All Hastings District Council wards but one will be contested at the upcoming local body elections, with 26 candidates confirmed to be standing for 14 councillor positions and two people vying for the mayoralty.

The nominations for Hastings mayor are incumbent Sandra Hazlehurst and current Hastings/Havelock North ward councillor Damon Harvey.

As well as running for mayor, Mr Harvey’s name has also been put forward to contest one of the eight vacancies on the Hastings/Havelock North ward.

He is one of 12 candidates for this ward, and joins all seven other sitting councillors contesting their position, along with four newcomers.

The two vacancies on the Flaxmere ward have attracted nominations for current Flaxmere councillors Henare O’Keefe and Jacoby Poulain, as well as four others.

While councillor Rod Heaps will not be standing again for the Heretaunga ward, Ann Redstone is running again, joined by four others vying for this seat.

Mohaka ward councillor and deputy mayor Tania Kerr has one contender for the Mohaka ward.

In the Kahuranaki ward, councillor George Lyons has stepped down, and will be replaced by candidate Sophie Siers, who with no other candidates in contention, will automatically get a place at the council table in this ward.

Similarly, all vacancies for the Kaweka and Tutira community subdivisions of the Rural Community Board and the Flaxmere Licensing Trust have been filled and these people will be duly elected.

Full list of candidates for mayor, wards, Rural Community Board and Flaxmere Licensing Trust:

Mayor: Sandra Hazlehurst, Damon Harvey.

Councillors:

Flaxmere ward (two vacancies): Paula Mihaka, Henare O’Keefe, Peleti Oli, Melanie Petrowski, Jacoby Poulain, Gerraldine Kelly Tahere.

Hastings/Havelock North ward (eight vacancies): Sayeed Ahmed, Bayden Barber, Rebecca Burn, Malcolm Dixon, Damon Harvey, Rizwaana Latiff, Eileen Lawson, Simon Nixon, Rion Roben, Wendy Schollum, Geraldine Travers, Kevin Watkins.

Heretaunga ward (two vacancies): Alwyn Corban, Keith Newman, Ann Redstone, Oliver Taylor, Jason Whaitiri.

Kahuranaki ward (one vacancy): Sophie Siers.

Mohaka ward (one vacancy): Tania Kerr, Stuart Perry.

Maraekakaho Community Subdivision (one vacancy): Jonathan Stockley, Lesley Wilson.

Tutira Community Subdivision (one vacancy): Sue Maxwell.

Kaweka Community Subdivision (one vacancy): Nick Dawson.

Poukawa Community Subdivision (one vacancy): Marcus Buddo, Charmaine Tuhaka.

Flaxmere Licensing Trust (six vacancies): Martha Greening, Christine Hokianga, Bronwen Hopkins, Warwick Howie, Farley Keenan, Bert Lincoln.

Voting papers for the local elections will be delivered to households between 20 and 25 September. Voting papers must be returned by midday, Saturday 12 October.

The candidate list and other elections information can be viewed at www.hastings.govt.nz keyword #elections.

ENDS

© Scoop Media