Local Voting system to change
š³ļø Whangarei District Council has decided to elect the Mayor and Councillors for the 2025 and 2028 local elections using a Single Transferable Vote system
How does STV work? 1ļøā£2ļøā£3ļøā£
Instead of putting a tick beside the candidates you want to vote for, you rank them with numbers: '1' for first choice, '2' for second choice, '3' for third choice and so on. If a voter's first choice doesn't have enough support to get in, their vote transfers to their second choice. If their second choice doesn't have enough support to get in, their vote transfers to their next choice, and so on.
Voters can still choose just 1 candidate if they prefer, but those votes wouldn't transfer if the candidate is not elected. Under STV, voters can support as many or as few candidates as they like.
The change to use STV may be overturned if 5% of the Districtās electors demand a poll by 11 December 2023 to countermand Augustās decision. For more information, please click "Read More"
Poll: Would you want an unconventional funeral?
Funerals can cost as much as $22,000 and the planning can be stressful especially at a time when loved ones are grieving. Some New Zealanders are re-imagining funerals by making their own coffin or having a relaxed ceremony at home. Would you want a less traditional funeral? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
-
84.3% Yes
-
13.8% No
-
1.9% Other - I'll share below!
New Winter clothing at the Red Cross shop in Dargaville.
Come in and check out the new winter stock at The Red Cross shop in Dargaville.
Celebrating Our Resident Authors On World Book Day
It was World Book Day on the 23rd of April, so what better time to celebrate some of our talented residents who have published books.
They range from childrenās books, to poems, from non-fiction to a first novel - and all are proof that there is no age limit when it comes to creativity!
Click read more for the full story.