2013 Election

Use the links below for information on:

• Electoral rolls
• Electoral system
• 2013 Triennial Election timetable
• Pre-election communications policy

Triennial elections for elected members of all local authorities throughout New Zealand will be conducted by postal vote on Saturday 12 October 2013.

The elections will be conducted under the provisions of the Local Electoral Act 2001 (with proposed amendments expected May 2013 which may alter the timeline slightly), the Local Electoral Regulations 2001 and the Local Government Act 2002.

Positions

As required by legislation, Council undertook a representation arrangements review in 2012. The final proposal was decided by the Local Government Commission on 20 December 2012, and determined the Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be made up of seven constituencies comprising 14 elected members as follows:

• Eastern Bay of Plenty General Constituency (two members)
• Rotorua General Constituency (two members)
• Tauranga General Constituency (five members)
• Western Bay of Plenty General Constituency (two members)
• Kohi Maori Constituency (one member)
• Mauao Maori Constituency (one member)
• Okurei Maori Constituency (one member).

Nominations

Nominations for these positions open on Friday 26 July 2013 and will close at noon on Friday 23 August 2013. If proposed legislation is enacted (expected May 2013) nominations for the above positions open on Friday 19 July 2013 and will close at noon on Friday 16 August 2013.

Nomination forms will be available from July from any Bay of Plenty Regional Council offices:

• 5 Quay Street, Whakatane
• 6 Rata Street, Mt Maunganui
• 1125 Arawa Street, Rotorua

You can phone 0800 884 880 to have a form posted to you then, or you will be able to download the form from this website.

To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be:

• enrolled as a Parliamentary elector (anywhere in New Zealand); and
• a New Zealand citizen.

Detailed candidate information booklets will be available from Bay of Plenty Regional Council offices from May 2013.

Electoral rolls

Those eligible to vote at the elections include all resident electors and non-resident ratepayer electors whose names appear on the constituent territorial authority electoral rolls when they close. The preliminary territorial authority electoral rolls will be available for public inspection at the respective territorial authority offices and libraries, and Regional Council offices from Friday 26 July 2013 to Friday 23 August 2013 (or from Friday 19 July 2013 to Friday 16 August 2013 if proposed legislation is enacted).

Resident Roll

All parliamentary electors, including those on the Maori Electoral Roll, are automatically enrolled on the territorial authority resident electoral roll, at the address where they live. A confirmation card will be issued to all parliamentary electors in July 2013.

Any alterations to the resident roll (such as change of addresses details, including new postal addresses) should be made by:

• completing the appropriate form at any post shop;
• phoning 0800 ENROLNOW (0800 367 656)
• accessing the Enrolment Services, on the Electoral Commission website

Ratepayer Roll

If a person is on a Parliamentary roll in one area and pays rates on a property in another area, this person may be eligible to be enrolled on the non-resident ratepayer roll. A firm, company, corporation or society paying rates on a property may nominate one of its members or officers as a ratepayer elector (providing the nominated person lives outside the area). Ratepayer roll enrolment forms will be available at respective territorial authority offices and libraries. Any alterations to the ratepayer roll should be made at the respective territorial authority offices.

Electoral system

The first past the post (FPP) electoral system will be used for the Bay of Plenty Regional Council and all of its six constituent territorial authority's elections. 

Voting period

Voting documents will be sent to all eligible electors by each of the respective territorial authorities by post from Friday 20 September 2013.

The voting period is three weeks (Friday 20 September 2013 to noon, Saturday 12 October 2013). Electors may post their completed voting documents back to the electoral officer of each respective territorial authority using the pre-paid envelope sent with the voting document. Polling places for the issuing of special voting documents and for the receiving of completed voting documents will be available from Friday 20 September 2013 to noon, Saturday 12 October, 2013 at each of the territorial authority's main offices.

To be counted, all completed voting documents must be in the hands of the respective territorial authority's electoral officer by noon, Saturday 12 October 2013.

Progress results are expected to be announced about 2pm, and preliminary results will be known about 8pm on Saturday 12 October 2013 and will be posted on our website.

Contact details

For more information about these elections, contact us: phone: 0800 884 880; fax: 0800 884 882; email:info@boprc.govt.nz, or write to: The Electoral Officer, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, P O Box 364, Whakatane 3158.

2013 Triennial Election timetable

Based on proposed legislative changes expected to be enacted May 2013.

(LEA = Local Electoral Act 2001, LER - Local Electoral Regulations 2001, ES = Enrolment Services, EC = Electoral Commission)

Pre-election communications policy

At its meeting on 14 March 2013, Council adopted its pre-election communications policy. 

The policy takes effect from 12 July 2013 to 12 October 2013 (the pre-election period). 

The policy reads:

Pre-election communications policy

Mass communications (e.g. Backyard Community Pages and normal media releases) continue during the pre-election period from 12 July 2013 to 12 October 2013 using the following;

• No councillor photographs or contact details in any publications or on Council’s website that could be seen as for campaign purposes.
• Continue to quote the Chairman and Committee Chairs only in response to external public and press comments made about Council  policy.
• Using the Chief Executive or her delegate for all other mass communications.

[Effective from 12 July 2013 to 12 October 2013]

For further background and information view the:

• Communications and conduct in a pre-election period report in the Council meeting agenda 
• Office of the Auditor General Good Practice for Managing Public Communications by Local Authorities guidelines.