Voting is officially underway in the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with residents being urged to have their say on who will represent them around the Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council table.
Voting opened on Monday 24 August for the Regional Council’s Eastern Bay General constituency by-election, with voting papers now being delivered to eligible voters.
The by-election follows the death of Councillor Malcolm Campbell earlier this year and will determine who fills the vacant seat representing Eastern Bay communities.
Voters have until midday on Friday 25 September to complete and return their voting papers.
More than just another council vote
Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chief Executive Fiona McTavish says the election gives Eastern Bay residents an important opportunity to influence decisions that directly affect their communities.
Regional councillors have responsibility across some of the biggest issues confronting the rohe, including environmental protection, public transport, biosecurity, flood protection and regional planning.
Those decisions also come at a significant time for local government, with councils across Aotearoa facing debate over funding, amalgamation, infrastructure investment and the future shape of regional decision-making.
For communities across Whakatāne, Kawerau, Ōpōtiki and the wider Eastern Bay, the successful candidate will become another voice around the table as those debates continue.
Voting by post
The election is being conducted using the First Past the Post system.
Eligible voters receiving papers can complete their ballot and return it using the supplied freepost envelope.
Completed voting papers can also be placed into designated orange voting bins around the region.
With postal delivery times needing to be taken into account, voters leaving their decision until close to the deadline may be better placed using one of the ballot collection points to ensure their vote arrives in time.
Haven’t received your voting papers?
Special voting is available for people who are eligible to vote but have not received their papers, have lost or damaged them, enrolled late, are on the unpublished electoral roll or need to update their enrolment information.
Special votes are available during normal office hours at Regional Council offices in Tauranga and Whakatāne.
Additional special-voting sessions will be held at Ōpōtiki District Council on Tuesday 22 September and Kawerau District Council on Wednesday 23 September, between 10am and 3pm.
Local representation under the spotlight
The by-election comes as questions about the future of local and regional government become increasingly prominent.
For the Eastern Bay, representation matters because decisions made at regional level can have very local consequences — from the health of rivers and coastal environments to flood resilience, pest management and transport.
The successful candidate will inherit those responsibilities immediately.
For voters, the message from Toi Moana is straightforward: if the voting papers arrive in your letterbox, use them.
Voting closes at midday on Friday 25 September 2026.
Candidate information, special-voting details and locations of orange voting bins are available through the Bay of Plenty Regional Council elections website or by calling 0800 884 800.
The seat may be one position around the council table, but for the Eastern Bay it represents something much bigger — a voice in the decisions shaping the future of the rohe.
#BayOfPlenty #EasternBay #EasternBayOfPlenty #ToiMoana #BayOfPlentyRegionalCouncil #ByElection #LocalElections #LocalGovernment #VoteLocal #Whakatane #Opotiki #Kawerau #RegionalCouncil #LocalRepresentation #RegionalPlanning #PublicTransport #FloodProtection #Biosecurity #Environment #TeTaiao #LocalDemocracy #CommunityVoice #Election2026 #RegionalNews #MaoriNews #Aotearoa #WaateaNews #RadioWaatea #WaateaDigital
