THE Eastern Bay has three opportunities to gain representation on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board during the October local government elections.
Whakatane residents Judy Turner and Yvonne Boyes, both of whom are sitting board members, and paediatrician Richard Forster, are among 20 people nominated for seven positions. Most members on the board are elected every three years.
The members are elected at large from an area comprising the Kawerau, Opotiki, Western Bay and Whakatane districts, and Tauranga.
In addition, following the election, the minister of health appoints a further four members to form an 11-person board.
The single transferrable voting system (STV) will be used to elect members.
Under STV, an elector has a single vote that is initially allocated to their most preferred candidate and, as the count proceeds and candidates are either elected or eliminated, is transferred to other candidates, according to the voter’s stated preferences, in proportion to any surplus or discarded votes.
Nominees for the seven positions on the Bay of Plenty District Health Board are: Mark Arundel, Mrs Boyes, Ron Chamberlain, Bev Edlin, Geoff Esterman, Dr Forster, Ron Fyfe, Carole Gordon, Marion Guy, Callum Hunter, Yvette Nora Lamare, Rob Moncrieff, Kirsten Marie Murfitt, Jane Nees, Peter Nicholl, Matua Parkinson, Janet Peters, Hylton Rhodes, Ron Scott and Mrs Turner.