Craig Little back in the race for Wairoa mayoralty

Craig Little at the council table in early 2014, a few months after being elected Mayor of Wairoa for the first time. Photo / NZME

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little has confirmed he's seeking a fourth term in the job, guaranteeing at least a three-way race at this year's local body elections.

Originally committed to no more than three terms if wanted, he's made the decision with wife Jan after pressure from supporters and with a commitment to keeping "steady hands" in place as councils grapple with such issues as Three Waters and local government reform, and Wairoa grapples with the consequences of the storms of late March.

By late Wednesday, his nomination was not formally on the file, but he said he'd sorted out his nominators and had just been to get "the papers".

Already nominated were Murray Olsen, who stood unsuccessfully for a seat on the council in its General Ward in 2019, and council's former planning and regulatory services group manager, Simon Mutonhori.

Olsen, a retired physicist, said he was standing because Wairoa District Council needed to "take a new approach, one which includes and builds the entire community".

"I have been active on various issues in Wairoa since the previous elections, and we need some new ideas. Many people have said to me that I would be a good mayor, so I'm putting my hand up."

Mutonhori said his campaign is dubbed "Operation Restore Hope ki Te Wairoa".

"At the heart of this campaign is a re-engagement plan of our community to have trust, faith and confidence once again in council."

He said his goal was to "bring back trust, confidence, and sense of belonging among our people."

A mayoral election has also been guaranteed in the Tararua District Council, where incumbent Tracey Collis is being challenged by North Tararua Ward council member Sharon Wards.

There is also expected to be a contest for the Napier mayoralty, with both incumbent Kirsten Wise and Taradale Ward councillor Nigel Simpson having announced they're standing, though neither nomination had been officially declared by late-afternoon Tuesday.

Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst has been nominated again but no opponent had been declared, and no nominations had been made for the Central Hawke's Bay mayoralty, although incumbent Alex Walker has said she will be standing again.

Meanwhile, Hawke's Bay local government's four new Maori constituencies were by mid-afternoon still not guaranteed any elections with two still having no candidates nine days out from the closing of nominations.

According to on-line declarations no nominations had been received for the three seats in the Hastings District Council's Takitimu Māori Ward nor the one seat in the Tararua District Council's Tamaki nui-a-Rua Māori Ward.

But there had been one nomination in each of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's single-seat Māui ki te Raki and Māui ki te Tonga Māori constituencies,

The wards were created in reviews last year, enabling changes in time for the triennial local body elections throughout the country this year.

Of the other local bodies in the wider Hawke's Bay area, the Napier City and Central Hawke's Bay District councils will consider Maori Ward inclusion in representation reviews ahead of the 2025 Local Elections.

The Wairoa District Council implemented a three-seat Maori Ward in 2019, as a result of a referendum vote three years earlier, but no nominations had been declared by late Wednesday.

Bayden Barber, who is standing down from the Hastings District Council after two terms and is now focusing on his new role as chairman of Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc, said that, having helped stage a forum to encourage new Maori candidates he had expected some nominations for the new wards to have received, nearing the end of the third of four weeks in which nominations have been open.

But he's still confident there will have been enough nominations by the time the nominations close.

While nominations for the 2022 local elections close throughout the country at midday on August 12, the official declaration of eligible candidates will not be made until the following Wednesday.

Voting starts with distribution of voting papers on September 16-21, and the postal vote closes at midday on October 8, with provisional results announced later that day.

All people aged 18 or over on October 8 are encouraged to vote and to do so must enrol. Details are available on council websites or at https://vote.nz/2022-local-elections/2022