While six compete for the Whakatāne mayoralty, several councillors will be elected unopposed and there will be vacancies unfilled on community boards at this year’s local government election.

Though candidate lists are not official until the end of today, nominations closed on Friday and preliminary candidate lists appear to show people have slightly less interest in holding council positions than at the last election.

The probability that Whakatāne District Council will have to hold a by-election to fill at least three community board roles seems high.

As two of the three councillors who are standing unopposed, Te Urewera general ward’s Andrew Iles and Rangitaiki General Ward’s Wilson James, are also standing for mayor, there is also the possibility a by-election will be required to fill one of these positions if they win.

Mayor Victor Luca is being challenged for the mayoral role by three current councillors. Alongside Mr Iles and Mr James, Whakatāne-Ōhope ward councillor Nandor Tanczos is seeking the position though he is not standing for re-election as a councillor.

Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board member Mark Inman is also seeking the mayoralty. Mr Inman formerly managed the Ōhope Top 10 Holiday Park and is currently operations manager at the Tauranga-based Bay of Plenty Youth Development Trust.

Owner of Global Thai Restaurant and Bar Philip Jacobs is another new candidate for the mayoralty.  Mr Jacobs was until recently a member of council watchdogs Whakatāne Action Group, and brings with him an agenda to reduce council spending and debt.

The four Whakatāne-Ōhope ward vacancies have seven people contending for them, two less than at the last election.

The three Māori ward vacancies are well contested, having two candidates standing in each.

Two current councillors will not stand for re-election on Whakatāne District Council. Whakatāne-Ōhope ward councillor John Pullar is retiring and Toi ki Uta Māori ward councillor Ngapera Rangiaho is standing for the Kōhi Maori constituency seat on Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

Whakatāne-Ōhope and Rangitaiki Community Boards both have enough candidates to require an election though they are down in numbers from 2022. Tāneatua Community Board has only three candidates standing for six positions which will see a by-election imminent. Murupara Community Board has just enough candidates to fill the vacant positions and these will be elected unoposed.

However, one candidate for the Galatea-Waiohau subdivision of Murupara Community Board, Jesse Morgan-Ranui, is also seeking the Toi ki Uta Māori Ward seat and if elected will require a by-election to be held for the Galatea-Waiohau subdivision.

Kawerau and Ōpōtiki district councils, meanwhile, have all their bases covered with enough candidates for each position to require an election.

Mayor - One required

Mark Inman

Philip Jacobs

Wilson James

Andrew Iles

Victor Luca

Nándor Tanczos

Whakatāne-Ōhope General Ward Councillor - Four required

Malcolm Whitaker

Dave Stewart

Carolyn Hamill

Julie Jukes

Chris Barnard

Lesley Immink

Brendan Horan

Te Urewera General Ward Councillor - One required

Andrew Iles

Councillor - Rangitāiki General Ward - Two required

Gavin Dennis

Wilson James

Councillor - Rangitāiki Māori Ward - One required

Tu O'Brien

Rihi Vercoe

Councillor - Kapu te rangi Māori Ward - One required

Toni Boynton

Hiria Wallace

Councillor - Toi ki Uta Māori Ward - One required

Glenn McGahan

Jesse Morgan-Ranui

Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board - Six required

Linda Bonne

Rosemary Sloman

Sue Whale

Sasha Cessford

Tim Proot

Christopher Howard

Douglas McLean

Quin Kingi

Tāneatua Community Board - Six required

Vinoop Xaviour

Talei Bryant

Shane Page

Rangitāiki Community Board - Six required

Peter Flowerday

Bruce Evans

Storm Hale

Bill Clark

Heemi Brown

Stu McHardy

Stephanie Bonner

Murupara Community Board

Murupara Subdivision - Three required

Weku Kereopa

Irma Prentice

Karito Paul

Galatea-Waiohau Subdivision - Two required

Alison Silcock

Jesse Morgan-Ranui

Te Urewera Subdivision - One required

Mere Honeycombe

Kawerau District Council

Mayor – One required

Fayelene Tunui

Carolyn Ion

District-wide councillor at large –two required

Wayne Andrews

Carolyn Ion

Berice Julian

Sela Kingi

General Ward –three required

Melissa Joy Drummond

Tracy-Ann Hill

Lyndal Kennedy

Justin Ross

Anthony Worsley

Māori Ward – three required

Waikite Apiata

Mal dowie

Lyzette Howard

Gloria Leokava-Taani

Ōpōtiki District Council

Mayor – one required

Curley Keno

David Moore

Coast Māori Ward – one required

Haki McRoberts

Pāpā Wharewera

Ōpōtiki Māori Ward – two required

Curley Keno

Maude Maxwell

Linda Steel

Urban General Ward – two required

Shona Browne

Barry Howe

Alex Lelong

Simon Prout

Lyn Riesterer

Rural General Ward – two required

Chris Hopman

Steven Nelson

Caitlin Papuni-McLellan

Dean Petersen

Jodi Porter

Coast Community Board – four required

Gaylene Dudek

Ripeka Mihaere

Te Ataarangi Parata

Tiaki (Jack) Parata

Tullulah Ross

Lucy Steel

Allen Waenga

Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Eastern Bay Constituency – two required

Malcolm Campbell

Adrian Gault

Jessica Sneha Gray

Sarah van der Boom

Kōhi Māori Constituency – one required

Karamea (Chris) Insley

Mawera Karetai

Ngapera Rangiaho

Jackie Te Amo Te Kurupa