Regional council voting will not occur in the two Māori constituencies as Tipa Mahuta and Kataraina Hodge have been elected unopposed. Photo / Supplied
Regional council voting will not occur in the two Māori constituencies as Tipa Mahuta and Kataraina Hodge have been elected unopposed. Photo / Supplied
Tipa Mahuta and Kataraina Hodge have been elected unopposed for the two Waikato Regional Māori constituencies Ngā Tai Ki Uta and Ngā Hau E Whā as they were the only candidates who put their names forward for the seats.
Mahuta and Hodge held the constituencies for the past three years.
Meanwhile, Waihou councillor Stu Husband won't stand again as a regional councillor, but he has put his name forward for the Matamata-Piako mayoralty.
For the regional council's 14 general and two Māori constituencies, there were 29 nominations in total at the close of nominations on Friday.
The six general constituencies are Hamilton with four seats available, Taupō-Rotorua and Thames-Coromandel with one vacancy each, as well as Waipā-King Country, Waihou and Waikato with two seats each.
Apart from Husband, current councillors Hugh Vercoe (Waihou), Kathy White (Taupō-Rotorua) and Andrew MacPherson (Waipā-King Country) have also decided not to stand again in this election.
Former council chairman Russ Rimmington decided to stand again for the Hamilton general constituency after being removed from his position in May this year following alleged racist remarks.
Alongside Rimmington, five other people put their names forward for the Hamilton constituency: Environmental Professor and recipient of the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Medal recipient Bruce Clarkson, Chris Hughes, Meshweyla Macdonald and current councillors Jennifer Nickel and Angela Strange.
Waihou councillor Stu Husband won't stand again as a regional councillor, but he has put his name forward for the Matamata-Piako mayoralty. Photo / Supplied
There are three contestants for the Taupō-Rotorua seat: Mich'eal Downard, Peter Kidd and Simone Stevenson.
Warren Maher and current councillor Denis Tegg are standing for the Thames-Coromandel seat.
For the two Waihou seats Anaru Adams, Robert Cookson, Ben Dunbar-Smith, Anita Goodman, Justus Katzur, Philip Sherwood, Chris van der Aa and David Waine put their names forward.
The Waikato general constituency is contested by Jennifer Hayman, Noel Smith and current councillors Pamela Storey and Fred Lichtwark.
For the two Waipā-King Country seats, Clyde Graf, Judy Sherriff and current councillor Stuart Kneebone and council chair Barry Quayle put their names forward.
Regional councillors are elected by voters enrolled on the residential and ratepayers rolls in their constituency. Everyone correctly enrolled will receive their voting papers in the mail in September.
Waikato Regional Council is also continuing to use First Past the Post (FPP), where voters tick the box beside their preferred regional council candidates.
