‘You don’t have to be an expert’: Nominations open for local government elections

A new Whanganui District Council will be elected on October 11.

Nominations for this year’s local government elections open on Friday.

Three people have already declared their intention to run for the Whanganui mayoralty in the October 11 election – incumbent Andrew Tripe and sitting councillors Josh Chandulal-Mackay and rel="" title="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/whanganui-district-councillor-peter-oskam-announces-bid-for-mayoralty/2KMMULU4RVHSXPNBNNAARV23DQ/">Peter Oskam.

Whanganui will also elect a Māori ward for the first time with candidates needing to be enrolled on the Māori electoral roll.

Whanganui District Council democracy services manager Anna Palamountain said getting a spot on the ballot was easy.

“You don’t have to be an expert or have a certain background,” she said.

“Local government works best when people with all sorts of perspectives and life experiences get involved.

“If you think you’ve got what it takes to make a positive difference in our community, we’d love to hear from you.”

Nominations are due by August 1 and require a $200 deposit and nominations from two people enrolled in the district.

“If you’re not sure where to start, just give us a call. We can answer any questions and help guide you through the process,” Palamountain said.

Candidates can also provide a 150-word profile statement, a recent headshot photo and record a 90-second video introduction.

“Just remember, your photo needs to be a clear head and shoulders shot of you.”

All candidate information will be published on the council website so voters can get to know who is standing.

For more details, including nomination forms and key dates, visit whanganui.govt.nz/vote.