Bay of Plenty candidates find multiple election hoardings vandalised

Ngahi Bidois with his sign that was vandalised. Photo / Supplied

Some Bay of Plenty election candidates spent their weekends mending hoardings after a spate of sign vandalism hit the region.

Lakes District Health Board candidate Ngahi Bidois had his signs on Lake Rd smashed up at the weekend, while other hoardings on the same strip remained untouched.

He said it was "very disappointing" to put his hand up to serve the community and "this form of abuse happens".

He said he did not want to go to the police as they had "more important things to worry about than a wrecked sign and a bit of vandalism".

"The people who did this also do not deserve to be using a minute more of our police resources."

He would be getting some new signs with plywood backs for better support, he said.

Bidois was not the only one targeted, with council candidate Kaya Sparke also having some of her hoardings suffer a similar fate.

Sparke said four of her hoardings had been vandalised so far and although it was "almost an expectation when you put them up", it was "disheartening".

Candidate Kaya Sparke has had four hoardings vandalised. Photo / Supplied

"I don't think many people understand how expensive they are and when you're running a campaign that's funded by small-time donors like friends and family you can't really afford to keep replacing them."

Tauranga election signs were also targeted by vandals at the weekend, with more than 10 election signs damaged near Memorial Park.

Council candidate Waitsu Wu had her sign ripped out the ground with her face cut out.

She said this had happened a number of times to her and it was "really scary" as she felt like she was being targeted as a result of her ethnicity.

Her face was regularly being cut out of her signs and many were being vandalised the day after she erected them, she said.

A row of hoardings vandalised near Memorial Park in Tauranga. Photo / Sandra Conchie

This abuse was turning out to be costly, as she said she had replaced many signs that cost her $80 each.

She said she had been reporting the vandalism to police.

Council candidate Anna Larsen had her sign completely uprooted.

She said she did not take it personally, as it was often people expelling some "physical frustration".

She said all candidates had more integrity than to instigate for this to happen to competitors.

Election New Zealand chief returning officer Warwick Lampp said it was quite common around this time of year for hoardings to be vandalised nationwide.

He said it was completely the candidate's responsibility to work it out and it was "part of the deal".

"It is what it is."