Te Puke residents will go the polls for one seat on the Te Puke Community Board following the resignation of Anish Paudel.

Anish stepping down from the role, effective immediately, triggers a Western Bay of Plenty District Council by-election to fill the vacant seat.

A by-election must be held to fill the vacant seat because it is more than 12 months before the next local body election in 2025.

Anish received 523 votes in the October 2022 local body elections, alongside Dale Snell (959), Kassie Ellis (940) and Karen Summerhays (937).

The process from here

Electoral Officer Dale Ofsoske has confirmed the by-election process will start later this week - Thursday, 10 August - with nomination papers available to pick up and the electoral roll available for inspection.

To be eligible to stand for election, a candidate must be enrolled as a Parliamentary elector; and a New Zealand citizen; and nominated by two electors of the Te Puke Community Board area.

If more than one nomination is received when nominations close at midday on Thursday 7 September, a postal ballot will be held for the electors of the Te Puke Community Board area. There are about 7400 eligible voters in the area.

Voting will run from Thursday, October 12 to midday Friday, November 3.

The electoral roll will be available for public inspection between Thursday 10 August and Thursday 7 September at locations below.

By-election key dates:

• nominations open/roll open Thursday 10 August
• nominations close/roll closes midday Thursday 7 September
• voting opens Thursday 12 October
• voting closes midday Friday 3 November  

Nomination papers will be available from:

• Te Puke Library and Service Centre, 130 Jellicoe Street
• Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Main Office, Barkes Corner, 1484 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga
• www.westernbay.govt.nz
• Electoral 0800 number – 0800 922 822