This week is your last chance to give local politics a go and have a say in the future of the Far North.

Nominations for the October local body elections close on Friday 24 August 2007 and as of 4 pm today (Monday) only 11 nominations have been confirmed for the 26 available seats on the council and its three Community Boards. A small number are still being processed.

Of the 11 confirmed nominations, only one nomination has been received for the Far North Mayoralty. In the Northern Ward three nominations have been received for council including two sitting members, and in the Eastern Ward four nominations have been received including two sitting members. Only one nomination has come forward for the Western Ward.

Two nominations have been received for the Northern Community Board, one for the Western Community Board and there are no nominations to hand for the Eastern Community Board.

One nomination has been received for the Northland District Health Board.

Potential candidates are urged to get their nominations in as soon as possible. If a nomination is left until the last minute and the nomination is incomplete, the candidate may run out of time to make corrections and still meet the noon deadline.

Voting papers will be sent out from 21 September 2007 and must be mailed to the council by midday on Election Day, 13 October 2007.

Nominations confirmed to date are:-


Mayor: Emma Claudia-Alice Gibbs Smith

Northern Ward: Dennis Earle Bowman

Catherine Davis

Ivan Joze (Jack) Katavich

Western Ward: Leslie Raymond King

(2)



Eastern Ward: Ann Lynette Court

Derek Harry Ellis

Martin Leiding

Gary Keith Weeds

Community Boards

Northern:

North Cape subdivision: Willie van der Sluis

Kaitaia subdivision: Hinewhare Turikatuku Ruiha Harawira


Western:

Kaikohe subdivision: William (Bill) Albert Holdem

Northland District Health Board: Maureen Ann Allan