The 2016 Rangitikei local elections will be held across the Rangitikei District of Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand, between 16 September and 8 October. These elections are for the offices of Mayor of Rangitikei, eleven members of the Rangitikei District Council, four members each of two community boards, two members of the Horizons Regional Council and seven members of the Whanganui District Health Board; these elections are part of the New Zealand-wide local elections. Postal ballots will be issued to all registered voters.
Contents
- Dates
- Mayor
- Bulls ward
- Hunterville ward
- Marton ward
- Taihape ward
- Turakina ward
- Ratana Community Board
- Taihape Community Board
- Regional election
- District health board election
- References
The incumbent mayor is Andy Watson, who on 9 June announced his intention on seeking re-election. First past the post (FPP) will be used for all elections except the District Health Board elections which will be using single transferable vote (STV).
The previous elections took place in October 2013 and the following will take place in October 2019.
Dates
Following are the key dates for the local elections:
Mayor
The incumbent Mayor of Rangitikei is Andy Watson, first elected in 2013. Watson is seeking re-election and will contest the election along with community patrol chair George London and civil engineer Rob Snijders.
Bulls ward
The Bulls ward will elect two councillors. The incumbent councillors are Tim Harris and Rebecca McNeil. Harris and McNeil are both seeking re-election.
Hunterville ward
The Hunterville ward elected one councillor. The incumbent councillor is Dean McManaway, the deputy mayor. McManaway, who was elected unopposed in 2013, was elected unopposed for a second consecutive time in 2016.
Marton ward
The Marton ward will elect four councillors. The incumbent councillors are Cath Ash, Nigel Belsham, Mike Jones and Lynne Sheridan. Ash, Belsham and Sheridan are seeking re-election; Jones retired from politics.
Taihape ward
The Taihape ward will elect three councillors. The incumbent councillors are Richard Aslett, Angus Gordon and Ruth Rainey. All three incumbents are seeking re-election.
Turakina ward
The Turakina ward elected one councillor. The incumbent councillor is Soraya Peke-Mason. Peke-Mason, who was elected unopposed in 2013, was elected unopposed for a second consecutive term.
Ratana Community Board
The Ratana Community Board is composed of four members. The incumbent members are Maata Kare Thompson, Nadine Rawhiti, Bjorn Barlien and Tama Biddle.
Taihape Community Board
The Taihape Community Board is composed of four members. The incumbent members were Michelle Fannin, Gail Larsen, Peter Oliver and Yvonne Sicely. Fannin, Larsen and Sicely were re-elected unopposed and Ann Abernathy was elected unopposed also.
Regional election
As part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region, Rangitikei electors form part of the Manawatu-Rangitikei constituency of the Horizons Regional Council. This constituency elects two members. The incumbent councillors were chairman Bruce Gordon and Gordon McKellar. Both incumbents were re-elected unopposed.
District health board election
Rangitikei District is part of the Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB), one of 20 district health boards in New Zealand. The WDHB consists of seven elected members and up to four members appointed by the Minister of Health. The incumbent elected members were Allan Anderson, Philippa Baker-Hogan, Jenny Duncan, Kate Joblin, Judith MacDonald and Ray Stevens. Baker-Hogan, Duncan, MacDonald and Stevens are running for re-election, with eleven other candidates running including incumbent Mayor of Whanganui Annette Main.