29 stand for seats on Whanganui District Council

Nominations for Whanganui District Council closed on August 16. Photo file / Stuart Munro

Whanganui District has plenty of people who want to sit on its council - but not enough for its rural community board.

While Mayor Hamish McDouall has been elected unopposed and there are 29 people standing for 12 council seats.

The Whanganui Rural Community Board needs seven members - and only six people have been nominated.

Only council incumbents David Bennett and Murray Cleveland are not standing again this year. Ten others want to carry on - Alan Taylor, Jenny Duncan, Helen Craig, Josh Chandulal-Mackay, Charlie Anderson, Philippa Baker-Hogan, Kate Joblin, Hadleigh Reid, Rob Vinsen and Graeme Young.

Crs Alan Taylor and Josh Chandulal-Mackay may be campaigning already - they had a stand at the Whanganui Home & Lifestyle Show.

Joining them in vying for the 12 seats are Rodger Anderson, Steve Baron, James Barron, Mary Bennett, Ray Brightwell, Brent Crossan, Sharon Duff, Matthew Edmonds, Ross Fallen, Kiritahi Firmin, Graeme Fothergill, Dani Lebo, Jo Meiklejohn, Sam Mordey, Vijeshwar Prasad, Phillip (Bear) Reweti, Dan Shand, Jill Sheehy and Matthew Urry.

Most of them have given no affiliations, or said they are independent. Exceptions are Rob Vinsen - Ratepayer Focused, Philippa Baker-Hogan - Velodrome Events Centre and Graeme Fothergill - New Zealand First.

Michael Dick, Sandra Falkner and Grant Skilton will fill the three Kai Iwi subdivision places on the Whanganui Rural Community Board, and Bill Ashworth and Alistair Duff have the Kaitoke subdivision seats.

The Whanganui subdivision has two places and only one person, David Wells, has been nominated.