Source: Porirua City Council
Nominations for the mayoralty and Porirua’s three wards have closed and the candidates announced.
There are three candidates in the running for Porirua’s mayoralty – Anita Baker, Kathleen Filo, and Ura Wilson-Pokoati.
In the Pāuatahanui General Ward, covering the northern part of the city, there are eight candidates standing for four seats: Brent Ching, Phill Houlihan, Moira Lawler, Ross Leggett, Paul Nation, Aditi Tiwari, Josh Trlin and Nathan Waddle.
Current councillor Tracy Johnson is not standing again.
In the Onepoto General Ward, representing the city’s west and east, there are 15 people standing for five seats: Miriam Albert, Angel Domingos, Mike Duncan, Chris Ellis, Hemi Fermanis, Kathleen Filo, Jaistone Finau, Izzy Ford, Moze Galo, Geoff Hayward, Sharon Hilling, Zac Painting, Siobhan Samuel, Ura Wilson-Pokoati, and Yan Zhang.
In the Parirua Māori Ward, which has one councillor voted on by those on the Māori electoral roll, there are four candidates: Raniera (Daniel) Albert, Rawinia Rimene, Jess Te Huia, and Kylie Wihapi.
We use Single Transferrable Vote (known as STV) in Porirua, meaning you rank your preferred candidates.
Porirua Deputy Electoral Officer Jack Marshall says candidate videos will be up on the Council website in the coming weeks to help voters get to know the candidates by hearing from them directly.
“The mayor and councillors make key decisions on how the city is run and Council oversees facilities like Pātaka, Te Rauparaha Arena, libraries, parks, reserves, sportsfields, along with events. Council makes important decisions for our city, so it’s really important that you vote for what makes you Porirua Proud!” he says.
If you’re on the General Electoral Roll, you will also be asked to vote in the Porirua-Tawa Constituency for Greater Wellington (the regional council).
Everyone, no matter what electoral roll you are on, will also vote in three polls: two binding polls on the Parirua Māori Ward and Te upoko o te ika a Māui Māori Constituency, as well as a non-binding poll on future Council structures in the Wellington region.
For those on the Māori Electoral Roll, there is no election for the Greater Wellington Te upoko o te ika a Māui Māori Constituency, as there was only one nomination for the one vacancy. As such Shamia Makarini has been elected unopposed.
Voting papers, which will be posted out in September, must be returned before 12 noon on election day, Saturday 11 October. You can post them back in the free post envelope or, return them to one of the specially marked orange voting boxes at your local supermarket, and many community facilities across the city. A full list of voting boxes will be on our website in the coming weeks.
If you weren’t enrolled by 1 August, you’ll need to cast a special vote.
Details of community voting sessions we are holding across the city will also be published closer to the voting period on our website.
