Stand for your region

14 July 2004

Are you interested in standing for election to the Auckland Regional Council?

You can represent your area’s community interest on issues such as the region’s environment and natural heritage, regional growth and public transport.

Nominations for candidates open this month and you can lodge a nomination with the ARC Electoral Office between Friday 23 July and 12 noon on Friday 20 August.

To stand, you must be enrolled as a parliamentary elector anywhere in New Zealand and be a New Zealand citizen.

The Auckland Regional Council has a 13 member council elected at the triennial local body elections. Members are elected from local body areas in the Auckland region.

Auckland city area electors can choose four candidates for the ARC, Manukau is represented by three members, North Shore and Waitakere are each represented by two members, and Franklin/Papakura and Rodney have one member each.

Some restrictions do apply. A candidate seeking nomination for the Auckland Regional Council cannot also seek nomination for Mayor, as a City or District Councillor, or as a Community Board member.

Restrictions on eligible candidates also exclude anyone who is “concerned or interested in” contracts over $25,000 with the local authority (unless this restriction is waived by Audit New Zealand).

If an ARC employee was elected as a Councillor, they would have to resign as an employee of the ARC before taking up that position. This does not apply if an employee was elected to a Community Board.

Each nomination to stand for the ARC must be made on the official Auckland Regional Council Nomination paper that is available from 23 July this year.

Nomination papers are available; at the ARC Electoral Office - Ground Floor, Bledisloe House, 24 Wellesley Street, Auckland by telephoning 09-307-7211 or 0800 922822 where one will be posted out or from any of the respective local body offices.

Nominations close on Friday 20 August and must include the consent of the candidate and nomination by two registered electors who are resident in the relevant local body area. The nomination may also include a candidate profile.

More detailed information on standing as a candidate for the ARC is available in the Candidate Information Booklet. You can get a copy of the booklet from the Auckland Regional Electoral Office by telephoning

ENDS

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