More candidates show hand

Whitehall farmer Stu Kneebone will seek a sixth term as one of two Waipā-King Country representatives on Waikato Regional Council.

Stu Kneebone helping out on the Waikato Regional Council stand at Fieldays. Photo: Mary Anne Gill

He made the announcement at Fieldays last week saying his experience and understanding of what makes the regional council work was still needed.

He has been a Crown representative on the Waikato River Authority for five years which he now co-chairs with Danny Loughlin.

Kneebone is the second in the constituency to confirm he is standing. Current Waipā deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk announced she would stand and step down from the district council.

Clyde Graf, the current regional councillor, told The News in March he would not but in recent weeks he has been part of a block vote of councillors who fell out with chair Pamela Storey over her use of the casting vote.

Storey voted against reducing next year’s rates by 1.7 per cent and then used her casting vote when it was locked at 7-7 to defeat the motion.

Meanwhile some former Waipā District Council and community board representatives are having another go at elected office.

Clockwise, top left Hope Spooner, Stuart Hylton, Dean Taylor, Graham Jull.

In Te Awamutu Graham Jull, who was on the council from 2004-2010 and is now a retired dental surgeon, says the council needs his experience and vision. Former Te Awamutu Courier editor Dean Taylor, who formerly chaired the Te Awamutu Community Board, will stand for council citing his extensive community experience.

They join Marcus Gower, Shane Walsh, Marcus Gower and Bernard Westerbaan in declaring their intentions to The News for one of the three seats.

Claire St Pierre and Mike Montgomerie remain the only confirmed candidates in Pirongia-Kakepuku and Maungatautari.

Incumbents Ange Holt, Jill Taylor and John Wood are standing for Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Community Board.

In Cambridge Jo Davies-Colley, Philip Coles, Roger Gordon, Hope Spooner, Stuart Hylton and Andrew Bydder have all said they are standing for one of the four seats in the Cambridge ward for council.

Andrew Myers is the only one confirmed for the Cambridge Community Board. He will restand as the Maungatautari representative.

  • Are you standing? Let us know [email protected] and send us a high resolution photo of yourself.

    Local Choice

More Recent News

Kōkako’s flight is delayed

The official welcome for the first of up to 20 adult kōkako to be introduced to Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari was held before they arrived last week. Heavy rain delayed the flight of the kōkako, who…

Cruisers rock on in

Rock and roll has shaped lives since it emerged as a musical genre 70 years ago. Today, it is making a difference for a group of young people with special needs in Cambridge. The group,…

Fieldays: selling in the rain

It was the worst weather Fieldays has had in its 57 years history – but the crowds still came. Ticket sales were up 4000 on last year and 110,000 people, buoyed by high dairy and…

Accord call on industrial land

A long-term shortage of industrial land in and around Hamilton has underscored the need for strong collaboration between the city council and neighbouring authorities, such as Waipā District Council. City council Strategic Growth and District…