Whakatāne War Memorial Centre is fully booked on Thursday for events unconnected to local elections.
Photo: LDR / Whakatāne Beacon
Whakatāne District Council has confirmed that there is no Meet the Candidates event booked at the Whakatāne War Memorial Centre on Thursday.
A Facebook post has been circulating on local community pages advertising a local government election event at the Whakatāne War Memorial Centre at 6pm.
The event was first promoted two weeks ago on several community pages as being booked for the centre’s reception lounge and in the past few days it has been promoted as being held at the Whakatāne Little Theatre.
The person who created the post said the council had been paid for the booking.
However, the council confirmed that both the Whakatāne Little Theatre and the reception lounge at the Whakatāne War Memorial Centre would be in use by two different community organisations on Thursday.
“These bookings have been arranged well in advance and are not in any way connected to the local elections or any ‘Meet the Candidate’ event,” a spokesperson said.
For any voters wishing to attend a Meet the Candidates event, Whakatane Grey Power is holding one for all Whakatāne-Ōhope ward and mayoral candidates on 17 September at the Knox Presbyterian Church in Domain Road at 10am.
Organiser Peter Minton said candidates could give a short introduction before being asked three pre-prepared questions by Grey Power.
These would be around matters of concern to members such as a future retirement village for Whakatāne, how candidates would support retired people to cope with rates rises and what their feelings are around rates capping.
There would be a chance for the public to mix and mingle with candidates afterward to ask questions.
Another event scheduled for Whakatāne voters on the following day, 18 September, is It’s in the Ballot, at the Whakatāne War Memorial Centre.
This will be livestreamed and starts with Whakatāne-Ōhope Community Board candidates at 3pm, Whakatāne-Ōhope ward candidates at 4pm and mayoral candidates at 7pm.
Residents’ association Whakatane Action Group is holding a Mayoral Forum at the Whakatāne Little Theatre on 23 September, starting with a half-hour mix and mingle at 5pm. The main event begins at 5.30pm and continues until 8.30pm.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.