Standing for Council is your opportunity to shape the future of the Westland District for your whanau and your community. Local Government in New Zealand is a rapidly changing environment and it is an exciting time to be involved.
To be eligible to stand as a candidate you must be:
Persons considering nominating candidates, and potential candidates also need to know:
Prospective candidates are encouraged to read the Candidate Information Handbook that will be available by 13 June 2022. This will be available here or from:
Council will publish a Pre-election Report. The report outlines the key issues facing the Council and the district over the coming years and profiles the Council's current financial position.
Candidates standing for election to a local authority can start campaigning at any time and can continue up to and including Election Day, provided the rules set out in Local Electoral Act 2001 and the Local Electoral Regulations are complied with. For information relating to campaigning, please refer to the Candidate Information Handbook.
Westland District Council's Facebook page
The Westland District Council's Facebook page must not be used for electioneering purposes. Any post - positive or negative - made by any individual specifically relating to their own - or someone else's – nomination, intention to run for Council or election campaign, will be removed immediately.
Campaign advertising is subject to the following rules:
Candidate campaigns are subject to the following expenditure limits, based on population in each area:
Council Population | Expenditure Limit |
5000 - 9,999 | $7,000 |
Councils and government agencies have guidelines regarding putting up election hoardings in the district.
Temporary signs for Local Government elections shall not be erected more than six weeks before the event, nor remain erected more than one week following completion of the event. For the 2022 local authority elections, this means that signage can be erected from Friday 26 August 2022 and must be removed by midnight on Saturday 15 October 2022.