Annette Main: Your community, your vote

With the local body elections just over a week away, mayor ANNETTE MAIN, who is not standing for re-election, shares her views about why it's so important to vote.

VOTING in the local elections is one of the best ways you can have your say about what goes on in our community.

The people who you choose to represent you will make decisions on your behalf about the well-being of our community in all sorts of areas including environment, economic development, local legislation and reputation.

Local government decision-making results in a range of tangible outcomes for our community, such as the closing time for bars and pubs, speed limits, where businesses can put signs, what kind of public artwork we have in our urban area, where you can walk your dog and more.

Voting for the people you believe will make the best decisions for our community is one of the most important ways you can help shape Whanganui as a place which works for you.

If you are not up to speed about who is standing and want to find out more one of the ways you can do this is by visiting the Wanganui Chronicle Facebook page and watching the videos of the mayoral and council candidates introducing themselves and answering questions from the community.

Local election turnout has been declining since the 1980s and only 42 per cent of New Zealanders voted in the 2013 elections.

But despite low numbers nationwide, I am pleased to say Whanganui has one of the highest voter turnouts in New Zealand. In the 2013 elections 59 per cent of people in our district voted. Let's see if we can make that 70 per cent or higher this election!

If you can't think of a good reason to vote, or you are too busy or think it's too hard, consider this: New Zealand women were not able to vote until 1893 and the reason this changed was the result of people who cared about their rights and stood for what they believed in.

And for those of you who don't think voting affects you because you are under 18, remember that you can encourage your older friends, family and whanau to vote and one day it will be your turn.

Traditionally in New Zealand, the age group with the lowest voter turnout is those aged 18 to 39. With that statistic in mind, I am pleased to see the Yeah Hard team from Nga Tai O Te Awa's "Car Pool Karaoke" style videos with mayoral candidates, which gives the chance for the public to know a little bit more about candidates while doing an "Ave Mish" down our main street. This story has been picked up by national media as a fresh way of promoting local elections. You can see it on the Yeah Hard Facebook page.

For those who are under 18 and still want to have their say about what goes on in local government, there are other ways to get involved, such as visiting the Have your say page on www.whanganui.govt.nz and giving feedback on council plans and policies, or visiting the Viewpoint Whanganui blog.

�Post your voting papers in the mail before Wednesday, October 5, to make sure they reach the Electoral Officer by October 8. After this date, you can drop them into the box on the Customer Services Desk at the council's municipal building, 101 Guyton St.