On July 20, Tauranga voters will take part in their first city council election since 2019.

The last council was sacked by the Local Government Minister and replaced with commissioners, whose extended term is about to end.

The election is being held out of sync with national elections, meaning the eight general ward councillors, Māori ward councillor and the mayor whom voters elect will be in power until 2028 – four years instead of the standard three.

Read on to find out who is standing in the Tauranga City Council 2024 election, as well as information about voting.

Nominations closed at noon. This article will be updated as further candidates are officially confirmed by the council.

NZME has contacted some indicated candidates who have not appeared on the official list yet but confirmed today they were running.

Former mayors Greg Brownless and Tenby Powell have confirmed they will run in the election. Brownless said he was running for mayor only and Powell said he was standing in the Matua-Otumoetai ward only. Former councillor John Robson confirmed he will run for the mayoralty and in the Bethlehem ward.

Candidates for Mayor of Tauranga

Tanya Bamford-King - Independent

The business owner and mother says she has lived in Tauranga for 26 years and describes her work as supporting small and medium-sized businesses here and overseas. She says she has a background in financial and people management as well as robust financial literacy, leadership, comprehension and decision-making skills. Her priorities are to lead a cohesive, informed, effective council balancing individual, cultural and business needs. She is also standing in Matua-Otūmoetai.

Mahé Drysdale

The Olympic rowing gold medallist, who became a financial adviser after retiring from the sport, says he is future-focused and wants to lead a new generation of strong and accountable leadership that will create a modern and attractive city. Raised in Tauranga and living in Cambridge, Drysdale says the impact of population growth, major infrastructure builds and redevelopment of the centre city are issues the new council will need to address.

Anthony Goddard

The Chill Tradies and Bay Air business owner and father of two has returned home from running a company in Australia for eight years wanting to revitalise Tauranga. He says that, as a young and keen business owner, he brings fresh ideas and a commitment to transparency. He aspires to become mayor to enhance sustainable growth, improve infrastructure and foster an inclusive community by making Tauranga great again. He is also standing in Arataki.

Chudleigh Haggett

Chudleigh Haggett says strong leadership, understanding local government, business and managing staff are prerequisites for any mayor. His policy is “Ratepayers decide” and he believes that, as one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing cities, Tauranga’s planning and future-proofing should be guided by ratepayers or their elected representatives in concert with the expertise of staff. By working together with a good leader, this can be achieved. He is also standing in Te Papa.

Ria Hall

Born and raised in Tauranga, Hall is an award-winning singer and mother of three. Of Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui and Ngāti Pūkenga descent, she has pledged to commit to a connected, inclusive and thriving community. The 45-year-old, who is studying regional development, says she wants Tauranga to become a city of arts and culture, attracting greater tourism and business. Hall wants to address the city’s infrastructure and housing challenges and future-proof it for generations to come. She is also standing in Pāpāmoa.

Tim Maltby - Our Rates are too High

Maltby is an engineer with a doctorate from Cambridge University. He says he was born and raised in Tauranga and has been back for the past 20 years. He is against big spending, debt and massive rates increases. He says to spend carefully on the basics and cut waste, the council must be reorganised to make it more effective, listen to residents instead of big business, scrap the CBD projects, build facilities in the suburbs and stop high-rise building at the Mount. He is also standing in Pāpāmoa.

Douglas Owens - Independent

The former Bay of Plenty regional councillor says he is keen to re-enter local politics to set a new council standard driven by accountability for planning, development, audit/risk and people. Owens, son of former mayor the late Sir Bob Owens, says he is determined to advance Tauranga through practical community-focused solutions and growth for change. Owens pledges to review all aspects of work completed and planned by the council’s management and commissioners.

Tina Salisbury - People and Progress over Politics

The former deputy mayor was part of the sacked 2019 council. She says she was not involved in the interpersonal politics and the city needs to move forward. Salisbury, who says she has community and business leadership, aims to rebuild confidence and trust by cultivating a cohesive and inclusive team that values community participation. She says she is values-driven and focused on working with communities, tangata whenua, regional and national partners for solutions.

Candidates for councillor seats in Tauranga

Te Awanui

Suaree Borell - learning, leading and leveraging

Ashley Hillis

Arataki

Sarah-Jane Bourne

Anthony Goddard

Teresa Killian

Adrienne Pierce

Kim Renshaw

Jeroen Van der Beek

Andrea Webster

Harris Williams

Mike Williams

Bethlehem

Charlene Apaapa

Shelley Archibald

Felicity Auva’a

Gerry Hodgson

Bevan Rakoia

Kevin Schuler

Matua-Ōtūmoetai

Tanya Bamford-King - Independent

Ronald Chamberlain

Glen Crowther

Suzie Edmonds - Independent

Cam Holden - Independent

Jim McKinlay

Basie Pikimaui - Tauranga Moana Kokiritia

Mike Rayner - For keeping our current facilities

Mauao/Mount Maunganui

Heidi Hughes

Garth Mathieson

Teresa Nichols

Michale O’Neill

Jen Scoular

Pāpāmoa

Bryan Archer

Phillip Coleman

Ria Hall

Maaka Nelson

Tim Maltby - Our rates are too high

Steve Morris - Championing Pāpāmoa on council

Shelley Robb - independent

Te Papa

Mark Decke

Chudleigh Haggett

Reihana Marx

Terry Molloy

Jim Smith - Loyal and local

Rod Taylor

Barbara Turley

Tauriko

Murray Guy - Democracy for Tauranga

Larry Baldock - Let’s keep moving forward

Marten Rozeboom

Welcome Bay

Ethan Brinkman - Ethan for reason

Cameron Templer - Action over words

Who can vote in the Tauranga election

You must:

• Be aged 18 or older
• Be a New Zealand citizen, a permanent resident or hold a valid resident’s visa
• Hold a visa that does not require you to leave New Zealand within a specified time
• Have lived in New Zealand, continuously, at any time for one year or more
• Have lived at your current Tauranga address for more than a month.

You might also be eligible if you are:

• A non-resident ratepayer who has applied for enrolment on the ratepayer roll
• A resident outside Tauranga nominated by a firm, company, corporation or society paying rates on a property in Tauranga.

How to enrol to vote in the Tauranga election

You can check if you are enrolled or enrol via the vote.nz website. You need to have a New Zealand driver’s licence, New Zealand passport or a RealMe verified identity.

Whichever way you enrol, you need to sign the form. If you can’t complete or sign the form because of a physical or mental impairment, ask your support person for help, as they may be able to act on your behalf, if they have power of attorney.

If you can’t enrol online, you can have an enrolment form emailed or posted for you to sign and return. You can also call 0800 367656 to arrange an enrolment form, or text 3676 to have a form posted to you.

Completed forms can be emailed to enrol@vote.nz or posted to Electoral Commission, Freepost 2 enrol, PO Box 190, Wellington 6140.

How to vote in the Tauranga election

Each voting pack includes a booklet with information on candidates, which should arrive in your letterbox from June 29 if you are enrolled.

Vote by filling out the form, popping it into the free return envelope in the pack and posting it or dropping it into an orange voting bin at Tauranga supermarkets.

Anyone posting their vote will need to do so before July 16. Voting papers can also be dropped off, in their envelopes, at Tauranga City Library or at the Mount Hub.

When is the Tauranga election?

May 24: Nominations for candidates close

June 29-July 3: Voting papers delivered

June 29: Special voting begins

July 17: Last day to post your voting form

July 19: Last day to enrol and be able to vote

July 20: Election day, voting closes at 12pm

July 20: Preliminary results announced

July 23-25: Final results due

Sources: Tauranga City Council, vote.nz