It's a three-horse race for Western Bay's top job with nominations for the upcoming Local Body elections revealing three people are running to be the district's next Mayor.

Mark Boyle, Ross Paterson and Don Thwaites are all running for Mayor of Western Bay of Plenty.

Sitting Western Bay councillor Don Thwaites is the newcomer to the race between incumbent Western Bay Mayor Ross Paterson, who announced he was seeking re-election in mid-July, and fellow new candidate Te Puke Economic Development Group managing director Mark Boyle, who confirmed his candidacy last month.

Don, who has been a Western Bay Kaimai Ward councillor for four-and-a-half years, was elected to his seat in a May 2009 by-election – needed after Ross Paterson's seat was left empty when he won a by-election for the role of Mayor, following the death of the late Mayor Graeme Weld in 2008.

Initially seeking re-election to his Central (Kaimai) seat, Don told SunLive that he is now standing for Western Bay Mayor as well, because he thinks it is ‘time for change'.

'I'm a bit frustrated with the speed of things and I think I can make a difference.

'The big issues are being glossed over and we're spending far too much time dancing around them. Identifying that $111million of $147million is basically in the three waters – wastewater, drinking water and our stormwater – those are the real big issues.”

Don says, if elected he will change water charges for residents via the annual plan. 'Currently, we have wastewater in the five schemes and water over the three, so my first job when I take Mayor is to get the council together and drive next year's annual plan to go out with one waste water charge and one water charge for the whole of the Western BOP and unify the whole district,” says Don.

'That's why I'm keen to stand.”

Don says WBOPDC's debt is manageable, but he wants to explain to people about the implications of the council's Ten Year Plan, 'because underpinning that is an assumption in the later part of that plan is two per cent growth per annum”.

'I want to explain to people that an additional 420 lots have to be created year-on-year in the Western BOP, so the District Plan, I want to re-visit that, because it's virtually shut down any chance of development in the whole BOP – expect for a pocket in Te Puna, and in our urban centres, which are struggling.”

Don says if the Western Bay half of the district is expected to provide the growth (outlined above), 'we've got to work out a way of doing it”.

'Or if not, people's expectations are going to have to change and we're going to have to cut out a lot of stuff from the community plan, because they are unaffordable going forward.”

Don also says he is watching the Local Government reorganisation currently in Northland, Hawke's Bay and Wellington catchment.

'All BOP councils have been holding meetings about it behind closed doors for the last three years and I'm quite happy to take it out to the people and talk about ‘better governance'.”

The 51-year-old, who grew up and still lives at Te Puna with wife Caroline and three children, has a business degree and has worked on his family's kiwifruit orchard for 40 years. He's been a deputy chair of Katipak and a grower director of Satara before he went to council.

Don has also been involved in community, sporting and educational during the years, including junior rugby administration for Western Bay for eight years, Tauranga Intermediate Board of Trustees, NZ Junior Mens Volleyball team manager for five years – all of which he stepped away from before entering council in 2009.

Don is also seeking re-election to his Central (Kaimai) Ward seat.

Western Bay of Plenty Council candidates:

Mayor

Mark Boyle, Ross Paterson, Don Thwaites

Kaimai Ward (four seats)

Carlton Bidois, Gwenda Merriman, Rob Moncrieff, Margaret Murray-Benge (Independent), Don Thwaites, Garry Webber

Katikati-Waihi Beach Ward (three seats)

Brian Anderson, Sandy Coley, Ross Goudie, Peter Mackay, Norm Mayo, Mike Williams,

Maketu-Te Puke Ward (four seats)

Maureen Burgess (Independent), Graeme Crossman, Grant Dally, Karyl Gunn, Maria Horne, Mike Lally, Kevin Marsh, Michael Parke Pittar (Independent), John Scrimgeour, Paul Geoffery Thomas

Katikati Community Board (four seats)

Brian Anderson, Sam Dunlop, Brendan Gibbs, Jenny Hobbs, Norm Mayo, Fern Nielsen

Maketu Community Board (four seats)

Shane Beech, Gus Cantlon, Rachel Clark, Kelly Henderson, Carol Poihipi

Omokoroa Community Board (four seats)

Donald Cameron, Tim Maurice, John Palmer, Chris Woods

Te Puke Community Board (four seats)

Grant Dally, Peter Miller, Ronald Parker Spratt, Keith Allan Wratt

Waihi Beach Community Board (four seats)

Ruth Parsons, Marilyn Roberts, Allan Sole