Listed below are details of the confirmed candidates for Mackenzie District Council. Click on a name to read the candidate's profile.

Where elections are required, they will be conducted by postal voting using the First Past the Post electoral system.  Voting will open on Tuesday 9 September 2025 and will close at 12 noon on Saturday 11 October 2025.

Mayoralty (1 Vacancy)

• ARONSEN, Scott
• JACKSON, Ash
• MCCARTHY, Robin
• MCKENZIE, Elizabeth - Independent
• MORGAN, Karen

Pukaki Ward (3 Vacancies)

• ARONSEN, Scott
• FINN, Brian
• HATHAWAY, Christopher - Independent
• HOCKEN, Frank
• OLIVER, Peter - Financial Responsibility
• SPRIGGS, Jan

Opuha Ward (3 Vacancies)

• ADAMS, Mark
• FISHER, Rit
• GUERIN, Phillipa
• JACKSON, Ash
• MCKENZIE, Elizabeth - Independent

Tekapo Ward (1 Vacancy)

• ALLAN, Sue
• NORMAN, Maireire

Fairlie Community Board (4 Vacancies)

• ABBOTT, Simon
• CASSIE, Simon
• KILMISTER, Gina
• LANE-HAND, Holly
• MCMURTRIE, Jamie
• WHITTAKER, Tom

The following nominations were also received where the number of nominations did not exceed the available vacancies.

Twizel Community Board (4 Vacancies)

• HODGES, Tony
• MURDOCH, Mary
• TE RITO, Katrina

As the number of nominations received did not exceed the number of vacancies, Tony HODGES, Mary MURDOCH and Katrina TE RITO are elected unopposed. A by-election to fill the remaining vacancy will be held after the triennial elections have been finalised.

Tekapo Community Board (4 Vacancies)

• NUSTRINI, Barbara
• ROSEINGRAVE, Anna
• SWANSON, Brent
• TOCKER, Simon

As the number of nominations received did not exceed the number of vacancies, Barbara NUSTRINI, Anna ROSEINGRAVE, Brent SWANSON and Simon TOCKER are elected unopposed.

In the Mackenzie district there will be an election for:

• The Mayor.
• 3 councillors to represent the Opuha Ward.
• 3 councillors to represent the Pukaki Ward.
• 1 councillor to represent the Tekapo Ward.
• 4 members for the Fairlie Community Board.
• 4 members for the Tekapo Community Board.
• 4 members for the Twizel Community Board.

Public Notice with full details

Signs on or near state highways

Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Land Transport) must approve general election signs that will be placed on or next to state highways.

Signs must comply with the Waka Kotahi general election sign guidance. 

To request Waka Kotahi approval for signs on or near a state highway, or if you have any questions, email: environmentalplanning@nzta.govt.nz

Include a copy of your signs and where you’re intending to locate them.

See also:

• New Zealand Transport Agency Local Body Election Signage Guidelines 2025  PDF, 175.33 KB

Signs on or near council roads or property

Election signs that comply with the requirements of the district plan are a permitted activity in the district.

As per page 4 of the candidate handbook, roadside election signs can go up from Friday 29 August, and must be taken down by midnight Friday 10 October.

The sign should:

• Be no larger than 5.8 meters square.
• Include the name and contact details of the person who erected the sign.
• Not be attached to a tree.
• Not obstruct the line of sight of any corner, bend, intersection or vehicle crossing.
• Not obstruct the view of any traffic sign.
• Not obstruct pedestrians or vehicles.
• Not look similar to, or be easily confused with, a traffic sign.
• Not use reflective materials, lights, sound effects or balloons.
• Not adversely affect public safety.

Council staff are available to provide advice on election signage and can be contacted at planning@mackenzie.govt.nz. Include a copy of your signs and where you are intending to locate them.

If you are enrolled as a parliamentary elector you will automatically be placed on council’s electoral roll as a residential elector. If you need to enrol or update existing name or address details on the parliamentary electoral roll, you can do so online at vote.nz or by phoning 0800 36 76 56.

With the next local election happening in 2025 it is time to start checking whether you are enrolled to vote.

Everyone can enrol to vote in the place where they live. This is the Parliamentary Roll of RESIDENTIAL electors). If you are on the Parliamentary Roll, you should update your details if necessary before the election later in 2025. The place to do this is at vote.nz.

Ratepayer roll

People who live somewhere outside the Mackenzie District, but own a house in Mackenzie (and pay rates on it), can also enrol to vote in the Mackenzie electorate. This is known as the Non-resident RATEPAYER Roll.

About 2,500 people own properties in the Mackenzie District on which they pay rates but they live outside the Mackenzie District. In Mackenzie these people are called “ratepayer electors”.

Ratepayer electors can be on the Parliamentary Roll where they live, and also apply to vote in Mackenzie on the non-resident ratepayers roll. They are eligible to vote twice - both where they live and in the Mackenzie district.

Do I qualify to be a ratepayer elector in the Mackenzie district?

If you live in Mackenzie (and are enrolled to vote) you are a RESIDENTIAL elector.

If you live somewhere else but own property in Mackenzie you may be able to enrol as a RATEPAYER elector in Mackenzie.

The rules around who qualifies as a ratepayer elector are complex. You can use the Electionz.com ratepayer portal to find out if you are eligible and register online.

I enrolled and voted last time as a ratepayer elector. Will I automatically receive a voting paper for the Mackenzie district elections this year?

No. The RATEPAYER electoral roll only lasts for three years. You must re-enrol every three years (before the election) if you want to be able to vote in the district in which you own property but do not live.

This is different from the RESIDENTIAL electoral roll where you register once and then just need to keep your details updated.

What happens next?

Everyone who lives outside Mackenzie and who pays rates on properties in the Mackenzie District will receive a letter in early 2025 telling them they need to enrol on the RATEPAYERS roll to be able to vote in the Mackenzie District election in 2025.

If ratepayer electors don’t enrol before the election period, they need to visit a Mackenzie District Council office during the election period to enrol and cast a special vote.

• Choose Your Council – Key Dates - 14/8/2025
• Mackenzie District Council Further Notice of Election and Declaration of Elected Candidates - 11/8/2025
• Candidate nominations confirmed - 11/8/2025
• Notice Of 2025 Triennial Local Authority Elections - 1/7/2025
• Local Authority Elections on 11 October 2025 - 13/5/2025

Learn about standing for election in the Mackenzie District. This webinar, filmed prior to the 2022 Election, consists of two parts:

• 0.00 -  Deputy Mayor James Leslie speaks about standing for council.
• 11.33 -  Deputy electoral officer Arlene Goss outlines the vacancies available and how to lodge a nomination.