Hawke's Bay Regional Council vacancy: Three candidates put names forward

Nominations for the vacant Hawke's Bay Regional Council Hastings seat have been received by Tom Belford, Jacqueline Taylor and Joe Walding-Karaitiana. Photo / NZME

A byelection for a Hawke's Bay regional councillor vacancy will go to a postal vote after three candidates put their names forward.

Three nominations for the Hastings seat were received from Tom Belford, Jacqueline Taylor and Joe Walding-Karaitiana.

Belford, who was among the four highest-polling unsuccessful candidates for the Hastings seat at the 2019 elections, was the only contender to publicly announce his nomination.

Former Tukituki National MP Lawrence Yule told Hawke's Bay Today on Wednesday afternoon he wouldn't be standing.

He said he wanted to concentrate on his new consulting business Yule Alexander, which provides strategy and advocacy advice across New Zealand.

The seat became vacant when former Hawke's Bay Regional Council chair Rex Graham resigned for health reasons. Photo / NZME

The opening was created after former HBRC chair Rex Graham resigned after the return of his cancer last month. Rick Barker replaced him as chair, with William Foley elected as deputy chair.

Nominations for the Hastings constituency created closed at midday on Thursday.

The postal vote would take place from August 19 until midday on September 10.

Anyone who is correctly enrolled in the Hastings constituency will be able to vote.

More information on enrolling, voting and the candidate profiles will shortly appear on the Regional Council's website.