Members of the public will have two chances to meet the local body election candidates – one in Methven at the Mt Hutt Memorial Hall on Wednesday, August 20, from 7pm to 9pm; the other at Ashburton College auditorium on Wednesday, August 27 from 7pm – 9pm.
The public will be able to see the candidates on stage as they answer set questions. In Methven, there will be time for questions from the floor but not in Ashburton. However, people can mix and mingle after the events.
At The Ashburton Courier we want to give our readers a chance to voice their questions. What is the top issue you think needs addressing in this district? Email your question to: [email protected]
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Final candidates for the 2025 triennial local body elections are:
Mayoralty (1 vacancy); ELLIS, Russell (Nominated by Murray Bassett and Stuart Cross); MACKLE, Rob (Owen Moore, David Butterick); MCMILLAN, Liz (Toni Sweetman, Gerard Rushton); RYAN, Jeff (Dennis Gordon, Cyril Ryan).
Western Ward (2 vacancies); GILKISON, Deb (Sharon Wallace, Anna McCormick); MAXWELL, Jeanette (Elsa Hydes, Ellen Kemp); MCMILLAN, Liz (Janine Holland, Heather Mackenzie).
Eastern Ward (2 vacancies); EVEREST, Phillip (Ian MacKenzie, Stuart Sinclair); WILSON, Richard (Mark Slee, Jane Reith).
Ashburton Ward (5 vacancies); CAMERON, Carolyn (Richard Wilson, Jolene Laxton); COJOCARU, Leonard (Adrian Waddell, Peter Robin); ELLIS, Russell (Barry Hayman, Kenneth MacKenzie); HOOPER, Phill (Robin Hall, James Hooper); MOFFETT, Julie (Susan Newman, Kate White); POOLE, Steph (Kate White, TK Paul); RYAN, Jeff (Dennis Gordon, Cyril Ryan); TODD, Tony (Graham Kennedy, Leandra Fitzgibbon); VAN AMERSFOORT, Dolf (Keith Hall, Evan Rodway).
Methven Community Board (5 vacancies); BARRAND, Faye (Liz McMillan, Scott Rix); FITZGERALD, Megan (Sabrina Read, Lucie Houston); JENKINSON, Robin (Kelvin Holmes, Craige MacKenzie); OWEN, Richie (Karyn Robertson, James Urquhart); WAREING, Simon (Gary Sheridan, Daniel McLaughlin).
Braided Rivers Community Trust (6 vacancies); BROWN, Maddy (Sean Brown, Lucy Gilbert); CLARKE, Christina (Jeremy Adamson, Matthew Marshall); CLOUGH, Kerry (Mary Paterson, Shahaana Ingle); DOUGLAS, Mark (Roasty) (Brent Clarke, Phill Hooper); JAMES, Warren (Mary Philip, Joanna Clement); QUINN, Chantelle (Sally-Ann Reid, Angela Cushnie); RUSHTON, Gerard (William Thomas, Christopher Green); SILVA, Tim (Stephanie Tutty, Joanne Cook); WILSON, Natasha (Hayden Marshall, Laura Macfarlane).
Environment Canterbury (Mid Canterbury regional constituency) (2 vacancies); MACKENZIE, Ian (Penelope Thomas, Neil Brown); SUNCKELL, John (Rima Anna Heslop, Geoffrey David Heslop); TROLOVE, Peter (Ronald Skelton, William Southward); TROY Helen, (Sharon Ovenden, Maureen Wells).
Seats filled before voting
BY JONATHAN LEASK
Local democracy reporter
Two seats are all but confirmed on the Ashburton District Council after nominations closed on Friday.
Richard Wilson and Phill Everest look set to be on the next council, representing the two Eastern Ward seats, after Gary Clancy withdrew his nomination.
Clancy was nominated earlier last week but pulled out on Friday morning citing “personal family reasons”.
That leaves Wilson and Everest filling the two vacancies unopposed.
It’s the same story at the Methven Community Board, where five nominations received are enough to fill the five seats.
Incumbent board members Robin Jenkinson, Megan Fitzgerald, and Richie Owen will be joined by Simon Wareing and Faye Barrand.
There will be an election for the mayoralty, and in the district council’s Ashburton Ward and Western Ward.
Liz McMillan, Russell Ellis, Rob Mackle and Jeff Ryan are all in the running for mayor, after incumbent mayor Neil Brown announced earlier this year he was stepping aside.
Ellis and Ryan are also standing in the five-seat Ashburton Ward along with seven other candidates – Carolyn Cameron, Leonard Cojocaru, Phill Hooper, Julie Moffett, Steph Poole, Tony Todd, and Dolf van Amersfoort.
In the Western Ward there are three candidates McMillan, Deborah Gilkison and Jeanette Maxwell standing for two seats.
Meanwhile, there are four candidates for Environment Canterbury’s two Mid-Canterbury/ Opakihi Regional Constituency positions. Incumbents Ian Mackenzie and John Sunckell are joined by Peter Trolove and Helen Troy.
Voting documents will be delivered between September 9 and September 22. Voting closes on noon on October 11, election day, with progress results available that afternoon. A declaration of results is due by October 19.
