Nominations open for Tauranga City Council local elections

Tauranga has been managed by four commissioners since 2020. Photo: RNZ

Nominations are open for Tauranga's first local body election in nearly five years.

At the end of 2020, then local government minister Nanaia Mahuta placed the Tauranga City Council under the management of a four-person commission following the resignation of mayor Tenby Powell and an independent review.

Tauranga residents will finally have local elections again on 20 July.

Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said the election was for a transformative period in Tauranga's history.

"As a city leader, you'll be making decisions for the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Tauranga's communities, overseeing and working collaboratively with other elected members to make decisions about the future of our city."

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Nominations for mayor, for one of eight general ward seats and for Māori ward councillor will close on 24 May.

Voting opens on 29 June and closes on 20 July.

Chief electoral officer Warwick Lampp said it was time for a return to democracy in Tauranga, and already there had been plenty of interest in the nominations.

"We've had lots of queries to date, and lots of noise in the community. People have been waiting for this for a long time.

"Tauranga hasn't had any elected members in five years. I think there will be lots of interest."

Lampp said it was not unusual for councils that had come out of commissioner management to see an uptick in voter interest.

"It's a new chance for democracy in the city - there'll be lots of people interested in standing, and hopefully lots of people then voting when it comes to election time."

In New Zealand's most recent local body elections - held for most councils in 2022 - voter turnout was just over 40 percent.

Lampp said they were expecting an above-average turnout in Tauranga.

"We'll be looking for more than 50 - perhaps even 60 or 70. That would be fantastic if we could get to that, and really show that the people of Tauranga want their democracy back."

A candidate briefing session will be held next Tuesday night, where prospective nominees can hear about the electoral process and how council works.