of the population.

Tauranga City Council is not having an election this year but had 53 candidates in 2019 from the Tauranga City population of about 143,000.

The low turnout does not seem for a lack of trying. Western Bay's council has Generation Change - a push for 'changemakers' to stand.

Local Government New Zealand and Taituarā's joint VOTE 2022 campaign aims to encourage a national conversation about diversity and to support candidates as they stand. It also aims to improve voter turnout, which is another conversation entirely.

Local government seems thankless work for little pay.

In 2019 councillor base salaries were $49,426 in Rotorua, $54,525 for regional councillors, $78,050 for Tauranga City councillors, and $32,959 for Western Bay councillors.

The mayors earned $166,500 in Tauranga, $152,500 in Rotorua and $136,500 in the Western Bay while the regional council's chairman earned $146,500.

For that salary some elected members have faced abuse.

In July, Local Government New Zealand released findings of a survey that revealed 49.5 per cent of 105 respondents experienced racism or gender discrimination in their councillor or mayoral role. Another 43 per cent experienced harassment, prejudice, threatening or derogatory behaviour in their role.

While most elected members may be doing good work, most ratepayers focus on the inevitable rates rises rather than well-maintained parks or new developments. Or, if they do consider developments, they focus on the cost. Scrutiny is warranted, but abuse is not.

More needs to be done to attract people into local government. We could start with more attractive salaries and move to make sure elected members are not abused.