If you’re looking at running for council or just want to know more info about the process and candidates, here is some information that may be of help.

In 2022 Wellington City Council provided this article. Are your 2025 candidates addressing these challenges as well as your own visions and concerns? https://wellington.govt.nz/news-and-events/news-and-information/our-wellington/2022/07/what-will-local-government-look-like-in-2025

Candidates nominations are open from the 4th of July to the 1st of August, 12.00 noon. Ultimately, you’ll be voting for one mayor and ten councillors – the mayor picks one of the the councillors as the deputy mayor.

Visit https://www.nzempowered.com/post/complaints-about-councils to access information on:

• Standing Orders – Council requirements and processes
• Code of Conduct – Council rules for conduct within council
• Westminster Chain of Accountability –  Who is accountable to who
• Central Government Acts – Government rules which Councils must follow.

On Upper Hutt City Council’s website you can find the following information:

• About the Executive Leadership Team – They also control a lot of the information that is passed to the council to vote on: https://www.upperhutt.govt.nz/Home/Tabs/Council/Your-Council/About-Your-Council/Executive-Leadership-Team
• The current councillors and mayor: https://www.upperhutt.govt.nz/Home/Tabs/Council/Your-Council/About-Your-Council/Mayor-and-Councillors

And on YouTube you can also watch the recordings of council meetings, letting you see part of what the council does: https://www.youtube.com/@UHCCCommunityService/streams

We encourage you to ring/email those who are running in the local elections in 2025, and ask the questions.

• Are they approachable?
• Are they contactable?
• Do their ideas and visions align with yours?
• Are what they are saying/promising within their scope of powers?

To find out all about local government, please visit: https://www.votelocal.co.nz/all-about-local-government/

To find out what the candidates had to say at the last local elections, please visit: https://www.upperhutt.govt.nz/Home/Tabs/Council/Your-Council/About-Your-Council/Local-Elections/Candidate-information

If you haven’t received your voting pack or enrollment pack for this year, and/or if you won’t be able to vote in your local area this year, please visit: https://vote.nz/

This article has been abridged by the editor/operator @ The Upper Hutt Connection.

A “thank you” to NZ Empowered for sending this article to The Upper Hutt Connection.

19/05/25