Get out and vote in this year’s Local Government Elections – it’s too important not to!

A network of organisations in the Tangata Whenua, Community and Voluntary sector are calling on other Sector organisations to make sure there is a good turnout to vote in this year’s Local Government Elections.

Dave Henderson of Association of NGOs of Aotearoa (ANGOA) says “for community organisations, local government elections are just as important as those for Central Government and it is important Sector organisations and their members took time to participate.

Voting closes on Saturday 13 October 2007. To make it easy the community network COmVOiceS has developed a free resource, which can be downloaded from www.nzfvwo.org.nz/comvoices/resources.htm. Developed by the Sector for the Sector, the free resource provides candidate lists for all New Zealand Mayoral, Council and District Health Board candidates by region. It also includes information and practical advice specific to the Sector.

“Petra van den Munckhof of Healthcare Aotearoa says: The health and wellbeing of our local communities are heavily reliant on local government, particularly with the legislative changes that Central Government has made over recent years to devolve even more responsibility into local government bodies.”

The Local Government New Zealand 2006-07 Annual Report states that for New Zealand’s communities to flourish they need a positive political and economic climate.

“They also list ‘supporting community wellbeing’, as their number one goal. Voting is one of the important ways that we can influence what that looks like in local communities,” Petra van den Munckhof says.

However, in 2004, the last time local body elections were held, only 46 per cent of eligible voters took part. This year, the reported to date are also below par.

Local Government Elections - Free Resource www.nzfvwo.org.nz/comvoices/resources.htm

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