Two Murupara Community Board members have “reluctantly resigned”, with nominations now open to fill the vacancies.
Whakatāne District Council said in a statement today James Goldsmith and Tina Barnett had “reluctantly resigned earlier this month”.
Nominations were now open for the two extraordinary vacancies, with board chairwoman Mere McLean encouraging anyone who was “passionate about giving back to the Murupara community to consider applying”.
“Being part of a community board is a very fulfilling position,” she said.
“Our vision is to empower and actively strengthen communities, which we do through a variety of ways including distributing funds, supporting local initiatives and getting involved in community projects.”
The board covered the Te Urewera general ward and the Toi ki Uta and Rangitāiki Māori wards areas and included the Waiohau, Galatea, Murupara, Te Whaiti, Minginui and Ruatāhuna communities.
The ward was split into three subdivisions for election to the board.
Murupara has three members, Galatea has two and Te Urewera has one. The extraordinary vacancies were for the Murupara subdivision, although candidates did not necessarily need to live in that area.
The board met throughout the ward every seven weeks, generally on a Monday at 10am.
McLean said the time commitment required varied outside of the scheduled meetings, depending on what was happening in the rohe.
“You can be relatively flexible with how much time you want to give each month. There are always opportunities to get involved with different things that are going on, like engagement events and community planning sessions,” she said.
“It’s worth noting there is remuneration attached to the position. While it’s voluntary, you’re also paid for some of your time.”
Nominations close at noon on September 13.
Nominations forms are available from the Murupara Service Centre, Murupara and Whakatāne District Council Customer Services, 14 Commerce St, Whakatāne, by calling the electoral office on 0800 922 822 or on the Whakatāne District Council website.
If more than two nominations are received, voting will open on October 18 and close on November 9, when the results will be announced.