Northland local body elections: When and where to meet the candidates

The Northern Advocate and The Hits Northland Meet the Whangārei Mayoral Candidates evening will be held at Forum North on September 27

Whangārei voters will get the chance to hear from their mayoral candidates, and hear them answer a series of questions, at the Northern Advocate and The Hits Northland Meet the Whangārei Mayoral Candidates evening.

The event is expected to draw hundreds of voters to Forum North, Whangārei, on Tuesday, September 27, from 6pm.

All seven Whangārei mayoral candidates have been invited - Mike Budd; Vince Cocurullo; Ken Couper; Brad Flower; Fiona Green; Nick Jacob; and Shaquille Shortland.

We will also be publishing a lift-out in the Northern Advocate on Tuesday, September 15 that will feature statements from candidates in the Northland local body elections standing for Whangārei, Far North and Kaipara District Councils, and Northland Regional Council. All candidates have been invited to submit a statement for publication.

Community groups are also organising Meet the Candidate events, and the Northern Advocate will also publish details of these meetings. Several meetings have already been organised, including:

Whangārei District Council

September 2
Parua Bay Residents and Ratepayers have organised a Meet the NRC Candidates evening at Parua Bay School Auditorium from 6.30pm.

September 3
Parua Bay Residents and Ratepayers are holding a Meet the WDC Candidates event at Parua Bay School Auditorium from 3pm, for Heads Ward candidates and Whangārei Māori Ward candidates.

September 8
Whananaki Beach Residents and Ratepayers Assn (WBRRA) will host a Meet the Candidates evening at Whananaki Community Hall, from 7pm. The event is for Whangārei District Council mayoral and Hikurangi Coastal general ward candidates.

September 12
Kamo Community Inc has organised a Meet the Candidates event for Kamo, from 6.30pm at Kamo Bowling Club (15A Three Mile Bush Road, Kamo).

Attending will be Whangārei District Council candidates for mayor, Whangārei Urban General Ward, and Whangārei District Māori Ward. NRC candidates for Mid North General, Whangārei Central General and Te Raki Māori constituencies will also be invited to attend. Voters can submit questions for the candidates at cpshauraki@gmail.com or via the Kamo Connect Facebook page.

September 14
Whangārei Heads Citizens Association has organised an evening for mayoral, Whangārei Heads Ward, and local NRC candidates at McLeod Bay Hall from 7pm.

September 22
Hikurangi Business Association is hosting a Meet the Candidates event at 6pm in Hikurangi War Memorial Hall.

Far North District Council

August 31
Far North residents are invited to a Meet the Mayoral Candidates event at Te Ahu Cinema, from 6-8pm.

Mayoral candidates will each have five minutes to speak and answer a question. Council and community board candidates are welcome to attend and network, or set up a stand in the foyer. As seating is limited to 100, early attendance is advised. The event is hosted by Business and Professional Women's Club Kaitaia; queries to bpwkaitaia1987@gmail.com.

September 5
The Kaikohe Business Association is hosting an event from 7pm at Te Kona, at 74 Guy Rd, Kaikohe.

Candidates for the Far North mayoralty, Kaikohe-Hokianga general ward and community board, and Ngā Tai o Tokerau Māori Ward — plus the general public — are all invited.

September 13
Meet the Candidates for the North Hokianga Subdivision will be at Kohukohu Fire Station from 11am.

Voting papers for the local body elections go out on September 16, and the postal ballot closes at noon on October 8. Preliminary election results should be known that night, with final results released the following week.

■ If you have a meeting organised, send details to elections@northernadvocate.co.nz, with who is organising the event, where and when it will be, and which candidates have been invited (mayoral/ward/NRC etc).