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A candidate’s guide to
local government elections
Our Home.
Our Future.
Your Vote.
Ko te pae tawhiti whaia kia tata.
Whakanuia tā mātou rohe.
Pōti koa mai.
VOTE
LOCAL ELECTIONS
CONTENTS
Tā te manapori ā-takiwā he āki i
Foreword te tupunga o ngā hapori pakari,
Wāhinga Kōrero kanorau hoki. Ko tāna he kōkiri i te
katoa kia eke te takiwā, te motu
Standing for local government katoa hoki, ki ngā taumata, he
whakapiki hoki i te māia me te tū
He whai takiwā mō te Kaunihera a rohe
pakari.
How councils work
Local democracy drives strong
Te mahi a te Kaunihera and diverse communities. It
builds local and national success,
Nomination requirements confidence and character.
Ngā whakaritenga mō ngā tautapa
Dave Cull
President, LGNZ
Common questions
Ngā pātai
Key dates and next steps
Ngā rā matua me ngā hipanga whai i muri
2
FOREWORD
Wāhinga Kōrero
Kia ora, I hear you’re thinking about standing for Hauraki District Council?
Deciding to play a major role in your local community by running for local government is a big decision, and I’m sure
you have lots of questions. Hopefully after reading this booklet, you’ll have the answers to some of them and the
information you need to help you decide if being an elected member is for you.
The Hauraki District is a relatively small but geographically diverse district, with beaches, bush, mountains, and
significant areas of peatland in the Hauraki Plains. Its main towns are Paeroa, Waihi and Ngatea, and its biggest
industries are mining and agriculture. Situated in the golden triangle between Auckland, Tauranga, and Hamilton,
our district is growing as more people recognise the benefits of living, visiting and doing business here. This presents
some challenges as well as plenty of opportunities for the district.
Last year it was humbling to receive an A rating from the Independent Assessment Board that oversees Local
Government Excellence Programme CouncilMARK™. The Board described us as “a small Council doing big things”
and gave us a Stand Out rating for our performance in governance, strategy, and engagement with the community.
This is a real credit to the organisation and reflects the great working relationship between our elected members
and staff and their commitment to fulfilling our vision which is to be an empowered, flexible, service-focused
organisation.
If you do decide to run in the upcoming elections, congratulations for stepping up to represent your community, and I
wish you the very best of luck.
Langley Cavers
Chief Executive | Tumuaki
Hauraki District Council
3
Standing for local government
He whai takiwā mō te Kaunihera a rohe
STANDING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
4
So you want to stand for local government?
E hiahia ana koe ki te tū mō te Kaunihera a rohe?
That’s great! What roles can I stand for?
Local government enables all of us, through our
elected representatives, to make decisions about the
He aha ngā tūnga pāi māu?
way our district works. There are a number of roles you can stand for within
Councils have a unique role as they are the only the Hauraki district:
form of government with responsibility for a specific • A Mayor elected at large across the district.
area or rohe. This role is often called ‘place shaping’ • Councillors ( ):
and involves both governance and responsibility for
» councillors elected by the electors of the
providing local public services and infrastructure such
Plains Ward
as roads and stormwater pipes.
» councillors elected by the electors of the
Within local government there are three types of
Paeroa Ward
councils:
» councillors elected by the electors of the
• territorial authorities (these are city and district
councils); Waihi Ward
• regional councils; and Note:
• unitary councils (cities and district councils that After a recent representation review of wards,
include regional council functions). boundaries and number of councillors in
Altogether New Zealand has local governments. Of the Hauraki district, the Local Government
these, are territorial authorities, including six unitary Commission decided to keep the current three
councils, and are regional councils. Of the territorial wards but the total number of councillors was
authorities are city councils and are district increased from to .
councils.
Here in Hauraki, we are a district council • Waikato Regional Council Members (either
The six unitary councils are Auckland Council, Nelson members from the Waihou General Constituency or
member from the Thames-Coromandel General
City Council, Tasman District Council, Marlborough
Constituency or member from the Nga Tai Ki Uta
District Council, Gisborne District Council and the Maori Constituency).
Chatham Islands Council.
• District Health Board Members ( members from
Many territorial authorities have community boards the Counties Manukau District Health Board; no
or local boards. Community boards exist to make sure election will be held for Waikato District
that your interests are being properly represented and Health Board due to the appointment of a
to bring decision-making closer to you. commissioner).
Hauraki District Council used to have community
boards but they eventually disbanded themselves.
Now we have ward working parties made up of the
elected members from each ward that essentially do
what community boards would do if we had them.
In a small council like ours, where elected members
already work closely with community organisations
and special interest groups, the Council feels the
current structure covers community needs.
5
Mayor Councillor
Te Koromatua Kaikaunihera
The mayor is elected by voters across the whole The role of councillor can, at times, be very demanding.
district. You will have to balance a number of competing
The role of mayor is described in the Local Government interests and wear a number of hats, as councillors can
Act (LGA ) as being able to provide be required to act as decision-makers and community
leadership to the other members of the territorial advocates. The role and responsibilities of our
authority and the people in the district of the territorial councillors fall into two main categories:
authority. The mayor is also expected to lead the • being a member of the governing body of council;
development of our council’s plans (including the long- and
term plan and the annual plan), policies, and budgets, • being an elected representative of your community.
working with the other elected members. For your three-year term, you’ll need to juggle various
The mayor’s job is varied, involving long hours and a workloads, as you’ll need to meet your community’s
wide range of duties, such as chairing hui (meetings), demands, advocate for your own priorities, and address
taking a public stand on local issues, and being the challenges facing your council. Being a councillor is
available to listen to people in our communities. a very public role. Whenever you appear in public, even
though it may not be in an official capacity, you are
One of the most challenging jobs of the mayor is
usually regarded as a councillor and judged accordingly.
ensuring the orderly conduct of business during council
It is not a nine to five job.
hui. By keeping order and providing sound leadership
the mayor ensures the council decision-making
process works at its best. The mayor is normally the
spokesperson for the council as well, although this is
often shared with councillors. As well as these roles the
mayor has civil defence responsibilities and is also a
Justice of the Peace (while holding office).
Wards
Kaikaunihera mō tētahi Hapori
Hauraki District Council has
WARDS
three wards, Waihi, Paeroa and
No. of Councillors
Waharau Plains 4
Ngatea. Wards are designed to
Paeroa 4
give neighbourhoods and distinct Firth of
communities, such as rural areas, Thames Waihi 5
Whakatiwai
a voice within their councils.
Kaiaua
Your primary role as a ward
councillor is to represent and
advocate for the interests of Pūkorokoro/
25A
your communities, liaise with Miranda NGATEA
Thames-Coromandel
community organisations and District
25 Orongo
government departments, and Pacific
Pipiroa
maintain an overview of the Waitakaruru
Turua Ocean
local services provided by the 25
26
council. Ward working parties 2 Maratoto
can also make written and oral Whiritoa
Mangatarata Kerepehi
submissions to the council on WAIHI
local issues. 2 PAEROA
Netherton
Kaihere
Patetonga Waikino
2
Karangahake Waimata
Waikato Tirohia
District
27
Matamata-Piako
District 26
Western Bay of
6 Plenty District
What does it take to be successful in local government?
Ngā pūkenga o ngā Kaikaunihera?
Being a successful elected member can be a challenging experience. You’ll need to balance competing demands for
your time and figure out what is most important. You’ll also need to be able to work well with other people from a
wide range of backgrounds.
The following skills and knowledge are important for becoming a successful elected member:
Balanced decision-making Knowledge of local government
• Making decisions based on kaimahi (staff) advice, • Understanding the purpose of local government.
community views, wisdom, experience, and • Understanding the role of the council and its
informed judgement. financial language, budgets and processes.
• Being financially prudent and having an eye for risk. • Understanding and complying with the Acts of
• Having the ability to openly and reflectively Parliament that control local government delivery,
consider the views of people and communities services, and activities.
outside your own.
Communication and engagement
Strategic thinking • Listening and responding to the concerns of people
• Understanding the district’s priorities and how they in your communities.
relate to national and international developments. • Representing and promoting the council in a unified
• Ability to see the big picture. and positive way and avoiding risks to council’s
reputation.
Political and policy acumen • Working positively with the media, as appropriate.
• Understanding the political environment and the
separation between governance and management. Relationship building and teamwork
• Getting to the bottom of issues and being able to • Building productive and supportive relationships
assess the pros and cons of different options. with the community, councillors, and external
organisations to create and deliver the council’s
Leadership vision and outcomes.
• Providing direction and making things happen to
achieve the council’s vision and outcomes with an Behaviours
emphasis on strategic priorities. • Understanding and modelling the council’s values
and behaviours and discouraging unethical
Cultural awareness behaviour.
• Understanding and empathising with the different • Working respectfully with council kaimahi (staff)
peoples and cultures within the district. and others, and valuing their roles.
• Understanding tikanga Māori and the council’s
responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi. Integrity and trust
• Understanding how local government impacts on • Taking ownership and responsibility for your
different peoples and cultures. actions and not misrepresenting yourself or others
for personal gain.
97 7
What does an elected member Your governance role
even do? Ngā tikanga o nga Kaikaunihera
He aha ngā mahi ō te Kaikaunihera? Mayors and councillors are responsible for the overall
performance of the council organisation; the degree
Mayors and councillors have two broad roles; a
to which it meets its statutory obligations, fulfils
representative role and a governance role. The
community expectations and looks after its assets. The
amount of time spent on each will vary depending
role includes:
upon the particular elected position. Mayors
and councillors spend a large part of their time • planning and policy making;
on governance matters, as they have the overall • making decisions on the allocation of resources;
responsibility for the performance of the council • ensuring council is fulfilling its regulatory functions
organisation. in an appropriate manner;
• adopting a Long Term Plan that sets out how we
will meet community expectations and exercise
In short, your task is to provide good responsible stewardship of our communities’
governance informed by the views of your assets;
community. • overseeing the strategic direction of our district;
and
Good governance balances short- term and
• reviewing the council’s performance.
long-term responsibilities, the stewardship of
A critical responsibility is to provide good governance.
the organisation, as well as the knowledge of This is summarised in the graphic below prepared by
external opportunities and challenges. the NZ Institute of Directors.
Good governance balances short-term and long-
term responsibilities, and the stewardship of the
organisation, as well as the knowledge of external
opportunities and challenges.
Representation & Strategic
external
Accountability
Good Governance
internal
Supervision Policy
short-term long-term
8
Your representation role Putting the needs of the district
Whakamana tō tūranga first
In your representative role you will be expected to Whakanuia ngā whakaritenga mō
speak on behalf of individuals and organisations in te rohe
your community, and this may include people who
didn’t vote for you. You won’t be able to please all of As a Hauraki District elected member you must act in
the people all of the time, but you must still represent the interest of the whole district, not just a particular
their views, even though you may vote differently at ward or community. This is reinforced by the oath
the council table. As an elected member you swear an that you will have to agree to shortly after being
oath to act in the best interests of the Hauraki District elected:
as a whole. This is because you will often be making “I, [full name of mayor or councillor], declare that
decisions that take into account the wider context and I will faithfully and impartially, and according to
the needs of future generations. the best of my skill and judgment, execute and
Representing people in your community goes perform, in the best interests of Hauraki District,
beyond simply being an advocate. It involves forming the powers, authorities, and duties vested in or
relationships, listening to people, asking for feedback, imposed upon me as a member of the Hauraki
encouraging participation, and empowering groups District Council by virtue of the LGA , the
and organisations. Being a good communicator and Local Government Official Information and
listening to people is clearly important. This role Meetings Act (LGOIMA), or any other Act.”
involves: To be a successful elected member you’ll need to
• representing the interests of our residents and balance your responsibility to raise issues affecting
ratepayers; your ward and communities, with your responsibility
• networking and communicating with local to make decisions on behalf of the interests of the
residents; whole community, including future generations.
• providing leadership and guidance to our
communities;
• facilitating communication between the council and
the community; and
• promoting the overall interests of the council to
external stakeholders.
Day-to-day life of an elected member
Ngā mahi ō te Kaikaunihera
Life as an elected member involves lots of hui and preparation for hui. At times the sheer volume of business papers
and reports you have to read may seem daunting.
In addition there are always informal duties such as listening to residents, talking to the media, attending functions,
and speaking engagements.
It’s essential that people in our communities have an opportunity to contribute their views and ideas to council
discussions. As an elected member you’re expected to be accessible and will spend a lot of time hui with community
representatives. Even more time will be spent reading and responding to correspondence. Some of the work may
impact on your personal or family life, such as waea (phone) calls at odd hours and hui after hours.
9
Important behaviours
Ngā whanonga tino hira
Training and professional
There are certain behaviours that are either helpful
or essential for achieving effective governance. Many
development opportunities
of them are described in more detail in our Code of Whakanua tō mātauranga
Conduct: There are a wide range of training opportunities
for Hauraki District elected members including
• Impartial: You were voted into local government in-house and specialist training.
on the understanding that you will use the powers
of office to act in the best interests of your
community. Because you are likely to be active
in many parts of your community you may, from
time to time, face situations where you might
have a potential conflict of interest. If you feel
this might apply to you, don’t hesitate to let the
chairperson of the hui know as soon as possible.
• Public interest: Your mandate is to take the
interests of the “whole” community into account;
to reflect the wishes of most, rather than a sole
group or special interest group. You should always
listen carefully to all advice and views of the
members of your community, and weigh up all
pros and cons before making recommendations or
decisions, in order to make sure everyone gets a
hearing and a “fair go”.
• Temperate: The saying “play the ball, not the
person” applies in debate. As an elected member
you should always attempt to argue the issue
and facts under discussion rather than attack the
competence, personality, or ethics of the person
with an opposing view.
• Responsible: As an elected member you should
always work to promote issues or actions you
believe are in the public good across a range of
considerations, both ethical and financial. You’ll
also need to be prepared to defend your decisions
as sustainable as well as financially prudent.
• Open and sincere: To maintain public trust in the
integrity of the democratic process, you should
be proactive in giving out information about
council decisions and activities. Your words and
actions need to be a sincere representation of your
purpose to promote issues or actions that you
believe are right for the public good.
10How councils work
Te mahi a te Kaunihera
HOW COUNCILS WORK
11How councils work
Te mahi a te Kaunihera
Local government is the means by which our • Wastewater
communities make democratic decisions about how We collect, treat and dispose of the wastewater
their towns, and the district as a whole works and how from homes and businesses
it will develop. The LGA (s. ) provides councils a • Stormwater
broad purpose, which is to: We collect and channel excess rainwater that runs
off urban properties and roads.
a. enable democratic local decision-making and
action by, and on behalf of, communities; and • Land drainage
We collect water run-off from rural areas and
b. to promote the social, economic, environmental redirect it.
and cultural well-being of communities in the
We also work on some joint projects with Waikato
present and for the future.
Regional Council, who play a core role in the
The purpose has two parts. The first part emphasises management of the natural resources of our district.
the democratic nature of local government and enables The regional council is responsible for:
us to make decisions and undertake services that our
• biosecurity control (including pest control and
communities want and are prepared to pay for. The noxious plants)
second part of the purpose requires us to prioritise the
• resource management (quality of water, soil, coastal
current and future well-being of our communities in
planning)
four key areas when making decisions.
• flood and river management
• public transport
What councils do • civil defence (natural disasters, marine oil spills)
• regional transport planning and passenger transport
He aha te mahi a tētahi kaunihera services.
We play a broad range of local roles, from services
undertaken on behalf of the community itself, to many
regulatory services undertaken on behalf of central
How councils operate
government. He pehea ngā ritenga whakahaere o
• Local roads, footpaths, bridges, road safety,
cycleways
tētahi kaunihera
We own and maintain local roads; NZ Transport Our elected council is responsible for the overall
Agency owns our State Highways and is responsible performance of the local authority The council is led by
for maintaining those. the mayor who is elected by all eligible citizens within
• Water supply the district.
We collect, treat, store, and distribute water to our
communities and some rural areas. The elected council employs our chief executive who
then employs all remaining staff, on behalf of the
• Local regulatory services
We’re responsible for building consenting, animal council. The role of the chief executive and staff is to
control, resource management implementation,and provide advice to the council and action its decisions.
liquor licensing Chief executives are employed on five year contracts
• Community services that can be extended by a further two years. The
We provide and maintain community facilities – council is required to negotiate an annual performance
including libraries, pools, events centre, sports agreement with the chief executive.
fields, reserves, halls, housing for the elderly, public Most council decisions are made in formally constituted
toilets and cemeteries. hui or under delegation by staff, or committees.
• Community development Delegating decisions is a way of managing the
We’re involved in growing our communities workload and ensuring that decisions are made as
through economic development, district and town closely as possible with the people affected by those
promotion, events, grants, social initiatives, Hauraki
decisions.
Rail Trail, and our Sister City relationship
12How councils are funded
He pēhea te whāngai pūtea ki ngā
kaunihera
Councils’ primary source of funding comes from rates. • decisions must be made in public unless there are
Rates make up around per cent of all operational specific grounds for excluding the public; and
expenditure at HDC. Remaining revenue comes from • decision-making processes must acknowledge the
user charges, investment income, regulatory fees and diverse needs of the community.
roading subsidies. We’re required by law to balance our Elected members have little authority by themselves.
budgets, and borrowing is undertaken to fund capital It’s only when acting together with your colleagues that
expenditure. you can implement policies and make a difference. To
More detailed information about our financial position be effective you need the support of the majority of
is available in our Pre-election Report at your fellow elected members.
www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/elections
We have to think of the future long term benefits of
everything we do, and borrowing to fund assets that Being transparent
have a long life is a prudent way of sharing the cost of
long life assets over future generations that will benefit
Kia whitikia e te rā, kia puhipuhia e te
from the investment. Like most councils, we borrow hau, kia kitea e te iwi
from the Local Government Funding Agency, which
Local government works well because it’s open and
raises bonds and is able to lend to councils at lower
transparent. This is one of the fundamental values of
interest rates than those charged by the banking sector.
good government and both the Local Government
Our critical planning document is the Long Term Plan Official Information Act (LGOIMA) and the
(LTP). The LTP is reviewed every three years, and Ombudsmen Act apply to councils. This means
includes a -year financial strategy and a -year that all decisions, except when matters of personal
infrastructure strategy. or commercial sensitivity are concerned, must be
conducted in public. It also means that all information,
including information held by you as an elected
Making decisions member in your council role, is also public information.
Te whakatau take The public is entitled to attend hui of councils and
committees, except where the hui has gone into public
As an elected member you’ll be responsible for making excluded. Elected members can hold workshops to
decisions involving very large amounts of public money, debate and find out more about an issue and these
including debt, so it’s very important that decisions are are often held without the public being present, but
based on accurate information and good advice. You’ll decisions cannot be made at these workshops.
need to ask the right questions to ensure resources
are used well and prudently. Poor investments and
badly supervised projects can damage local economic
development.
The way councils make decisions is subject to a number
of rules and regulations set out in the LGA and
other statutes.
Some critical ones are:
• decision-makers must be informed by the views of
those affected by the decision;
• decision-makers must consider reasonable
practicable options;
13Nomination requirements
Ngā whakaritenga mō ngā tautapa
NOMINATIONS REQUIREMENTS
14Nomination requirements
Ngā whakaritenga mō ngā tautapa
You don’t need any special qualifications to stand for One of the most common reasons people use for not
election in the Hauraki District. You must be a New voting is a lack of knowledge about who the candidates
Zealand citizen and enrolled on the parliamentary are and what they stand for, so making it easy for local
electoral roll (anywhere in New Zealand), and have residents to understand your views on local or regional
lived at your current address for at least one month. You matters is critical to your success.
don’t need to live in the district to stand for the Hauraki In the past, candidates held hui on street corners and
District. in community halls. These are all important but today
people get their information from a much wider range
of sources. Today a social media presence is likely to be
Combinations allowed critical as many voters use online devices to search for
candidate information. A Facebook page, for example,
Ngā haumitanga e whakaaetia ana provides an easy way of communicating key messages
Due to the potential for conflict of interest, there are about yourself, why you wish to stand for public office,
some positions which you cannot stand for at the same and your vision for the future of your community. Many
time. There are also situations where you may stand for successful political candidates have found tools like
two positions at the same time but if elected to both Twitter to be a very helpful way of communicating to
must turn down one, usually the less senior position. voters, particularly younger voters.
• You can stand for your local council and for a district There are many methods of campaigning, including:
health board at the same time. • telephoning people you know;
• You can stand for mayor and another position in the • distributing leaflets and pamphlets;
council at the same time, but if you are elected to
both you must turn down your position as councillor, • door knocking;
which is then filled by the next highest polling • making contact with local organisations;
candidate. • meeting people in public areas like shopping
• You cannot stand for both the regional and local centres;
council. • preparing articles for local newspapers;
• You cannot stand for election in more than one ward • paying for press advertisements;
within the district. • providing a profile of your background to the local
You can stand for election if you are an employee of paper;
Hauraki District Council. However, if you are elected as a • addressing public hui;
councillor, you must resign your position as an employee • giving interviews to local radio stations; and
before taking up your position as an elected member.
• creating an online presence.
If you are employed you may need to talk to your Candidates may also prepare “candidate statements”
employer about your intentions to stand for election, which are included with the council’s voting papers.
including the implications of being successful. In some A candidate statement is an opportunity to succinctly
instances you may need to take leave from work while state the policies and principles that you stand on.
you campaign. Remember to focus on the issues that matter to voters
– you only have words.
There are a number of rules that must be observed
Being a successful candidate once you start campaigning, such as not exceeding
Te noho hei mema whai hua the expenditure limit on advertising and keeping track
of all your expenses, as you will need to submit them
Most pōtitanga ā-rohe (local elections) involve a after the completion of the campaign.
competition and this is a sign of a healthy democracy.
There are also limits to the amount of money you can
One of the most important challenges facing a
spend on your election campaigns, which includes
candidate is to successfully promote themselves to
donations and joint campaigning. There are limits on
their community. Being a successful candidate involves
the maximum amount you are allowed to spend, based
selling yourself and the things that are important to you.
on the population of the district you are standing in.
15Election expenditure limits The following are not considered donations: volunteer
labour; goods or services provided free of charge worth
Council population Expenditure limit less than or money provided by the candidate for
Up to , , their own campaign.
, – , , There are also donations of goods or services that
, – , , would normally be election expenses. In those cases,
, – , , the reasonable market value of those items needs to
, – , , be recorded as an election expense. If the reasonable
, – , , market value of the items is more than , it should
, – , , also be recorded as a donation.
, – , ,
Contributions to donations
, – , ,
, – , , , Donations can be made up of pooled funds contributed
, , or more , (plus c for each elector) by more than one person. These types of donations
include campaign donations made through a trust or
fundraising collections for a candidate’s campaign.
According to Statistics New Zealand figures as at
The total proceeds of a collection are treated as a
June, , the population of the Plains Ward is , ;
donation and the person who collects the money will
Paeroa is , and Waihi is , , so the expenditure
normally be the donor. The individuals who contribute
limit will be , for each ward.
to the collection are contributors.
The expenditure limit for the Hauraki district Mayor
If a candidate donation, other than an anonymous
is , , based on , population as at June
donation, is made up of contributions, the transmitter
.
or donor must tell you:
Electoral expenses can go towards advertising, • the name and address of the donor;
broadcasting or communicating material to the
• whether the donation is made up of contributions;
public electronically or otherwise. These expenses
are generally funded by the candidate and aren’t • the total amount of individual contributions of
, or less; and,
reimbursed by the council.
• in the case of individual contributions greater than
These spending limits only apply three months before , , the name, address, and contribution of each
election day, ie; July to October . You contributor.
will need to keep a record of all donations received
If you know the donor has failed to supply information
and expenses incurred in your election campaign.
about contributions, the whole donation must be
Every candidate must, by law, complete an Electoral
returned to the donor.
Donations and Expenses Return declaring all donations
and expenses, which needs to be forwarded to the Transmitted donations
electoral office by December, . Nomination
A donation can be made either directly by the donor
deposits, voluntary labour and election sign framework
to the candidate or indirectly by a transmitter who
are not electoral expenses and shouldn’t be included in
transmits a donation to the candidate on someone
the Return of Electoral Donations and Expenses.
else’s behalf, for example via a lawyer’s trust fund. Any
Candidate donations person who receives a candidate donation on your
behalf must transmit it to you within working days.
A candidate donation is a donation of money, goods or
services for use in the candidate’s campaign. When transmitting a donation, the transmitter must tell
you:
Donations, and contributions to donations, of more
than , (including GST) must be declared in your • the donation is being transmitted on behalf of a
return of donations and expenses. A series of donations donor;
made by one person that adds up to more than , • the name and address of the donor;
must also be declared. • whether the donation is made up of contributions;
A candidate donation includes goods or services free • the total amount of contributions of , or less;
of charge with a reasonable market value greater than and
. It also includes discounted amount of goods or • in the case of contributions greater than , ,
services greater than , and over-valued goods, such the name, address, and contribution of each
as a fundraising auction or dinner. contributor.
16Where a transmitter does not disclose the name and Election advertising, using any media, including social
address of the donor, the donation must be treated as media, needs to state the name of the person under
an anonymous donation. whose authority it has been produced and their physical
address [Section , Local Electoral Act ]. This
Anonymous donations may be details of the candidate or their agent, and
Sometimes candidates receive anonymous donations may be included on a profile picture, or within the bio
and there are rules around how much can be kept. You section of a page. For example: ‘All content/images
can’t retain anonymous donations of more than , . contained on this social media page/channel are
Any funds donated over this amount need to be paid to authorised by [name], [physical address]’. This also
the electoral officer within working days for payment needs to be included in election advertising on signs, in
into the general fund of the local authority. newspapers, on flyers and posters, on a vehicle and on
election websites.
Election material
It’s important that election material doesn’t influence Signs
the voter in any way, such as using an imitation voting There are rules that apply to signage, such as where
document that has the names of the candidates with and when signs can be erected. Our district, general
any direction about who a person should vote for. You and local body election signs and hoardings are
could be fined up to , , if convicted of interfering allowed if the location is approved by council, they are
in any way with an elector with the intention of smaller than square metres in area and they meet our
influencing or advising that elector about how they guidelines for traffic safety if visible from roads.
should vote. Signs also need to be at least metres from any
You and your assistants also need to make sure you major intersection; at least metres from any other
don’t collect any voting papers. Each elector should intersection; at least metres from any road sign
post or deliver their own voting document to the (check both sides of the road); and at least metres
electoral officer. You need to be mindful of this, from any other road feature which requires full driver
particularly if campaigning in rest homes or hospitals. attention, e.g. sharp bends.
Election material also can’t contain any untrue Signs and hoardings need to be on privately owned land
statement that’s defamatory of any candidate. and need to be removed before the date of the election.
For more information about signs, go to:
Use of council resources www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/election-signs
Candidates aren’t allowed to use council resources for
campaigning purposes. This includes our logo, crest or
branding, website, Facebook page, instagram account,
any other forms of social media, tablets, computers,
ipads, email, mobile phones, faxes, stationery,
photocopiers, printers, stamps, cars, meeting rooms
and venues (except those available for public hire).
Social media
Social media can be a useful tool for candidates for
campaigning purposes and electioneering. However,
you need to be aware of council’s social media
guidelines for candidates and comply with these at all
times.
Our social media channels are part of council resources,
so need to be politically neutral at all times. We will
promote elections and the importance of voting but
won’t associate these posts with any candidates.
So as a candidate, you can’t post on our social media
channels or comment on or share things on our social
media channels for electioneering. You also can’t rate,
review, check-in or tag our social media posts in your
own posts or comments.
17Common questions
Ngā pātai
COMMON QUESTIONS
18Common questions
Ngā pātai
How much do elected members get What is the nomination process?
paid? He aha te huarahi whakarewa ingoa?
He pēhea te nui o te utu mā tētahi You will need two people to nominate you (on the
mema i pōtitia official nomination form), then send your completed
form to our electoral officer. You must consent to your
As an elected member you will be classified as self- nomination going forward (by signing the nomination
employed. You will need to pay ACC levies from your form) and you cannot nominate yourself.
own income but you can reclaim some expenses
Those who nominate you must be over years old and
from IRD. Elected members receive salaries that vary
enrolled to vote in the Hauraki District. When you send
depending on the size of the council. The agency
in the nomination form you will need to pay a
responsible for setting salaries is the Remuneration
(incl. GST) deposit.
Authority.
The deposit may be refunded depending on how
In the Hauraki district, the Mayor’s annual base pay as
many votes you receive in the election. The deposit is
at July, , will be , , Deputy Mayor, , ;
refunded if the number of votes you receive is greater
Ward Chair, , ; and councillors, , . From
than per cent of the lowest successful candidate for
the day after election results are published, the Mayor
that particular election (for First Past the Post elections)
will be paid , annually and councillors , .
or greater than per cent of the final quota as
Members are also covered for reasonable expenses
determined in the last iteration (for Single Transferable
associated with council business, such as travel and
Voting elections).
council-related communication costs.
When you submit your nomination forms you can also
How much each elected member is paid is based on
provide the electoral officer with a recent photograph
the population your council represents and its annual
of yourself and a word profile statement. These will
expenditure, and is adjusted annually based on changes
be published in a booklet and sent out with the voting
to population and expenditure. As an elected member
documents.
you cannot decline to accept your salary. There is no
superannuation programme for elected members and Nominations open on Friday July and close
your pay doesn’t include any contribution to a member’s at noon on August . Nomination forms will
Kiwisaver scheme. be available from July from any of our service
centres in Ngatea, Paeroa and Waihi, on our website:
See www.remauthority.govt.nz for more information.
www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/elections, or ph
.
How much time is involved? Completed nomination papers can be lodged at
Electoral Office
E hia te wā ka pau i ngā mahi nei? Hauraki District Council
Time commitments vary depending on the position you William Street
are elected to. Many mayors find that the commitment Paeroa
is full-time and their pay is set on this basis. Hauraki
District Council has monthly hui cycles attended by all Or posted to:
councillors and councillors are also expected to be on The Electoral Officer
various smaller council committees. Hauraki District Council
The amount of time per week that you spend on council C/- Independent Election Services Ltd
duties will depend on the number of responsibilities you PO Box
have. Wellesley Street
Auckland .
As well as attending and preparing the council hui,
your’re expected to be accessible to all members of
your communities and you should expect to spend All nomination material needs to be lodged together.
a lot of time hui with local organisations, such as
neighbourhood associations and business organisations.
19Checklist: How does the electoral process
• Nomination paper
work?
• Candidate profile statement (if provided)
• Nomination deposit He pēhea te mahi o ngā ritenga pōti?
• Evidence of New Zealand citizenship The local government elections will be conducted under
• Letter endorsing affiliation (if applicable) the provisions of the Local Electoral Act , the Local
You’ll get a receipt to acknowledge your nomination’s Electoral Regulations , the LGA , the New
been received, however, the receipt doesn’t constitute Zealand Public Health and Disability Act , and their
an acknowledgement that the nomination paper is in amendments. Hauraki District Council elections are
order. conducted using the “First Past the Post” system (FPP),
Please don’t lodge your nomination at the last so the candidate with the highest number of votes wins.
minute. The Counties Manukau District Health Board will use
the single Transferable voting electoral system (STV).
If it’s incorrectly completed or ineligible, there may not Go to the Department of Internal Affairs website,
be enough time to correct it and the nomination paper www.stv.govt.nz, to find out more about this voting
could be invalidated. system.
Cancellation Elections for all local authorities throughout New
Zealand are held every three years and are all
You can withdraw your nomination up until the close of
conducted by postal vote. This year the day of the
nominations – noon on Friday August , but you
election is Saturday October and all votes must
can’t withdraw after nominations close.
be received by noon on that date.
However, should you become incapacitated after the
Each council has an electoral officer to run the
close of nominations but before the close of voting,
election. This person is either a council employee or
you can apply for the nomination to be cancelled.
an independent contractor working on behalf of the
‘Incapacitated’ means you are unlikely to be capable of council to conduct its election. Neither sitting elected
performing the functions and duties of office if elected members, nor candidates standing for election, can be
because of a serious illness or sustained injury. an electoral officer.
An application for the cancellation of the nomination The electoral officer for Hauraki District Council is:
must be made to the electoral officer by submitting a
Dale Ofsoske, Independent Election Services Ltd
form, available from the electoral office, together with
Level , Federal Street, Auckland
a medical certificate.
PO Box , Wellesley Street, Auckland
Ph
Email - dale.ofsoske@electionservices.co.nz
Are there other requirements? Website - www.electionservices.co.nz
He whakaritenga atu anō?
The deputy electoral officer is:
To be eligible to stand for election you do not need any
special qualifications. John McIver, Community Engagement Manager
Hauraki District Council
A criminal conviction will not usually affect your William Street, Paeroa
nomination. The only exception to this is that people Ph - or
currently serving a prison term of three years or more Email - john.mciver@hauraki-dc.govt.nz
cannot stand. If you are elected and subsequently Website - www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz
convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment of
two years or more, you automatically lose office.
20The preliminary electoral roll (of electors enrolled as at All local government elections are required to be
July) is open for inspection from Friday July to conducted strictly following legislation:
Friday August . People who are enrolled to vote • Local Electoral Act ;
as of Friday August will be included in the final
• Local Electoral Regulations ;
electoral roll and sent their voting papers in the mail.
• Local Government Act ;
An enrolment campaign will also be run from July to
August to encourage people to enrol, check, • Local authorities (Members’ Interests) Act .
or update their enrolment details. Enrolment forms are Copies of the above legislation are available at
available from the council. You can check your details www.legislation.govt.nz
online at www.elections.org.nz.
Voting documents will be sent to all eligible voters
by post from Friday September . Voters will
have three weeks to complete and return their voting
documents. Completed voting documents must be
returned to the electoral officer by noon on Saturday
October .
A polling place for the issuing of special voting
documents and for the receiving of completed voting
documents will be available from Friday September
to noon on Saturday October at the
Elections Office at Hauraki District Council, William
Street, Paeroa.
Preliminary results will be announced by the electoral
officer as soon as practicable after voting closes, to
be followed by the official results within a few days.
Candidates can appoint scrutineers to oversee various
functions of the election, such as scrutiny of the roll,
the preliminary count after the close of voting and
the official count. Scrutineers need to be appointed
by noon, Friday October . They can’t be
a candidate, a member, or employee of any local
authority or under -years-old.
Progress results will be known early afternoon on
Saturday October and preliminary results will
be known early on Sunday morning, October .
These will be posted on our website: www.hauraki-
dc.govt.nz. The electoral officer will also write to all
candidates once the final election result is known. Final
results will be released on Thursday afternoon,
October .
The term of office is three years. If you are successful
you will take up office on the day after the official
declaration is publicly notified. However, before you can
make any decisions, you must swear an oath of office.
The oath for mayor and councillors is made at the first
hui of the new council. This hui is usually held within
two weeks of the official declaration of election results.
21Key dates and next steps
Ngā rā matua me ngā hipanga
whai i muri
KEY DATES AND NEXT STEPS
22Key dates and next steps
Ngā rā matua me ngā hipanga whai i muri
If you wish to stand for a position in the forthcoming pōtitanga ā-rohe (local elections) you will need to have
registered your nomination before midday on August with the Hauraki District Council electoral officer.
Nominations open on July .
Key dates for the elections
July Electoral roll open for inspection
July Candidate nominations open
August Candidate nominations close ( noon) and electoral roll closes
August Public notice of candidates’ names by Electoral Officers
- September Voting documents delivered
September – October Special voting period
September – October Scrutiny and early processing
October Voting closes noon
October Preliminary results
October Collation and analysis of results – LGNZ
- October Declaration of results
November Councillor swearing-in ceremonies
Mid December Return of election expenses forms – Electoral Officer
How do I find out more?
Me pēhea au e kimi ai i ētahi atu kōrero?
If you would like to find out more about council, check out our Annual Plan or Long Term Plan. These documents
show what we’re doing and what we’re planning to do over the next ten years. Our Annual Report is also helpful as
it provides details on both the financial and non-financial performance of the council over the previous year. These
documents are available online: www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz or at your local library.
Also on our website is our -year Infrastructure Strategy and our Governance Statement. The Infrastructure Strategy
gives you an insight into the state of our infrastructure and what renewals and replacements will be required over the
next three decades. In addition, you’ll find our pre-election report, which is written especially for elections, at
www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz/elections
If you would like more information on how the First Past the Post (FPP) voting system works, please check the
Department of Internal Affair’s website at www.dia.govt.nz.
For general information on our council go to our website, or for information on councils in general go to
www.localcouncils.govt.nz.
For more information on the pōtitanga ā-rohe (local elections) go to www.vote .co.nz.
23William Street, Paeroa 3600 PO Box 17, Paeroa 3640 P 07 862 8609 or 0800 734 834 (from within the District) E info@hauraki-dc.govt.nz www.hauraki-dc.govt.nz
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