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As an elected member you can be a voice for your community and the Hastings District. You can help shape Hastings district and make decisions for the good of our community.
You must be enrolled to vote to run as a candidate in local elections.
A candidate information session will be held at Hastings District Council Civic Administration Building on Tuesday, 26 July 2022 at 6.30pm. The HB Regional Council Electoral Officer will also be present to answer questions about standing for the Regional Council.
To be a candidate for an elected member position, you must be:
You do not need to reside in the area (e.g. district, ward or community board) that you are standing for. Any eligible person is able to stand for Māori or general wards – people do not need to live in the Māori or general ward they are being nominated for.
A candidate must be nominated by two electors from the ward/area the candidate is standing in. Two people are required to nominate candidates. (Candidates cannot nominate themselves.) Nominators must be enrolled on the Parliamentary electoral roll in the ward/area they are nominating the candidate for.
A candidate or their spouse/partner must not have concerns or interests in contracts over $25,000 with the Council.
If you are subject to a Court Order under section 31 of the Protection of Personal and Property Rights Act 1988, you should take legal advice.
If a candidate is an employee of the Council, and is elected, they must resign before taking up their position as an elected member. They must also follow the election protocols in place for staff.
You don't need any special qualifications. Elected members come from all backgrounds, with diverse ideas and experiences and walks of life.
To be effective you will need to bring a wide range of skills to the role:
Council adopted a Final Proposal for the representation structure for Hastings District Council for the 2022 local elections on 14 October 2021. This proposal was referred to the Local Government Commission which hears all appeals to representation review decisions. The Hastings District Council proposal was heard on 18 February 2022. On 6 April 2022, the Local Government Commission confirmed Council’s representation arrangement. Therefore, for the 2022 elections the following representation structure will apply for the Hastings District:
1 Mayor elected by all electors of the Hastings District and 15 councillors in total, including:
12 general ward councillors elected by ward:
1 councillor for the Flaxmere Ward
7 councillors for the Hastings/Havelock North Ward
2 councillors for the Heretaunga Ward
1 councillor for the Kahurānaki Ward
1 councillor for the Mōhaka Ward
3 Māori ward councillors elected by ward (Takitimu Ward). (The Takitimu Ward covers the entire Hastings District.)
One Community Board – the Hastings District Rural Community Board - elected by all eligible electors in the relevant subdivision:
1 member for the Kaweka Subdivision
1 member for the Maraekākaho Subdivision
1 member for the Poukawa Subdivision
1 member for the Tūtira Subdivision, and
3 Council appointees (Kahurānaki Ward Councillor, Mōhaka Ward Councillor and 1 Takitimu Ward Councillor).
Voters on the general roll will be able to vote for the mayor and candidate/s for the general ward in which they reside/are enrolled to vote. Voters on the Hastings District Council general roll will also be able to vote for candidates for the HB Regional Council general constituencies: either 3 candidates for the Heretaunga-Hastings Constituency or 1 candidate for the Ngaruroro Constituency.
Voters on the Māori roll will be able to vote for the mayor and 3 candidates for the Takitimu ward. Voters on the Hastings District Council Māori roll will also be able to vote for candidates for the HB Regional Council Māori constituencies: either 1 candidate for the Māui ki te Raki Māori Constituency or 1 candidate for the Māui ki te Tonga Māori Constituency.
All eligible voters residing in the relevant Rural Community Board Subdivision will be able to vote for one candidate for the Hastings District Rural Community Board.
All eligible voters residing in the Flaxmere Licensing Trust area will be able to vote for candidates for the Flaxmere Licensing Trust.
The role of a Councillor is a significant commitment and therefore potential candidates need to think carefully before they stand. The role includes:
The remuneration rates, the level of allowances, and the reimbursement of expenses payable to local government elected members are set by the Remuneration Authority which is a statutory body whose members are appointed by the Government. The Remuneration Authority sets the salary for the mayor and the amount of each council’s remuneration pool.
When the newly elected Council has decided upon its governance structure, it makes recommendations to the Remuneration Authority on the allocation of salaries to various positions within the governance structure, and its policy on elected members’ allowances and expenses. The current salaries for Hastings District Council elected members (as per the Local Government Members (2021/22) Determination 2021) are:
Position(s) | Salary Payable From 1 July 2021 until 30 June 2022 Local Government Members (2021/22) Determination 2021 |
Mayor | $153,500 |
Deputy Mayor | $78,962 |
Committee Chair of the whole (2) | $65,425 |
Subcommittee Chairs (5) | $56,401 |
Deputy Chairs (4) | $51,889 |
Ambassador for Hastings | $51,889 |
Champion – Flaxmere Development | $47,377 |
Hastings District Rural Community Board Position(s) |
Salary Payable |
Chairperson | $15,262 |
Members (3) | $7,631 |
NB: The Council Appointees to the Rural Community Board do not receive an additional Rural Community Board salary.
You can see remuneration schedules and allowances for all NZ councils visiting the the Local Government Members (2021/22) Determination.
Regulations for campaigning are detailed in the Candidate Information Handbook. They include:
You can find “Frequently Asked Questions about Election 2022” on the Taituarā website.
You can find detailed information on the Local Electoral Act 2001 here.
If you require more information and guidance please contact:
HDC Electoral Officer, Warwick Lampp – iro@electionz.com 0800 666 048
Deputy Electoral Officer, Louise Stettner – louises@hdc.govt.nz 06 871 5110 ext 5543
HB Regional Council Electoral Officer, Leeanne Hooper – Leeanne@hbrc.govt.nz 06 8359200
For more resources for candidates visit the Vote Local website.
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